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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
aberyclark
1,359 posts
 
Ralph, any updates on your class D amp design?
helomech
1,727 posts
 
It's still like trying to make a sport car out of a cement truck. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
"It WILL NEVER be as good as tubes,class a or good a/b NEVER!!!"
As a tube amplifier manufacturer I have to disagree with this comment.

You have to it’s plain as day, because of what you have coming, if you didn’t it would be a waste of development and money, as tube sales especially otl’s and pre’s are down and you need to diversify.

Class D is in the middle of the curve
It's still like trying to make a sport car out of a cement truck.

It has yet to reach true hiend, with it’s achilles heel’s it has. GaN Class-D technology points to be able to get rid of them and give it a real shot at the hiend audio, one should have invested in it, over the old technology, as it will become the dinosaur, just as linear amps will one day.
tweak1
3,679 posts
 
Gfi

Me thinks thou doest protest too much

I will soon-ish hear old vs new class D vs GaN

My Audio Alchemy DPA-1 Hypex 400ucD (MSRP $1995), which I've owned close to 2 years, sounds excellent to my ears, in my system; Emerald Physics KCIIs (93dB), CorePower 1800, Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5, Marantz HD CD 1 as a transport, Oppo 105 (upgraded power supply) for SACD & DVD-A, and WireWorld series 7 & 8 cabling.

I expect to have ric schultz EVS 1200 ($2200) in a couple weeks, to compare  against it. And a few weeks after that I will be listening to a ~200 wpc GaN prototype

I have little doubt that the GaN will be better, but by how much, and at what MSRP differential?
erik_squires OP
16,368 posts
 
What I like most about this thread is the clear difference between those willing to give Class D a chance and detractors.

Those who are neutral to positive are talking about specific brands, and models and making direct comparisons with linear amps. They talk about sound quality, systems and trade offs.


Those who are against Class D are talking about tropes from the 1980's, and measurements and broad claims that become impossible to test.


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