Sonodyne DE 4370, 8 Channel power amplifier

[ktks1]

Although they say that all amplifiers are the same, they amplify. I found class D amplifiers to sound a little harsh compared to class A/B amplifiers that most AVRs use. My worst sounding receiver was also my most expensive receiver, an ICEpower (class D) amp driven top of the line Pioneer SC receiver.
But some people liked them. So, make sure that you like class D amps before investing. You may gain power, but you may lose sound "quality".

A couple of things which caught my attention:
1. The minimum impedance rating for the Eight Audio EA2100 is 2 ohm. Doesn't it mean that the amp delivers 100 wpc into 2 ohms and not 8 ohms?
2. The highly regarded XTZ edge 10.17 and 12.17 use ICEpower Class D amps, just like your receiver. I'm curious to know what went wrong when used on the Pioneer, as in, in what aspect do you say that it sounded bad.

 

[codwapeace]

A couple of things which caught my attention:
1. The minimum impedance rating for the Eight Audio EA2100 is 2 ohm. Doesn't it mean that the amp delivers 100 wpc into 2 ohms and not 8 ohms?
2. The highly regarded XTZ edge 10.17 and 12.17 use ICEpower Class D amps, just like your receiver. I'm curious to know what went wrong when used on the Pioneer, as in, in what aspect do you say that it sounded bad.

I was new into AV receivers at that time. I used it for only a couple of months. I did not like the sound, so I sold it very soon after that. I expected to be blown away, but it sounded much worse than the old Yamaha that it was replacing. I replaced it with a Marantz which blew me away. Pioneer has changed their class D design. They no longer use ICEpower. (I heard on Audioholics that they had some problem in high frequency region at higher volumes.) They have gone to a newer D3 design. Since class A/B amplifiers are practically the same for last 30-40 years, it is a proof of a good design. The only advantage that class D amplifiers offer is lower power consumption. I am pretty sure that if they had a similar sound quality, every manufacturer would have moved to class D, especially since the most expensive and heavy part of the AV receiver is the transformer. Most class D amplifiers use a SMPS instead of a transformer. They would also have lower cost because they would need only one SKU for the whole world, since SMPS's usually have universal input voltage. So, I am proving by contradiction (and a personal anecdote) that class A/B is better than class D as far as the sound quality is concerned.

 

[ktks1]

I heard on Audioholics that they had some problem in high frequency region at higher volumes

That may explain the use of ICEpower based amps in XTZ edge subs.

 

[codwapeace]

That may explain the use of ICEpower based amps in XTZ edge subs.

Almost all subs use class D amps (not ICEpower obviously) because of high power requirements of subs, thus higher efficiency is paramount since subs are sealed and the amplifier sits inside the sub's body.

 

[elangoas]

Update - Issue with power amplifier

As soon as i got the power amplifier, and tired of waiting for electrician (who have gotten busy with real estate brokerage), i plugged it to 5A socket.. Manually switched on the power amp, it did come to standby mode (blue light blinking), the active channels (whichever were connected to pre-amp) indicator too was glowing, but no sound on speakers.. Per the manual, the power amp was designed to come to active mode thru a 12V trigger function from Sonodyne pre-amp.. Denon x 3300 was capable of 150 mA thru 12V trigger output, and probably Sonodyne power amplifier needed it more, or i don't know exactly what the issue is, it couldn't bring it on, simply refused to come to "Active mode", where blue LED stays steady..

Disappointed - Yes, Disheartened - Nope.. I knew this was some small niggle that needs to be corrected..

Next steps? - Quickly updated the dealer (Volumate) with a video of the issue, and he in turn forwarded it to distributor (A V Xplore) and Sonodyne technical team..

Resolution? - Replacement - Sonodyne disabled the feature of active mode of the power amplifier thru trigger inputs and shipped the replacement unit very quickly and the dealer delivered the replacement at my doorstep around 8.15AM.. (I stay 45 kms away from the city).. Pretty good job by dealer (Volumate) & Sonodyne to fix the issue..Very happy that it was done in no time.. The dealer has to be appreciated to have done this swiftly.. Kudos to him..

How was the replaced power amp? - Good.. As soon as i switched on the power amp, it came to standby mode.. Quickly playing some movie content, bough it to active mode (steady LED glow) and it worked without any issues..

