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High end Class D amps?

Just an observation and a question. Are there 'high end' Class D amps out there that are just as good as Class A, A/B amps? I realize that's a sensitive question to some and I mean no disrespect---but whenever I see others' hifi systems on social media, all of the amps are A or A/B. There's always Pass, McIntosh, Moon, Luxman, Accuphase, etc. Where are the Class Ds? For folks out there that want more power for less efficient speakers and can't afford the uber expensive Class As, A/Bs, what is there to choose from that's close to those brands? Thanks
bluorion
jaytor's avatar
jaytor
766 posts
 
10K class d is paying for a name, and aesthetics.

 800$ class D amp is smart buy.

 Don’t let the sheep make a line you can’t help but follow.
 Happy hunting.
As with any audio component these days, it's possible to get pretty good quality for a modest sum (say, under $1K for most component types). Clear improvements beyond this quality require considerably higher investment. 

Consider a simple component like a film cap. A cheap no-name 1uF cap will cost about $0.30 qty 1 at retail. Stepping up to a better quality WIMA will increase the price to $0.50. Moving up to a SoniCap will increase the price to close to $10. A Miflex KPCU copper foil cap will increase the price to close to $75. 

Multiply this by the hundred+ components in a given product and you can see how the build cost for high end products can quickly escalate. 

Whether these "upgrades" result in sound quality improvements that are worth the incremental cost is up to the customer, but since there is a fairly robust market in high-priced gear, many people believe it is. 

But saying that you are just paying for name and aesthetics is just not true. Class D amplifiers can benefit from judicious use of higher quality components and more sophisticated design approaches as much as any other product.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 
The LKV Veros costs 10K.  Is that it?
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

And there it is, Ralph's new Class-D release must be soon as he's gone into full product protection mode.
 
How can anyone believe that "any" Class-D driving a pair of Wilson Alexia etc etc could possibly do anywhere near the sonic job that an amp like Gryphon Antllion or similar could do.
Especially in the lower bass where the Alexia's are 0.9ohm loading presented to the amp.

Cheers George
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
Hello georgehifi,

     Hey, maybe douglas_schroeder has found your first class D amp?
     If so, welcome to the club!  But I think we're gonna need a bigger bandwagon.
Love,
 Tim
XOX


roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,094 posts
 
georgehifi,
There’s no way to know how Ralph’s new class D amp will sound, or how it might compare to a Gryphon, or similar amp; but we do know that he has a pretty stellar reputation for the OTL amplifiers that he has produced to date, so I am going to bet that his class D amps will be something special. Customers will decide if that’s the case.
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