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Class D = Trash?

So, I'm on my second class D amp. The first one, a Teac AI-301DA which claimed to use an ICE module, was unlistenable trash. I burned it in for a few weeks, it just couldn't perform, so I sent it back. Following that, I tried the new Emotiva A-300 (class A/B). It was significantly better, but lacking in too many ways for my tastes. So I changed gears, got an 845 SET from China -- and it was an immediate and massive improvement.

So, before I went further down the SET road, I wanted to try a better class D product using a modern class D module. I settled on the D-Sonic M3-800S with the Pascal module and custom input stage. I read from reviews that these things like to have big cables, so I picked up an eBay 8 gauge power cable (Maze Audio, el-cheapo Oyaide copy plugs, braided 4-wire cable) to go along with it.

Mid-range GONE.
Soundstage depth CRUSHED.
Euphonics DISAPPEARED.

Yes, resolution went up. Driver control went up, allowing me to play compressed rock/pop and orchestra with the speakers being able to render it all. But enjoyment in the sound is basically gone. Using my best power cable (LessLoss Original) improved performance, but didn't fundamentally change the amp's nature. I ran back to my headphones (Focal Utopias) to detox my ear canals.

So, how long does a class D need to burn-in? I want to give it a fair shake before writing the technology off forever. 
madavid0
madavid0 OP
214 posts
 
I have 3 set of speakers. Chane 1.4s, garbage. Zu Omen Mk.II -- good dyanmics, okay-ish resolution, forward but shallow soundstage. My current reference is the Fritz Carbon 7 SE: http://www.fritzspeakers.com/DreamWeaverFritzCarbon7SESpecPage.asp

These speakers have a very benign impedance and phase curve; I got them specifically to be a good match with the 845. I don't know if there are speakers that are easier to drive. Resolution is improved, I'd call it mid-fi if compared to my headphone rig. On the 845 (the cheapest 845 SET I could find from China) soundstage is extends a few feet beyond the edge of the Carbon, and has a satisfying amount of depth.

But here's the thing: I don't WANT to be tied to some giant space-heater monstrosity that -- if I upgrade to a "real" 845 -- is going to weight 80-120 lbs. Good 845 implementations need elephantine transformers. 1000 volts, JESUS. I want to move forward and live in the present. But not at the expense of the sound.
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islandmandan
1,260 posts
 
I don't think you have found the right match-up yet. I made the change from Dynaudio to Tannoy some years back, and so far, the best amp combination is an SET 300B, and a kit-built 500 Wpc Class D Audio. There are two CDA 254 modules that are bridged to mono, and they share the chassis and power supply. This combination really works for me.

Although there is a great disparity in these two types of amps, I get great enjoyment, with no listener fatigue with either amp, driving my Tannoys (vintage 12" HPD, ca 1975, that have been thoroughly updated).

Class D Audio sells assembled amps, or will assemble your choice of amps for a nominal fee. It's a very low-cost option to try to find a suitable match for your system.

Hope you find what you're looking for.

Dan
gregkohanmim
153 posts
 
Madavid0 - I wasn't familiar with your speakers but went ahead and read through as many reviews that I could find about them.  It seems that the consensus is that these speakers really only sound their best with tube amplification (of quality) and one reviewer even started with class D and was disappointed until hooking up a master amp (which I know that you're trying to avoid).

Perhaps you will need to go on the hunt for another set of speakers that mate well with the type of amplification you're comfortable pursuing based on size and budget.

BTW - I don't think that a mismatch between speakers and amplifier is  reason to dismiss the entire class D topology as trash.

As Dan says above - hope to find what you're looking for.

Greg
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,319 posts
 
Of course, those making blanket statements here about Class D have heard ALL the various iterations and embodiments of this amplification approach.  Of course they have.  
shtinkydog
709 posts
 
All this trash talk about Class D being trash is just that, trash.  I've had my D-Sonic amp now going on 2 years plus, and believe it or not, it's still opening up, improving in every way every time I hear it.  We all have different experiences or perceptions with components.  What got me hooked to this amp was the first time I had ever heard the sound of a drumstick hitting the skin of a snare, and not just  a drum being hit.    My satisfaction grows more every I listen.  I decided to give Class D a chance, and for me, it works very well.   It's been said here a million times: trust your ears.
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