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

Ah George, I was just trying to say that the three brands mentioned make some extraordinary products, but inevitably, there will be audio lovers who prefer the more lushous tone of classic tubes, or the starker tone of some SS.... And there is nothing wrong with that!


But you are reverting instead to your single track paper-bound comments a priori of any live experience... I can only shake my grizling head *Rolls eyes!*


G.


But you are reverting instead to your single track paper-bound comments

Only because of those "looking for confirmation" to what they think that Class-D is finally Hiend.
It hasn't changed that much since it's inception, many you will find are buying Chinese modules some modded via Pascal EU, just more and more trying to make "big bucks" out of what is essentially very cheap to make, if you take away the "glitzy chassis" they have.

NP: Personally I think it’s a miracle that they work at all. I am not tempted to go in that direction.    



Cheers George 
I have Bel Canto ref1000m in main system and C5i in second system. Both are fast and clean but sound different.  Each is hard to fault and sounds perfectly lovely matched into the right system. I will probably never own anything other than Class D amps moving forward. If the C5i did not work out I was ready to move to a modest power tube amp in my second system moving forward but the need for that never developed. Both are absolutely wonderful pieces of technology and worth every cent.

Here is an interesting read for those at odds with what’s being presented here. Not just with the filtering of the switching noise, which I primarily "bat" on about, but also what is a secondary problem of Class-D advantages in the "dead time".
From the makers of the GAN transistors that Technics use in the SE-R1.

" EPC’s enhancement-mode GaN (eGaN®) transistors switch up to ten times faster than silicon MOSFETs, with ‘zero’ stored charge. The increased switching speed of eGaN FETs allows amplifier designers to increase PWM switching frequencies, reduce dead-time, and drastically reduce feedback; producing a sound quality previously limited to large, complex, heavy Class-A amplifier systems."

Also there could be a module for sale using these eGan transistors from Austin Texas.
Elegant Audio Solutions of Austin, Texas, has produced an amplifier capable of a continuous power output of 200 Watts into an 8Ω, or 400 Watts into a 4Ω speaker load, with THD+N as low as 0.005% and very low feedback. Moreover, this is done without the need for a heat sink and eGaN-based amplifier can plug directly into the standard amplifier implementation of many existing systems.
https://epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/blogs/elegant-audio-solutions-eGaNAMP2016.png


Cheers George
@uberwaltz
i agree, the tech specs presented have been informative. 
For me, The random nature of personal testamonials and anecdotes have been just as important to expand my own breadth of knowledge. 

e.g., @mapman — the BC Ref 1000m’s (and per a prior post- many are happy with them Only with OLDER Thiels). And the C5I. 

And I will just add that the $500 Napa Acoustics Class A, B, and D all in one amp, the Cask series, made the KEF LS50s sing more naturally and organically that any other amp I have heard running through the LS50’s. And the Class D mode sounded the best IMO.  And this was in a hotel room at this years NorCal CAS this year. 

https://www.napaacoustic.com/cask/