Class D is just Dandy!

Tim,
Offcouse I have read all this info before,I appreciate you taking the time to post all of this pertinent info so others can read it too.

I like this statement the best-
I'm just wondering how we'll be able to perceive the absence of something as a sonic improvement when we didn't perceive the presence of that something in the first place.

I have been been blessed to own a lot of really nice gear over the 30 yrs I have been in this hobby,but I really enjoy my present day class d amps.

Kenny.

Taking a pure listening approach in evaluating class D amplification I can say that with most of my experience being with the W4S STI-1000, ICEpower, it has provided the longest service of audio satisfaction of any single piece of audio equipment I have owned. I have had it with several generations of home brewed speakers as well as Gallo Classico CL-4, and currently Gershman Grande Avant Garde. In the course of the years I have had in for serious auditioning against them a Pathos Classic One Mk3 which I found lacked the dynamics, vivid soundstage, and delineation of instruments of the STI-1000 while having as good or maybe better transparency. I also had a very well modified NY Audio Labs Moscode 300 that outperformed the Pathos in all manners and edged out the STI-1000 in most areas of musicality and I would have kept it but for some left channel reliability problems. I currently have a pair of Antique Sound Labs Hurricanes with modification by Response Audio NY and I use them for a change of listening upon occasion. In the end while the two amps are different I find them to be of equivalent levels of performance. I am, however, more relaxed when using the STI-1000 because of its proven reliability.  I found from the very beginning that the class D responds very well to improvements in AC power cord and power conditioning as well as vibration control. And, I have continued to make improvements in those areas. Recently, I have bypassed the preamp stage of the STI-1000 and am using the digital volume control of my front end piece. W4S confirmed for me that the front end still sees the 60k load impedance as before.   In reflecting back on transparency in comparison to previously mentioned amps I could say that the STI-1000 had a slight powdery sense within its transparency which was reduced when bypassing the preamp stage.  

 

To sell a new product we must sell the problem first, so I can see where a lot of this is coming from.

I don't have a problem with listening to the new when it comes out.

I'm not easily swayed by naked kings though.

Best,

E

This should be an interesting read for some here. Alex Lidow, Ph.D.

CEO and Co-founder of EPC.co. And who happens to be the co-inventer of the Mosfet/Hexfet transistor

And now he is leading the way with this higher switching speed GaN-Fet transistor that Technics uses, in their limited SE-R1 Class-D poweramp.

Looks like the GaN Class-D modules have become available, maybe to everyone?

http://epc-co.com/epc/Applications/ClassDAudio.aspx

Cheers George

George,
Those have been on digikey with a 12 week lead time for at least 6 months or so.
I haven't heard of anybody including DIY using them or even ordering them.

The old time will tell saying is in full swing I guess.

Kenny.