bharavi,
You stated: " Just over a week ago I switched to ClassDAudio SDS-470C with upgraded power supply. The improvement from Bel Canto is amazing. Now I feel it is closer to good ClassAB amps."
Glad you’re enjoying your new ClassDAudio SDS-470C class D amp. I’m somewhat surprised it outperformed your Bel Canto class D integrated but I’m not surprised at all that it sounds very good; I own the model just below the 470, the SDS-440CS, and it was a similarly great performer in my system.
It has an extremely low noise floor, solid bass along with a very detailed, smooth mid-range/treble that is never too bright and with an overall neutral sound quality which is very revealing of upstream components. I found the neutrality of this amp allowed the system sound influence of my VTL preamp with NOS Mullard tubes to simply be accurately amplified, without any detectable alteration or added sonic signature of its own to the sound, which allowed it to nicely flavor my overall system sound with more texture, dimension, realism and warmth; just what I was wanting at that time.
I do have to differ, however, with your description of the sound as "being closer to good class A/B amps".
In my experience with the SDS-440 and several other class D amps I have subsequently used in my system after switching from a decent quality class A/B amp (Aragon 4004 MKII), I think the overall performance of the 3 class D amps I’ve used thus far (ClassDAudio, Emerald Physics and D-Sonic) have all significantly outperformed my former class A/B Aragon in virtually every positive amp quality; more neutral, better bass, a lower noise floor, better dynamics, more detail with similarly good sound staging and very good mid-range’treble performance.
In my opinion, many of the current good class D amps come much closer to the traditional audio amp ideal of a ’straight wire with gain’ than the recent and current good class A/B amps can muster. I have found them so neutral and revealing that I can now more easily detect the affects of system changes such as power chords, interconnect cables, speaker cables and changes in upstream components.
Due to the superior sound performance I perceive from the current good class D amps when compared to the current good class A/B amps along with class D’s additional advantages (lower price, smaller, lighter, more efficient and cooler running), I replaced all the class A/B amps in my combo music and HT system with class D amps. This switch has been completely beneficial in my system with zero negative affects that I’ve been able to detect in the past few years. I honestly cannot think of a single advantage that class A/B has over class D unless you oddly and sadly somehow misconstrue the imposing size,weight or looks of some class A/B amps as positive qualities.
Tim
