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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
merrillaudio
63 posts
 
@lukaske  
@toetapaudio

Note the VERITAS Monoblocks from Merrill Audio used the Hypex NC1200 module for years. It was tested by many audiophiles and societies against other implementations and was found to still be the best. 

We now have a new proprietary Class D design from Merrill Audio on the Oganesson Line of amps. These are an order of magnitude better then the VERITAS or anything else in that group. 

What makes the difference in the use of GaN transistors. Tthe MOSFETS in the prior Class D designs, including the Hypex simply cannot do what the GaN transistors can. 

Other Class D designs, including the Hypex NC1200 utilize heavy feedback which tend to have loss of detail and become sluggy. Now imagine no feedback loops. That brings a new sense of ease and air to the music, along with a strong, fast attack, yet no overhang or edge. 

Soon the discussion will shift to who has the best Class D versus is Class D good. We believe we are leading the way on that.
toetapaudio
474 posts
 
@erik_squires LOL

mr_m
1,900 posts
 
I am in agreement with Erik. I have a Class D integrated hybrid amp and if it suffers from switching distortion or dead time, I sure as hell can't hear it. Granted, I haven't been able to compare it to dozens of other amps, class D, AB, A, or otherwise. But what I have had in the past which was a McIntosh C-45 preamp and MC-402 poweramp. It took less than 5 minutes out of the box (new Class D) cold and not broken in yet, to tell it was vastly superior to the Mac gear. It has what a lot of you considered outdated Hypex 400 modules and to my ears still sounds wonderful. I have been exposed to the expensive exotic stuff over the years and don't feel I'm missing much in resolution, dynamics, smoothness, musicality or whatever. There are several of you that seem to think Class D is almost unlistenable, probably in not so many words. Why so many of you have to make such a big deal about it is beyond me. What many of you will realize is class D is the future of audio amplification. I believe that is inevitable. IMO.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

These guys are leading, advancing future of Class-D with their GaN semiconductors.

There’s much to choose from on the EPC GaN Class-D website.

After having a good look at everything this one is the pick I think, it’s got everything, programmable DSP and the kitchen sink. digital inputs, analog inputs, usb. Just hook up +-32v and away you go.

8ohm 200w supposed to double into 4ohm 400w?? that’s like saying perpetual motion is real, https://youtu.be/4b8ZsFszE8I?t=2 be nice to see what it can do into 2ohms.

http://epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/thirdparty/EAS_eGaN_2.0-Channel_EvalKit-010116.pdf

Cheers George



helomech
1,727 posts
 
What many of you will realize is class D is the future of audio amplification. I believe that is inevitable. IMO.
It already is, but that's because most consumers don't care about audio quality and manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to skimp on production costs. The benefit to the consumer is saving a few $$ on their electric bill. The benefit to the manufacturer is lower production and shipping costs. As BP clearly states, sound quality is not the intended benefit:

S&V: Generally speaking, what are the key benefits of Class D versus the traditional Class AB and Class A designs that have long been favored by audiophiles?
BP: Efficiency and therefore the ability to construct amps that are powerful for their size. Only that. Modern Class D amps, in particular mine—ahem—sound good not because they’re Class D, but in spite of it. I can’t repeat that often enough. Left to its own devices, a switching power stage tries to do just about anything except amplify audio. You choose Class D to save energy but it’s all elbow grease after that.
Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bruno-putzeys-head-class-d#W85iCOqbk6BmH5yU.99

Which approach is best: modding a Prius to be almost as quick as a Lambo (with better MPG), and charging Lambo prices, or just starting from the ground up with a real gas-guzzling Lambo? 

Personally, I'd take the latter though I can understand the argument for the former. 
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