I went from Class D to Luxman A/AB - And most of what you think is wrong

YEs TI appears to have GaN based Class D modules now and can’t imagine those cost much more than their others. Anyone know of amps that use these?

FWIW I have a ~40-50 w/ch Fosi Class D bluetooth integrated amp that uses a TI Class D module. It’s slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes and <$100 on Amazon. It is not GaN as best I can tell but the sound is quite impressive especially for that price. It replaced a classic NAD 3020 receiver. Sound is night and day different from the old NAD. Much more detailed and holographic, less warm, and less fatiguing to boot.

Ralph, not meant to be insulting, but couldn't you sell your products for a lot less? Nothing there that's cutting edge, though I do understand that highest quality parts cost significantly more

And wouldn't the GaN input buffers need to be a lot more exotic= $$$?

All of our products are built by hand, and to that end set a pretty high bar in terms of construction quality. Despite that we are expecting our first class D entry to be less expensive than most of our amps are right now.

mapman Yes TI appears to have GaN based Class D modules now and can’t imagine those cost much more than their others. Anyone know of amps that use these?

Thanks for that info.
Didn’t think it would be long before big companies like TI (Texas Instruments) got into GaN for audio use, others like Motorola ect will follow

Here is a snippet from TI’s propaganda on the GaN technology.

"GaN FETs provide superior switching characteristics, which enable even higher efficiency, better thermal sinking reduced size and weight, as well as reduced distortion for Class-D audio solutions.

GaN’s inherent characteristics provide a more ideal model of a small-signal PWM, driving the output filter. Along with this, the absence of a body diode eliminates reverse-recovery charge, which enables increased output linearity. Both characteristics allow GaN to minimize THD and ultimately create higher-quality sound."

Cheers George

Not sure if you are intimating that it is the ICE tech that is an issue (to you) or if the SMPS is not a problem to you.

I have not, and will not, use the term SMPS to refer to a power amplifier in general, since the last two initials stand for "Power Supply." To use SMPS to refer to a switching audio amplifier in total is incorrect. It negates several components entirely, and fails to acknowledge the improvements that have been made to make it wide band.


ICEpower refers to a particular brand of Class D which is owned by B&O. ICEpower 250 ASP is a specific model of amp which includes a power supply in it, and it is what I have the most amount of experience with.


To repeat my original message: The tropes about the terrible sound quality of Class D amplifiers are not supported by any of the many reasonably good Class D amplifiers out there. Nor is there any evidence that you can hear the switching noise anymore. Not for decades.


If we want to talk about the positives, and negatives, we have to stick to experience and specific models. All amplifiers have a negative. All have something they could do better or differently. Seeing 1 measurement and going "look look, Class D is terrible" is not scientific. To close the loop, you have to connect it with listening. And that’s where a lot of anti-Class D bias looses all of its wind.

Again, referring back to my original post. I like this specific model of Class D better than some linear amplifiers, but not better than the Luxman I'm listening to now.

With this specific example, and I don't think it was by any means the best available today, I never heard anything that said "Class D."  So I imagine that not only are there a lot of other Class D amps that don't sound bad, but that they've made significant strides.

Best,

E

And that’s where a lot of anti-Class D bias looses all of its wind.

And in your forceful statement with the heading to this thread

"I went from Class D to Luxman A/AB - And most of what you think is wrong"

means what most of us who feel Class-D has problems in the mid/highs, think what we're hearing is wrong!!!!
Good luck with that one Eric.