Why do the people who say they don't like class D mention the class D amps they have heard? One guy slammed the H2o's that he had obviously never even heard.....how ridiculous is that?! No not all class D amps are great but there are plenty that are EVERY BIT AS GOOD (and better) than any other design.
Class D Technology
So I get the obvious strengths of Class D. Efficiency, power output & running cool which allows for small form factors. I also understand the weaknesses somewhat. 1. Non-linear & lots of distortion that needs to be cleaned up with an output filter.
So my question is, if it weren't for efficiency & power, would there be any reason to own a Class D amp? Do they beat Class A in any other categories that count for sound quality?
So my question is, if it weren't for efficiency & power, would there be any reason to own a Class D amp? Do they beat Class A in any other categories that count for sound quality?
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I had a Bel Canto Class D amp a few years ago and it was awful. However, I heard the Channel Islands Audio Class D mono block amps a while ago at an audio show and judged them to be outstanding. Class D amp technology has progressed and I don't doubt it will be the wave of the future for audiophiles. |
Folks - really enjoyed reading this long thread. Very much appreciate the education and the discussion! Just bought a pair of Bel Canto Ref600m on the Gon and found this thread after doing so. I opted to go this route while trying to upgrade my amplification - which is currently a Supernait 2 driving PMC Twenty 26s. While the sound can be quite nice at times I’m thinking I’m underpowered - the Snait 2 is only 80 watts and the speakers are not an easy load - sensitivity of 86 reported (though probably lower based on some of my reading) and can go down to under 4 ohms. I’m hoping for a more dynamic range for orchestral music which sounds a little congested/strained currently. Plus I’d just like to hear the Bel Cantos. I landed here after finding other options (with an eye to Class A) for getting more power to be a challenge - and thus not able to pull the trigger on something. I looked quite seriously at a demo Pass labs 250 INT - but while I am sure they are really great - are HUGE and serious $$$. I’d also have to get a new rack to hold them - even more $$$ and space. Basically, Class D appealed due to cost and size. Reviews have been solid. The pair was under 4k less than a year old. And if I don’t like them they can go back to the Gon and I will be out a small amount of $$$ to test them in house! Pretty good deal (says the recent purchaser!) The new Bel Cantos is the new chip or whatever - different technology used than all their other units - so I am hoping for good things. this is going to cost me as I skipped the monos from Wyred for Sound cyber monday special - could of had those 1000sx pair for around $2200 - hope I made the right call! anyhow - Really glad to have found this thread! I’ll be sure to post how they sound! |
Pass labs 250 INT - but while I am sure they are really great - are HUGE and serious $$$.In Australia the Belcanto Ref600’s are $8k around the same as the Pass 250 int. The new BC Ref600 monoblocks use the latest NC500 Hypex modules with moded from what I was told output filters (cascaded?) by BC. They sounded very good to me with a certain Raven ribbon tweeter that presented a very flat 8ohm load in the uppermids/highs. Read my post here. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/class-d-technology/post?postid=1372318#1372318 Cheers George |
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