The Battle of the Amps! D-Sonic vs BAT
bobsauto49
Posts: 973
Well,last week I ordered a D-Sonic Amp. Been real curious about these amps. My BAT failed the left channel last week. and I had to send it in for repair, and thought this would be the perfect chance to try one!
I've listened to this D sonic for approximately 20 hours, And it's a very good amp, With gobs of power!
I asked my wife to come down and listen last night and see what her thoughts were. Her thoughts mirrored mine exactly, And I quote her"Hope you can get your money back for that little pisser, cause that big **** ain't going anywhere!" I really miss my BAT! It honestly exceeds the D sonic in every aspect of the music! The highs are smoother, The mids are more pronounced, And overall it just fills the room with a more refined sound! It's very much feels,and sounds to me like the BAT lets the Music flow through the speakers, Where the D sonic acts as if it's forcing music through the speakers! I just want my BAT back,and thankfully it'll be here Tuesday! Not to say the D sonic isn't a good amp because it is! If I would've gotten this amp first and never heard BAT, I would've been completely satisfied with it! But the BAT Is just better from head to toe,much more refined,much smoother,just flat out better! That's my honest take,from my ears!
P.S. Sorry Phil, I really wanted to like this better, and it's new with a three-year warranty! But I have to trust my ears! And the wife's;-)
I've listened to this D sonic for approximately 20 hours, And it's a very good amp, With gobs of power!
I asked my wife to come down and listen last night and see what her thoughts were. Her thoughts mirrored mine exactly, And I quote her"Hope you can get your money back for that little pisser, cause that big **** ain't going anywhere!" I really miss my BAT! It honestly exceeds the D sonic in every aspect of the music! The highs are smoother, The mids are more pronounced, And overall it just fills the room with a more refined sound! It's very much feels,and sounds to me like the BAT lets the Music flow through the speakers, Where the D sonic acts as if it's forcing music through the speakers! I just want my BAT back,and thankfully it'll be here Tuesday! Not to say the D sonic isn't a good amp because it is! If I would've gotten this amp first and never heard BAT, I would've been completely satisfied with it! But the BAT Is just better from head to toe,much more refined,much smoother,just flat out better! That's my honest take,from my ears!
P.S. Sorry Phil, I really wanted to like this better, and it's new with a three-year warranty! But I have to trust my ears! And the wife's;-)
"Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for"
Post edited by bobsauto49 on
Comments
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bobsauto49 wrote: »Well,last week I ordered a D-Sonic Amp. Been real curious about these amps. My BAT failed the left channel last week. and I had to send it in for repair, and thought this would be the perfect chance to try one!
I've listened to this D sonic for approximately 20 hours, And it's a very good amp, With gobs of power!
I asked my wife to come down and listen last night and see what her thoughts were. Her thoughts mirrored mine exactly, And I quote her"Hope you can get your money back for that little pisser, cause that big **** ain't going anywhere!" I really miss my BAT! It honestly exceeds the D sonic in every aspect of the music! The highs are smoother, The mids are more pronounced, And overall it just fills the room with a more refined sound! It's very much feels,and sounds to me like the BAT lets the Music flow through the speakers, Where the D sonic acts as if it's forcing music through the speakers! I just want my BAT back,and thankfully it'll be here Tuesday! Not to say the D sonic isn't a good amp because it is! If I would've gotten this amp first and never heard BAT, I would've been completely satisfied with it! But the BAT Is just better from head to toe,much more refined,much smoother,just flat out better! That's my honest take,from my ears!
P.S. Sorry Phil, I really wanted to like this better, and it's new with a three-year warranty! But I have to trust my ears! And the wife's;-)
Hey Bob, there's nothing at all wrong with your findings. You put it to the test in your room, with your speakers, your gear along with your cables & PC's. It's all about the bottom line...how does it sound & perform to you (and your wife) in your surroundings and system. My experience with the amp was quite different...different room, different speakers, cables, PC's, etc. We've all experienced the same thing with other gear that we auditioned, as long as we give it a fair shake in our system that's all anyone can ask. Not all gear has that synergy that we so often talk about. I'm glad that you gave it a shot! Now I hope the BAT can be repaired so it gives you years of uninterrupted service. Cheers!"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
bobsauto49 wrote: »Well,last week I ordered a D-Sonic Amp. Been real curious about these amps. My BAT failed the left channel last week. and I had to send it in for repair, and thought this would be the perfect chance to try one!
I've listened to this D sonic for approximately 20 hours, And it's a very good amp, With gobs of power!
