Class D is just Dandy!

I have not heard the new Technics that use these new transistors, so I do not know how they would compare to the current crop of the better class D amps.... But sure am curious.

Have you heard these new Technics SE-R1 amps yet? If you have, please let us know your first hand impressions.

Saluti, G.

No I haven’t yet as the Technics SE-R1 is unobtainium here in Australia, and you need to order them and have deep pockets in counties that do retail them.

But from the number of Class-D’s I had here listened to and measured, they (Technics) seem to address to a certain extent the problems that they all have still, which is the filtering that has to get of the switching frequency noise, without it effecting the audio band in any way, and the only way to do this is to raise the switching frequency by at least triple, Technics have done double with the SE-R1 so were on the way.

But these are typical of reviews (below) of the sound they give out from those that have heard it, and there are more from others on the web.

" Listening to tracks that we’ve heard 100s of times — and on excellent systems at that — is now a revelation of once hidden nuance and detail. Not only are we hearing things we’d never heard before, we’re hearing it in a way we’ve never heard it before. A music system that sounds like a live performance is a tough goal to attain, but Technics’ flagship nails it."

Cheers George

Technics SE-R1 is not a class d amp.

Really? Just because it uses a linear rather than a crap SMP power supply, doesn't mean it's not Class-D

From Stereophile:
" Although the SE-R1’s huge twin output meters and beautiful anodized-aluminum finish were visually distracting, the marketing of a Class-D amplifier as a separate high-end component was important. This amplifier delivered some of the best reproduced sound at CES 2017. I persuaded Bill Voss to rip the contents of my copy of Rutter’s Requiem to his media server’s solid-state drive. The broad and deep soundstage, imaging, upper midrange detail, and bass extension were thrilling during the system’s rendition of "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace" and "Pie Jesu." I appreciated the work done by the Technics staff to prepare their exhibit suite with recessed sound-absorbing panels. I left wanting to hear more."

From Audioholics:
" On the amplifier side, the SU-C700 and SE-R1 are utilizing advanced Class D topologies, featuring a couple new acronyms, JENO and LAPC. JENO (Jitter elimination and noise shaping optimization) provides clock regeneration for low jitter switching in the amplifier stage, sample rate converter, as well as a pulse width modulator that feeds the output stage. LAPC (Load Adaptive Phase Calibration) on the other hand is designed to maintain frequency and phase response regardless of loudspeaker impedance, which is a weakness in some Class D implementations. Finally, the output stage utilizes gallium arsenide FETs (field effect transistors) with a claimed switching speed of 1.5MHz."

From Audio Aficionado:
" .I read a blip in The Absolute Sound that the Technics SE-R1 power amp ($18,000.00) is Class D. It uses a linear power supply rather than a switch mode power supply to produce 100 watts per channel. That’s a lot of money for a 100 w/p/c Class D amp. Along with the Technics SE-R1 Class D amplifier they also introduced the SU-R1 Network Audio Control Player preamp ($9000.00) and new SB-R1 Reference Speaker ($27,000.00). Technics calls this system the R1 Reference System."

Cheers George

So George would like you to believe all Class D amps have issues, but this one future amp finally fixes "The class D problem."  and reviews say so.

Hahahah.

BTW, technically this may actually be a Digital Class D amp, given the A/D conversion and processing.

Best,

E