Any hum noise from speakers? - Nope

Re-calibrate? - Nope didn't do it, was lazy to do that also it needed a quieter ambience. Also wasn't sure if re-calibration was required.. Because speaker position and the listening position didn't / doesn't change.. Just used the untouched speaker levels saved from previous calibration..

Room size - 14 (W) x 11 (L) x 9.7 (H) ft, approx 1,500 cuft room..

Farthermost speaker from my listening position? - Fronts.. L-C-R all the 3 speakers are approx 10.5 ft from my listening position..

Connectivity - Nothing more than MX cables..

How many channels were connected to power-amp ? - 5 of them.. L-C-R-SL-SR. Top middle speakers were powered by Denon AVR..

Below text from Audioholics on Denon x 3300 pre-amp capability -

Denon AVR-X3300W Preamplifier Measurements

One thing I really love about Denon receivers is they NEVER skimp on their preamp out circuits. Like past models, the AVR-X3300W had an ample amount of drive. I measured a whopping 4.5Vrms unclipped output, which is more than double the voltage needed to make virtually any amplifier reach full rated power.

How does / did it sound ? - Very good IMO.. My speakers (Taga Platinum LCR 60 SL, 6 Ohms) seem to benefit from external power amplifier.. Better than what my Denon x 3300 used to power them.. Played some lossless-BR Rips as well as multichannel streaming content with prime, and was convinced of the blind buy..

Does it have enough oomph for speakers? - Very much.. At close to -10dB volume on AVR, the power amp did enough justice in my room..

Significant upgrade? - I can't say for sure, but Worthy uprgade? - Defnetly yes..

Any glitches? - The power amp takes a split second more to become active when you play the content..I have shared the feedback with the dealer, who in turn have shared it with Sonodyne.. Hopefully it is fixed sooner.. It isn't a big deal for me, i can live with it..

So all good now, what next? - Ordered the 2nd power amp from Sonodyne..

Why two power amps when one can do? - Not greedy to have more power/ channel or more channels.. The flexibility of having more external channels of amplification, will allow me to consider a pre-amp or a processor in my next upgrade..

External amplifier / amplification done? Yes - When i get the second power amplifier, i would have 16 channels, more than sufficient (or) more than the possible speaker layout capable in my room.. Have had few AVR's for a long time and the desire to own a flagship processor (or) capable pre-amp is defnetly there..

For now, i would be using identical power amplifiers in a mini Pre-pro kind of set-up (5.4.2)..
1st power amp to power the fronts L - C - R
2nd power amp to power surrounds and a pair of heights - Surr & heights..
AVR - Will not power any speakers, just function as pre-amp..

Re-calibrate now? Yes - Will re-calibrate now after adding two power amps.. I have noted down the speaker levels, will check for speaker levels post calibration for any difference and update here..

Eagerly awaiting delivery of 2nd power amp.. Will share once i hook it up with AVR and do a final calibration..

 

[MaSh]

Wow that's was a great first impression. I am sure like me many are getting tempted.

MaSh

 

[Mayank Shah]

Congrats @elagoas. A separate 16 amps wiring from mains would be nice IMO.

 

[elangoas]

Wow that's was a great first impression. I am sure like me many are getting tempted.

Thanks.. Good addition to AVR, where we have more channels today in a HT setup..

Congrats @elagoas. A separate 16 amps wiring from mains would be nice IMO.

Thanks Mayank..Yes, will be doing seperate line from mains..

 

[AV Enthusiast]

Hi All,

Acquired, Sonodyne 8 Channel power amplifier very recently for Rs 54,200/-.. I have a 5.4.2 set-up with Denon x 3300, which has 7.2 pre-outs.. Had been thinking of adding a multichannel power amplifier for sometime, but due to the cost didn't add new one. As soon as i enquired with Sondyne on the 8 Channel power amplifier, i was almost sold and it was already mine.. 50K and you get 8 channel of external amplification..

Specification (Specs), is one of the important criteria for product shortlist / selection.. Below image from product manual and maximum power rating from Sonodyne website..

8 Ohms - Continuous power of 60 watts when all the 8 channels are driven, and maximum power of 90 watts ..
4 Ohms - Continuous power of 90 watts when all the 8 channels are driven, and maximum power of 125 watts ..