I asked my wife to come down and listen last night and see what her thoughts were. Her thoughts mirrored mine exactly, And I quote her"Hope you can get your money back for that little pisser, cause that big **** ain't going anywhere!" I really miss my BAT! It honestly exceeds the D sonic in every aspect of the music! The highs are smoother, The mids are more pronounced, And overall it just fills the room with a more refined sound! It's very much feels,and sounds to me like the BAT lets the Music flow through the speakers, Where the D sonic acts as if it's forcing music through the speakers! I just want my BAT back,and thankfully it'll be here Tuesday! Not to say the D sonic isn't a good amp because it is! If I would've gotten this amp first and never heard BAT, I would've been completely satisfied with it! But the BAT Is just better from head to toe,much more refined,much smoother,just flat out better! That's my honest take,from my ears!
P.S. Sorry Phil, I really wanted to like this better, and it's new with a three-year warranty! But I have to trust my ears! And the wife's;-)
I really had no doubt."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
bobsauto49 wrote: »Not to say the D sonic isn't a good amp because it is! If I would've gotten this amp first and never heard BAT, I would've been completely satisfied with it! But the BAT Is just better from head to toe,much more refined,much smoother,just flat out better! That's my honest take,from my ears!
I had a similar experience with a (used) Parasound HCA-1500. Got it to tide me over while my McCormack was in the shop. The McCormack replaced an Adcom GFA-545, and after hearing the DNA-1, even pre-upgrades, I just couldn't go back to the 545. I knew I at least needed something with more power to drive my speakers 'til the McCormack came home.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the HCA-1500. A significant improvement over the Adcom, for ~$150 more. About half of the cost of the (used) McCormack. I often said exactly the same thing to myself: "If I'd gotten this before I got the DNA-1, I might not have gotten the DNA-1!"
But I didn't, so I did.
As for HCA-1500 vs. DNA-1...well, that Parasound is really quite an amp. Highly recommended, if you don't have the cash for the McCormack.Marantz CD6004
Adcom GFP-750
McCormack DNA-1
Polk LSi9s
Signal Cable ICs
Blue Jeans cables -
I had a similar experience with a (used) Parasound HCA-1500. Got it to tide me over while my McCormack was in the shop. The McCormack replaced an Adcom GFA-545, and after hearing the DNA-1, even pre-upgrades, I just couldn't go back to the 545. I knew I at least needed something with more power to drive my speakers 'til the McCormack came home.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the HCA-1500. A significant improvement over the Adcom, for ~$150 more. About half of the cost of the (used) McCormack. I often said exactly the same thing to myself: "If I'd gotten this before I got the DNA-1, I might not have gotten the DNA-1!"
But I didn't, so I did.
As for HCA-1500 vs. DNA-1...well, that Parasound is really quite an amp. Highly recommended, if you don't have the cash for the McCormack.
Loving my little HCA-700II with my RTi 11TL's. They dont need tons of power and this amp works great for em. Wish my Fisher tube amp was working so I could truly A/B em. But for now Solid State is where its at since I rarely have the time to let the tubes warm up"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
bobsauto49 wrote: »Well,last week I ordered a D-Sonic Amp. Been real curious about these amps. My BAT failed the left channel last week. and I had to send it in for repair, and thought this would be the perfect chance to try one!
I've listened to this D sonic for approximately 20 hours, And it's a very good amp, With gobs of power!
I asked my wife to come down and listen last night and see what her thoughts were. Her thoughts mirrored mine exactly, And I quote her"Hope you can get your money back for that little pisser, cause that big **** ain't going anywhere!" I really miss my BAT! It honestly exceeds the D sonic in every aspect of the music! The highs are smoother, The mids are more pronounced, And overall it just fills the room with a more refined sound! It's very much feels,and sounds to me like the BAT lets the Music flow through the speakers, Where the D sonic acts as if it's forcing music through the speakers! I just want my BAT back,and thankfully it'll be here Tuesday! Not to say the D sonic isn't a good amp because it is! If I would've gotten this amp first and never heard BAT, I would've been completely satisfied with it! But the BAT Is just better from head to toe,much more refined,much smoother,just flat out better! That's my honest take,from my ears!
P.S. Sorry Phil, I really wanted to like this better, and it's new with a three-year warranty! But I have to trust my ears! And the wife's;-)
Well Bob, I'd say you and the wife have both discovered that "Once you go BAT, you never go back" -
I reckon! LolMike Reeter wrote: »Well Bob, I'd say you and the wife have both discovered that "Once you go BAT, you never go back""Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for" -
Mike Reeter wrote: »Well Bob, I'd say you and the wife have both discovered that "Once you go BAT, you never go back"
lol.
Bob, I'm glad to hear that the VK-500 was vindicated in the end! It's the best power amp I've used in my system for many of the same reasons you stated. It's open, airy, delicate, dynamic, and just overall realistic and effortless.
I think the next move I'm going to make in my 2 channel system will be to try to find a good deal on a BAT pre. I've really enjoyed the ARC pre, but I'd like to see how a BAT piece would compare.
