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The Truth about Modern Class D

All my amps right now are Class D. ICEpower in the living room, and NAD D 3020 in the bedroom.

I’ve had several audiophiles come to my home and not one has ever said "Oh, that sounds like Class D."

Having said this, if I could afford them AND had the room, I’d be tempted to switch for a pair of Ayre monoblocks or Conrad Johnson Premiere 12s and very little else.

I’m not religious about Class D. They sound great for me, low power, easy to hide, but if a lot of cash and the need to upgrade ever hits me, I could be persuaded.

The point: Good modern Class D amps just sound like really good amplifiers, with the usual speaker/source matching issues.

You don’t have to go that route, but it’s time we shrugged off the myths and descriptions of Class D that come right out of the 1980’s.
erik_squires
erik_squires OP
16,895 posts
 
@stereo5 -

I’d suggest you make your specifics known. What Class D and what are you comparing it to?

Because the ICEpower I’m listening to sound nothing but warm. The NAD D 3020 sound a touch brighter, but not unpleasantly so.

There’s nothing in your original statement specific enough for me to believe you are being sincere. If you are, state your experience.

I could say the same about tubes. "Tubes are not high end, but maybe someday..." 

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,569 posts
 
@erik Squires...……………………………...

A good friend has the Merril Audio Class D monoblocks. Do not know model number, but they were painted very red. I find them dry and tipped up on top. I tried the Wyred4Sound Class D stereo amp in both of my home systems. I had it in my systems for 2 weeks. I left it on 24/7 and played the Isotek burn in cd for 10 days straight, 24 hours a day. I didn’t like the presentation one bit. Actually, it sounded better before all the break in, but not better in a way I would have kept it. Back it went.

I heard a Devalient, and kept asking myself what all the fuss was about. I heard the MBL integrated (the one Stereophile loves) at the RMAF, hated it. My wife said it sounded shrill. My son has a NAD 3020 integrated Class D amp (the first one) . The rest of his equipment I gave him, a pair of Kef LS50 speakers, Audioquest cables and speaker wire, my old Sony SCD777es SACD player and a Magnum Dynalab FT11 tuner.. I can’t stand listening to his system, way too bright for these old ears. My son thinks it sounds clear, it just gives me a big headache.

I have heard a couple more class D amps in stores but not for long listening sessions. Sorry, I just do not care for it. Does that make me a horrible person because I don’t like them? I enjoy the lush romantic sound I get from Mac and since I am spending my money on it, what I like counts (to me).
erik_squires OP
16,895 posts
 
Does that make me a horrible person because I don’t like them? I enjoy the lush romantic sound I get from Mac and since I am spending my money on it, what I like counts (to me).



Absolutely not. But the specifics help everyone understand where you are coming from and what you are comparing to, and give a lot more insight to your story.

My NAD D 3020 is hooked up to a pair of Monitor Audio, which are much more laid back, which may explain the difference in appreciation for it. :)

As I myself have noted, if I had all the $$$ and space I’d buy some CJ which are going to be even more euphonic than your Macs. I still like my ICEpower monoblocks though. I certainly could not point to them and say "look, Class D sound!" 

Thanks for sharing,


Erik
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,569 posts
 
@erik_squires...……………….

Thank you.
phomchick's avatar
phomchick
209 posts
 
Which do you think would sound better:

  • a really excellent class A/B amp hooked up with super expensive speaker cables to a classic speaker with a passive crossover network or,
  • three very good class D amps hooked directly to three excellent drivers and being fed from a DSP crossover with included room correction?
The first choice is the Audio System of the Dinosaurs, and the second choice is the Audio System of the Future.

The continued development of quality class D amplifiers has opened up the possibility of dedicating an amplifier to each driver in a speaker. The continued development of DSP and associated software has opened up a way to tailor crossovers, equalization, and phase response to specific drivers and speakers and the room they are playing in.

CD transports, DACs, preamps, interconnects, separate amplifiers and speaker cables will all be obsolete in five years. They are the Dinosaurs of Audio left over from 1958 technology.

The future of Audio is visible in the KEF LS50 Wireless, which does away with everything but an active speaker with a DAC and connectivity. Make the speaker bigger, with better bass, and add DSP room correction software, and you have the audiophile system of the future.

One of the most difficult problems of speaker design is the crossover. DSP and active speaker technology is affordable and solves that problem. The biggest problem for today’s audiophile is speaker/room integration. DSP room correction solves that problem.

Will you encase your Dinosaur audio technology in amber and stride confidently towards the future, or will you wrap yourself in $10,000 speaker cables and yell "Over my dead body!!"?
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