Total power consumption of the power amplifier is 1,000 watts.. My Denon x 3300 7 channel AVR power consumption is 600 Watts ..

Given that most of us with 7.2 or more pre-outs, wouldn't be making use of all the 8 channels from power amplifier.. Either 3 channels (L-C-R) for external amplification or at best 5 channels (L-C-R-SL-SR).. In that scenario, the continuous power output would be more.. My guess, (i don't know technically) is that it should produce 100 watts continous at 8 ohms and 150 watts at 4 ohms, which i believe is more than sufficient for modest rooms..

Product packaging : I had ordered thru Volumate from Chennai. I personally collected the product.. Neatly packed.. If you have unpacked the AVR, you would be aware that they use thermocol. In a similar fashion, they had used styrofoam..

Look & Feel is very good, matches with my black colour AVR..

External Build Quality is excellent IMO, and i have no complaints there.. Few product images for reference..

No fifth feet like Yamaha Aventage AVR

Internals : I have no idea on what it is, but i will leave it to the more informed who can interpret and comment on it..

Connectivity : It has 8 pre-amplifier inputs (XLR and RCA), a 12V trigger input to connect to pre-amp and speaker outputs.. I would be using the RCA to connect to Denon x 3300 for now..

Am yet to hook up the power amplifier with Denon AVR.. Intend to use only 5 channels of external amplification.. AVR will power the pair of heights.. All my speakers are from Taga Harmony Platinum series, LCR 60SL, 6 Ohms rated..

All in all, very happy to have got this, importantly in my budget of 50K..

Waiting for electrician to mount a new dedicated plug for this power amplifier.. Should the power draw be from a 16 Amps power socket?.. I read somewhere in Audioholics article that it is better to connect to 16 Amps plug..

Will keep updating the experience from time to time..

Congratulations on the 8 channel power amplifier. Looks like you plan to use it primarily for HT use.Looks like it has a toroidal power transformer. My 2 channel Sonodyne SA8000R Stereo Amplifier has one too. Sounds quite good and runs cool to even with prolonged continuous use of 5/6 hours.

 

[elangoas]

Congratulations on the 8 channel power amplifier. Looks like you plan to use it primarily for HT use.Looks like it has a toroidal power transformer. My 2 channel Sonodyne SA8000R Stereo Amplifier has one too. Sounds quite good and runs cool to even with prolonged continuous use of 5/6 hours.

Thanks.. For both multichannel and stereo..

Yes. It has Toroidal power supply.. Have an other 2 channel amp from Sonodyne, that too has Toroidal power supply.. Nice to know that..

Good point you mentioned, this poweramp too runs cool compared to AVR.. I have placed the AVR above the power amp..

 

[elangoas]

Got the 2nd power amplifier from Sonodyne.. Yet to re-calibrate them..

For once, am done with external power amplification in my budget..

Will be looking to upgrade to a Pre-amp/Processor..

 

[abeyaby]

Nice read. Thanks for sharing.

 

[kissenchand]

Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[sijusid]

Nice share.
However, I wonder how much you would have gained on front left and right. Denon X 3300 for 2 channel is rated higher than the sonodyne amp, however agree that, depending on your listening area and listening levels, you may not require that much power.
I previously had denon x3300 before upgrading. May I suggest you to try powering your front left and right speakers only from your denon x3300 and remaining all channels powered from your sonodyne amp. Maybe just as an experiment. But do audyssey calibration as there will be difference in speaker levels with and without power amps.

Also suggest getting the denon multieq app from playstore or appstore. It's an paid app but worth in my opinion. Taking backup of the audyssey settings and doing trial of different setups is much easier and you will get to do some slight tweaks to your overall sound.

If you do decide to give it a go, then do update here on your feedback/experience.. thanks again.

 

[elangoas]

However, I wonder how much you would have gained on front left and right. Denon X 3300 for 2 channel is rated higher than the sonodyne amp, however agree that, depending on your listening area and listening levels, you may not require that much power.

The Denon x 3300 is rated at continuous 100 watts, 2 channels driven..

Sonodyne is rated 60 watts continuous all 8 channels driven.. May be it would do a little over 100 watts when only 2 (or) 3 channels are driven..