I'd like to hear a BAT tube power amp too...2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
I started with a Jolida Fusion pre,and switched to the BAT VK5i. The switch was dramatic! I'll never veer away from this pre,unless its to move up the BAT ladder. But then again,that may have to be their Rex Pre,as Steve at BAT said the VK5i is still among his favorite pre's they have built to date. I haven't heard any of their other's,but the way this sweety sounds,I have no need to!falconcry72 wrote: »
I think the next move I'm going to make in my 2 channel system will be to try to find a good deal on a BAT pre. I've really enjoyed the ARC pre, but I'd like to see how a BAT piece would compare."Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for" -
So the Bat won out huh ?
I thought at the least it might be a wash but....nothing like a big he-man amp into some large radiating surfaces.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Sounds like your wife prefers the big bat on her rack
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I had the same comparison with a lesser class-D amp, so it's no surprise that those great amps provide the better listening experience. It's always nice to hear what you own, and like it compared to something you were eyeing!
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bobsauto49 wrote: »I started with a Jolida Fusion pre,and switched to the BAT VK5i. The switch was dramatic! I'll never veer away from this pre,unless its to move up the BAT ladder. But then again,that may have to be their Rex Pre,as Steve at BAT said the VK5i is still among his favorite pre's they have built to date. I haven't heard any of their other's,but the way this sweety sounds,I have no need to!
Which BAT amp do you have??Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
Its funny that most agree with you Bob because when I posted my less than stellar review of the sx500 ice amps the commonresponce was "well maybe there was something wrong with your pair, contact W4S" lol
I think if your speakers never had them powered bass you would have mirrored what I said. The electrostats do not need alot of power they just need some high current class A to bring out the sweet midrange and extendedhighs -
Actually PFB, that was one of my comments in your thread. Just ment it as a possibility is all. Your description of the complete failure to perform was some what hard to grasp coming out of a W4S product. Unusual wouldn't you say ? Considering the many satisfied users of their products too.
That said, and I've already stated my personal preferences don't slide on the ice amp side, there's just something missing that I just can't seem to put a finger on yet. A different sound for sure, but if asked what exactly is different I don't know if I can point to one particular reason.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I think the panels just don't like them tony and thats a crying shame because I have a pair of wyred 4 sound sx 1000 mono's on their way to my home right now lol. Looks like their wont beany point unpacking them after bob's just confirmed my findings
The crazy thing is that the Martin Logans will actually sing better in the mids and bass with a $500 yaqin tube integrated than they will with a $2000 Anthem amplifier. The only problem with the cheaper tube units is the highs roll off but for $500 and the sound you get thats a pretty good trade off -
The VK500/BatPak. The repaired channel just arrived! Cant wait to get it home,and nail it to the ground in my rig:cheesygrin:Which BAT amp do you have??"Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for" -
I told u once,and i'll tell u again! Get A BAT AMP! There's one on E-bay right now that looks pert near new,for $2180/shipped! A VK500/BatPak! U will thank me later,and end yer search for an amp! At least for a schitzofrantic yearpolkfarmboy wrote: »I think the panels just don't like them tony and thats a crying shame because I have a pair of wyred 4 sound sx 1000 mono's on their way to my home right now lol. Looks like their wont beany point unpacking them after bob's just confirmed my findings
The crazy thing is that the Martin Logans will actually sing better in the mids and bass with a $500 yaqin tube integrated than they will with a $2000 Anthem amplifier. The only problem with the cheaper tube units is the highs roll off but for $500 and the sound you get thats a pretty good trade off
"Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for" -
That is one hell of an amp Bob, just saw a review in a mag. on them, looked like they had a manufacturer's retail price around $5800.00 ???:eek: $2180.00 on a mint used one :cheesygrin: is probably a bargain! Shipped too!
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Anyone want to loan me $2160. ?HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Anyone want to loan me $2160. ?
lol, I saw that one on the bay too. She sure does look purdy...2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
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falconcry72 wrote: »lol, I saw that one on the bay too. She sure does look purdy...
Have you tried running your lsim's off your Bat 500? -
Im gonna but it,just to piss all u guys off! "Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for"
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Ill loan u the money buddy! U'll never be so happy wit yer system after u get ahold of one of these!Anyone want to loan me $2160. ?"Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for" -
There was a bat 500 for $1700 on usaaudiomart
Maybe I should buy one of these? -
U want to keep frantically buying amps? Or do u want one that will satisfy u?polkfarmboy wrote: »There was a bat 500 for $1700 on usaaudiomart
Maybe I should buy one of these?"Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for" -
Bob,
Since you and PFB are kindred spirits.....:eek:, you should be talking him into the Bat 600.
I think someone mentioned the Sanders amp, and I know Rich uses one on his panels with zero complaints. He's a picky dude too, so that should say something.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Bob,
Since you and PFB are kindred spirits.....:eek:, you should be talking him into the Bat 600.
I think someone mentioned the Sanders amp, and I know Rich uses one on his panels with zero complaints. He's a picky dude too, so that should say something.
Rich even picked it over a KRELL :eek:......."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Bob, you could get the other 500 and then convert them to monos the vk1000.
