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Warm Class D for horns?

Hello to all,

Recently  was researching about the evolution of class d amplifiers, for what I understood the most advances around are the Hypex N Core, ICE, Pascal, and appears that also some manufacturers are developing their own Class D amps, like Spec from japan for example and Devialet from France for example..

I understood this right? This is what is happening?

The whole point of make evolving the Class D amplification is to make they sound more warm?

I'm panning to build a 3 way loudspeakers, radial horn, super horn tweeter, and woofer, at first I was considering just use Class D for the 12" woofer, but what about Class D amp for the horns and super tweeter, anyone using?

Let's talk about this, would like to know more how Class D evolved over the years and who are the manufacturers that are on the vanguard fo design of this amplification topology...

Oh.. Class D analog, Class D digital... never found a consensus, if Class D can be analog to..

Thanks!
128x128cosmicjazz
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,353 posts
 
I have never heard a warm class D amp. Cold and sterile comes to mind. 
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Only some of Audio Research's early class D amplifiers are not still serviceable, to correct something stated above.  At least according to ARC's site list of unserviceable models.

I own Audio Research class D DSI200 integrated and I love it and find it to be quite warm and tube-like sounding.  That's how they voiced it, to sound like their tube amps.  And interviews with their lead designer as ell as reviews (to extend you put any stock in those) at time of release 2010-ish make clear they considered it very successful in meeting that goal.

There've been a lot of developments in last 10 yrs, but I don't think I'd trade my ARC for another class D today.  But that's just me.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,754 posts
 
Let's talk about this, would like to know more how Class D evolved over the years and who are the manufacturers that are on the vanguard fo design of this amplification topology...

Oh.. Class D analog, Class D digital... never found a consensus, if Class D can be analog to..
@cosmicjazz  Class D is an analog process. People confuse it with digital because of the D, but class D was first proposed in the vacuum tube era (late 50s IIRC).

The sound of any amp is governed by distortion and all amps make audible distortion. Solid state makes low amounts but its all higher ordered stuff to which the ear is keenly sensitive. That is what causes them to be bright and harsh. Tubes tend to make lower orders to which the ear is far more tolerant- this is why they sound 'warmer'. Class D can be either- a lot depends on the design. I favor circuits that use Pulse Width Modulation and zero feedback- they tend to favor lower ordered harmonics- more like tubes. There are a number of such products on the market right now- Merrill and Technics come to mind. We're working on a class D which is built around those concepts as well.
matiasreccius's avatar
matiasreccius
41 posts
 
I have never heard one but read that the Bel Canto amps are on the warmer side. Maybe a pair of Hypex NCore NC500 based Bel Canto REF600M would work for you.

"Of three recent amps of my experience, the REF600M was the warmest (...)"
https://www.stereophile.com/content/bel-canto-eone-ref600m-power-amplifier

"In timbral neutrality I’d place the REF600M on the darker, richer side of the razor’s edge, primarily due to its more nuanced lower midrange."
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/bel-canto-ref600m-power-amplifier/
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,094 posts
 
I also have two Bel Canto Class D amps that use more recent and prior generation Icepower modules.    I've used them with various speakers.   I love them to death.  I would not call them inherently warm.   Maybe a tad with some speakers like the Dynaudios I had for awhile but not at all with others and not as much as most other amps I have tried. 
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