Getting the power amps now gives me the opportunity to upgrade to processor in the near future.. Thought i have 16 channels of amplification, i would most probably use only 11 channels of amplification when i move to processor (or) an AVR..

I previously had denon x3300 before upgrading. May I suggest you to try powering your front left and right speakers only from your denon x3300 and remaining all channels powered from your sonodyne amp. Maybe just as an experiment.

I understand yout point, but why power the speakers with AVR when you have external power amp ..

But do audyssey calibration as there will be difference in speaker levels with and without power amps.

Will try and check for differences.. But if the speaker position & listening position hasn't changed, the speaker levels too wouldn't change IMO.. With the ability of external amplifier, the speakers would benefit from more headroom & dynamics IMO..

Also suggest getting the denon multieq app from playstore or appstore. It's an paid app but worth in my opinion. Taking backup of the audyssey settings and doing trial of different setups is much easier and you will get to do some slight tweaks to your overall sound.

If you do decide to give it a go, then do update here on your feedback/experience.. thanks again.

Sure.. I had downloaded the Audyssey app sometime back.. Just calibrated once, but didn't edit any curves.. Have planned to add absorption in the room.. Will check that too..

 

[sijusid]

The Denon x 3300 is rated at continuous 100 watts, 2 channels driven..

Sonodyne is rated 60 watts continuous all 8 channels driven.. May be it would do a little over 100 watts when only 2 (or) 3 channels are driven..

Getting the power amps now gives me the opportunity to upgrade to processor in the near future.. Thought i have 16 channels of amplification, i would most probably use only 11 channels of amplification when i move to processor (or) an AVR..



I understand yout point, but why power the speakers with AVR when you have external power amp ..



Will try and check for differences.. But if the speaker position & listening position hasn't changed, the speaker levels too wouldn't change IMO.. With the ability of external amplifier, the speakers would benefit from more headroom & dynamics IMO..



Sure.. I had downloaded the Audyssey app sometime back.. Just calibrated once, but didn't edit any curves.. Have planned to add absorption in the room.. Will check that too..

Hmmm..ok

Maybe you can request your dealer to get the 2 channel and 3 channel driven power ratings from sonodyne. That would be a great reference for anyone thinking on same lines as you.

With and without external Poweramp, the levels do change slightly, which is based on my personal experience. With external power amps, usually audyssey will calculate the speaker levels slightly lower.

 

[elangoas]

Maybe you can request your dealer to get the 2 channel and 3 channel driven power ratings from sonodyne. That would be a great reference for anyone thinking on same lines as you.

Sure.. I have asked Sonodyne for it.. They are yet to update me on this..

With and without external Poweramp, the levels do change slightly, which is based on my personal experience. With external power amps, usually audyssey will calculate the speaker levels slightly lower.

Ok will observe for differences.. Hope when you say there is a difference in speaker levels, the speakers and your listening position remained unchanged?..

 

[madhanmss]

@elangoas Ji, Just wanted to clarify one this. If we are going to add power amplifier anyway, do we still have to spend a lot on AVR? And what is the use of processor in this mix? Sorry for OT. Just trying to understand the three's functionality.
1. Processor
2.AVR
3.Power amp

 

[elangoas]

@elangoas Ji, Just wanted to clarify one this. If we are going to add power amplifier anyway, do we still have to spend a lot on AVR? And what is the use of processor in this mix? Sorry for OT. Just trying to understand the three's functionality.
1. Processor
2.AVR
3.Power amp

If you already have power-amps, and if you can get to processor / pre-amp, then fine..

AVR - Is a processor/pre-amp + poweramp inbuilt..

When you have power-amps, it gives you a flexibility to upgrade to higher end AVR (or) a processor..

A processor/pre-amp is a dedicated device to do the processing with state of the art electronics minus the power amp.. It will have no speaker outputs..

An image below for understanding.. It will have connections for accepting inputs and output to power amp (XLR and RCA)..

 

[sijusid]

Sure.. I have asked Sonodyne for it.. They are yet to update me on this..



Ok will observe for differences.. Hope when you say there is a difference in speaker levels, the speakers and your listening position remained unchanged?..

Yes...same speakers with same listening position.