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Warm Class D for horns?

Hello to all,

Recently  was researching about the evolution of class d amplifiers, for what I understood the most advances around are the Hypex N Core, ICE, Pascal, and appears that also some manufacturers are developing their own Class D amps, like Spec from japan for example and Devialet from France for example..

I understood this right? This is what is happening?

The whole point of make evolving the Class D amplification is to make they sound more warm?

I'm panning to build a 3 way loudspeakers, radial horn, super horn tweeter, and woofer, at first I was considering just use Class D for the 12" woofer, but what about Class D amp for the horns and super tweeter, anyone using?

Let's talk about this, would like to know more how Class D evolved over the years and who are the manufacturers that are on the vanguard fo design of this amplification topology...

Oh.. Class D analog, Class D digital... never found a consensus, if Class D can be analog to..

Thanks!
128x128cosmicjazz
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
I have used 100’s of ss amps on my horns, and the warmer of these amps, have been the designs using mosfets, specifically, those using the original Hitachi devices. They sound nice on my horns. Hafler, Soundcraftsmen and some others available, used, and all can be sent out to Musical Concepts, or Jensen Stereo Shop, to further the designs with better everything, leaving those mosfets in place.
toetapaudio
474 posts
 
@cosmicjazz, they all sound different even those using the same modules because the implementation is different.

Hypex 1200 modules, designed by Bruno Putzey, as used in the Mola Mola Kaluga’s are amongst the best class D amps currently available after listening to quite a few of the top designs. If it’s a softer more valve like character then something from Spec might be worth looking at.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
If "valve-like" character is what any audio freak is looking for, a tube amp is out there waiting for you to find it. Is there anything more "tube like" than tubes? The inefficient speaker world obviously benefits from class d technology (as well as transistor or tube based a/b), but efficient speakers take full advantage of the linearity and musical truth provided by modern tube amps, especially single ended designs.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
I realize I spoke of non class D amplifiers. But if warmth is what you are looking for, with horns, I stick with my recommendations, and agree with wolf. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,781 posts
 
I'm panning to build a 3 way loudspeakers, radial horn, super horn tweeter, and woofer, at first I was considering just use Class D for the 12" woofer, but what about Class D amp for the horns and super tweeter, anyone using?
efficient speakers take full advantage of the linearity and musical truth provided by modern tube amps, especially single ended designs.
Wolf makes a good point here. Horns are usually very tube friendly and since tube power is often more expensive, horns are doubly tube-friendly.

Another thing to consider is that horns often don't behave according to the Voltage rules that govern most loudspeakers. (see http://www.atma-sphere.com/Resources/Paradigms_in_Amplifier_Design.php for more information.) The voltage rules really are about a driver in a box, and controlling resonance where it occurs as a result. A driver playing through a horn doesn't have that same type of impedance curve and thus often works just fine with amplifiers with a fairly high output impedance (often zero feedback) and low power. So heat often isn't an issue since power isn't either.
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