Power DACs (DAC + Amp Hybrids)

[EAD86]

Hi, trying to make a list of DACs that do the amplification and D->A conversion in one step for when I can afford such things:

 

NAD M33, etc.

TaCT Millenium

Sharp SM-SX100

[Miska]

12 hours ago, EAD86 said:

NAD M33, etc.

 

NAD is regular Purifi module, so analog input to the class-D amplifier.

 

[semente]

Lyngdorf?

[Norton]

Maybe: https://www.ecdesigns.nl ?

 

 

 

 

[Miska]

9 minutes ago, Norton said:

Maybe: https://www.ecdesigns.nl ?

 

Not sure if 2.6W power for 8 ohm output is much of an amplifier, but maybe suitable for driving more demanding headphones though. And looks like it has very low damping factor (high output impedance) so it has quite a bit of frequency response variation with real world speaker loads (like many tube amps too). Damping factor for 8 ohm output is around 4 (my current amplifier has >500)...

 

Bandwidth statement is a bit funny saying 100 MHz, while it accepts max 192 kHz input that limits bandwidth to 96 kHz.

 

At 6.7% efficiency it is below most traditional class-A amplifiers. Compared to class-D which typically has 90+%.

 

[Ben75]

On 9/29/2022 at 10:55 PM, Miska said:

 

Not sure if 2.6W power for 8 ohm output is much of an amplifier, but maybe suitable for driving more demanding headphones though. And looks like it has very low damping factor (high output impedance) so it has quite a bit of frequency response variation with real world speaker loads (like many tube amps too). Damping factor for 8 ohm output is around 4 (my current amplifier has >500)...

 

Bandwidth statement is a bit funny saying 100 MHz, while it accepts max 192 kHz input that limits bandwidth to 96 kHz.

 

At 6.7% efficiency it is below most traditional class-A amplifiers. Compared to class-D which typically has 90+%.

 

Here si the answer of John BROWN, co-founder of EC-Designs :

"The PowerDAC-S output impedance equals 2 Ohms, however it is not a voltage steering system but a quasi constant power steering system. This way there is more control over the speaker (speaker impedance changes do not lead to wildly varying power levels on the speaker across the audio bandwidth)."

 

For further questions, please ask him directly.

All the best,

[jparvio]

Wadia 151 PowerDac. Not very powerful but surprisingly nice sounding. Not available as new, but used ones are plenty available for a pocket coin.