My Class D amps are a GREAT match for my Maggie 3.6s.their high current / high damping factor help them really "grab" the panels and make them sing.and without the "coolness" some associate with Class D. I would recommend a good tubed pre and even a tube (or tube-modified) disc player, if you listen to CDs / SACDs. For the record, the owner of Audio Video Choices is not impressed with the Wyred 4 Sound offererings after owning the Muranos, even though the Wyreds have an upgraded input transformer and a few other tweaks. Later I owned a well-reviewed Musical Fidelity amp and found it to be pleasant sounding but lacking in dynamics, air, and inner detail. (But careful system matching is a must.) I owned an early PS Audio Class D design and found it sterile and uninvolving. And, as noted, a good Class D design can "smoke" highly-regarded class A/AB designs. (The CIA Hypex design is from Philips rather than B & O, and quite good as I am told.) Some have compared the Muranos to Rolands side by side and could not hear a difference. Each of the above designs takes a slightly different approach to Class D, and some use proprietary (or highly modified) circuit designs. I have not compared my Muranos with, say, NuForce or Channel Islands' offerings. As far as I know, Bel Canto also includes the Lundahl "upagrade," which is not found in H20, Wyred 4 Sound, and other class D designs. (Jeff Roland uses the same transformer, which not only makes for better impedance matching with a wide variety of preamps but also results in a lower noise floor / blacker backgrounds, better retrieval of inner detail and extended treble response.
ICE POWER AMPLIFIER SERIES
One of the distinctive features of the Murano "plus" series ia the Swedish Lundahl input transformer. The sales rep / owner had gargantuan Krell monoblocks at $30,000 per pair, as I recall, which he "retired" to storage after getting the Muranos (which sold for $1800 per pair new!). The Murano 1000S+ monoblocks I own were the very last pair available on the planet! These were bought brand-new from Audio Video Choices out of Arizona. Not all ICE power modules are identical, however.some companies "tweak" the B & O modules with slightly upgraded parts, including output terminals and speaker connectors. I agree that paying huge money for Rolands (or even Bel Cantos for that matter) is silly unless you absolutely MUST have the particular cosmetic design each offers. I am running Murano P-1000S+ monos in my system with Maggie 3.6 speakers and I LOVE them! Murano Audio is (was) a Taiwan-based company using the B & 0 ICE Power modules. ICE power believers tell me what you think. What justifies the thoudands of $ higher price tag? Never got a response to my e-mail to JR?Ĭlass D amps (most of them have arrived) most people think class d stands for digital? The real reasons is it the next corresponding letter in the alphabet. Please any Jeff Rowland owners set me straight if their is a difference in the ICE power between the two, last time I checked the mini mc-3 was using the newest ICE modules available. (probably the highest mark-up out their) i loved to open a wyred4sound (hidden gem) & a JR amp up side by side. Jeff Rowland has beatiful jewerly like cabinets but is thousands more per watt. Jeff Rowland is not the way to go IMO same B&O modules used as wyred4sound at 3-4 times the price! Quaulity is were its needed (in the wyred4sound), not the fanciest cabinet. I think it is the way of the future reasonably priced, light weight/small/powerful & 85+ efficient. Love the low distoration, clean, crisp sound! JL Audio F-113 subs powered by 5,000 (w) of class d amplification!
Running 1400 watt pioneer sc-09tx & just purchased wyred4sound mini mc-3 (220 (w) at 8ohms per channel)for mains /center.