Class D is just Dandy!

Northernfox,

      Congrats on your new Bel Canto Ref600M class D mono-blocks!

      From the reviews I've been reading, good amp designs based on the newer Hypex NCore 500 module are very close to the good amp designs based on the NCore 1200 module for about half the price.  I haven't heard them yet but will make a point of auditioning them asap.  
      You're obviously already very pleased likely without complete break-in, which means they're only going to sound similar or even better going forward.

  Enjoy,
    Tim

     Class D's current state is very good and its future is looking even better.  I recently read an article about new faster switching MOSFET transistors.  

      This transistor technology is called Gallium Nitride (GaN) and is poised to uproot the high-end audio world. In fact, GaN-based Class D is much more power-efficient than traditional, MOSFET-based Class D and offers orders of magnitude better performance. Performance that to many listeners, even surpasses the quality of Class A.   At any given product price point, these new Class D solutions can meet, or surpass the quality of today's linear amplifier solutions. As an example, the eGaN FET-based Class D amplifiers can easily achieve a mid-band THD performance of 0.005%, where a comparable linear amplifier Class would achieve around 0.05%. Here's a link:

. http://audiophilereview.com/cd-dac-digital/why-well-soon-be-living-in-a-class-d-world.html

     Just to make sure everyone was aware of this important new class D development, I also posted this link on the "class D=Trash?" thread.

Later,
 Tim

Great info @noble100

I don't usually agree with the theme that "Class D is about to get as good as Class A" as I think it has been there for a while.

Linear amplifier distortion can be reduced by feedback, something digital amps may use in buckets.

Where I think the new Technics amps using this transistor will be most interesting is in amp/speaker matching, as the average Class D module is not the current delivering brute that say a giant Boulder or Krell is across the frequency spectrum. Technics has an interesting way of handling it. I handle it by making easy to drive speakers. :)


Best,

E

Gallium Nitride (GaN) and is poised to uproot the high-end audio world. In fact

Yes as I posted here, these eGaN fets are what Technics are using in their new $30k class-d and with it are able to double the frequency of the switching noise. And therefore able to remove it with low order filters more effectively from the output of the amp, without coming close to the HF audio band with those low order filters effects (phase shifts) and left over switching noise.

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/1413469

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/1413463

Why We’ll Soon Be Living In A Class D World
By Skip Taylor | September 17, 2016 4:27 AM

"A high-definition eGaN FET-based system with higher PWM switching frequency"

Cheers George

Are any other manufacturers using eGaN transistors?