Class D is just Dandy!

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.

"Tim,
Ofcouse 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."

Hi kdude66,

     Thank you, but I actually really enjoy reading the Audiogon and other audio and video forum threads on-line and contributing my version of the truth especially when I believe I have useful input based on personal knowledge or experience related to the subject being discussed.  
     Unfortunately, I had emergency open-heart surgery about 8 yrs ago and suffered a stroke immediately following the surgery when I was relatively young at 51. I recovered my cognitive and speech abilities rather quickly but I’m still trying to coax my paralyzed left limbs back into action. I decided to retire early after consulting with my cardiologist and neurologist and am currently on SS Disability Insurance with a reasonable but fixed income until I reach my actual retirement age in about 8 yrs.
I wasn’t prepared for how much I actually missed my job as an operations manager at a very large (1 million sq. ft), high volume, fast paced and highly automated distribution facility and the people I worked with, Oddly, my dreams often revolve around work and my former colleagues. I’ve even awakened many times in the morning thinking I need to still solve fairly complex problems or employee situations I was dealing with a few minutes earlier in my dreams.
     So, while I feel grateful I’m still on ’the right side of the grass’, I’m also grateful for this forum that enables me to keep learning from other members about this hobby I’ve enjoyed for decades and post my thoughts when I think I can contribute constructively on certain subjects.
     As my typically overly long posts indicate, I now have plenty of spare time to read and respond when I may be useful to forum threads, too.

     Like this thread for example. I initially learned of class D amps from positive comments on various audio threads. I purposely began researching all I could on the subject here and on other sites and I credit my own quasi-scientific readings on the over 60 yr history of class D amp development along with the forum posts of class D guru Guido Corona and a few other members with exceptional knowledge and experience.
After my older class A/B amp went belly up due to leaking caps a few yrs ago, it was the perfect time to take the plunge and start gaining some personal experience with class D and I bought my first amp, a Class D Audio SDS-440-CS stereo unit that was superior in virtually every aspect that audiophiles care about in an amp. I was so impressed that I replaced the other 2 class A/B amps I used in my combo 2-ch music and 5.1 HT surround system with relatively inexpensive class D amps; a Emerald Physics EP-100.2 stereo unit and most recently a pair of D-Sonic M3-600-M mono-blocks.
     When I read posts from members like georgehifi and randy-11 about a theoretical issue with class D amps switching frequencies needing to be dramatically raised to avoid affecting frequencies in the human audible hearing range without presenting any semblance of even anecdotal evidence that it’s true, makes me seriously suspicious of their true motives for spreading and trying to validate something that I highly doubt 99%plus of humans could even begin to detect, although I believe at least georgehifi has heard a good class D amp and acknowledged how good they currently are but is going to wait for his view of perfection. I’m not even sure if either one of these guys has personally heard any sonic anomalies from a class D amp.
As far as I’m concerned, they’re in my doghouse until they can cite a SPECK (as in Peewee Herman’s dog) OF EVIDENCE.

Tim