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Time to buy a class D amp?


Will some new class D amplifiers outperforming the current ones appear soon

(the newest ones i know were released a  few years ago)?

Class D amps attract me as I consider them the most ecological ones with obvious non-auditionable benefits.

I have no doubts that they posses the maximum ratio performance/sound quality among the amplifiers of all classes.

At the same time, the sound quality the class D amplifiers that I have auditioned produce, although is quite good,

but not yet ideal (for my taste).


I use PS Audio Stellar S300 amp with PS audio Gain Cell pre/DAC with Thiel CS 3.6 speakers in one of my systems.

The sound is ok (deep bass, clear soundstage) but not perfect (a bit bright and somehow dry, lacking warmness which might be more or less ok for rock but not for jazz music).

I wonder if there are softer sounding class D amps with the same or better details and resolution. Considering two reasonable (as to the budget) choices for test, Red Dragon S500 and Digital Audio Company's

Cherry  2 (or Maraschino monoblocks), did anybody compare these two?



128x128niodari
clearthink
1,421 posts
 

noble100clearthink,Anyone stating class D is "noisy as hell" very obviously doesn’t know what the heck they’re talking about. It’s simply not scientifically or anecdotally true. It’s not my opinion that class D is quiet as hell, it is a scientific fact. I stand by my statement that anyone claiming class D is "noisy as hell" has either never auditioned it or purposefully lying."

I have never asserted or claimed that Class "D" is "noisy as hell" so you must be quoting some one else but I do understand that you believe your opinion is not an opinion at all but a "a scientific fact" supported by actual science which certainly lends an air of authority and righteousness to your beliefs that you embrace and insist others accept as a Literal Truth. It might amaze you to know that there are those here who will disagree with you and yet they are not lying but actually are expressing their own, individual, personal opinion that has as much value, validity, and authority as you're "opinion" which you assert as an indisputable, unquestionable, verifiable "fact." 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

Anyone stating class D is "noisy as hell" very obviously doesn’t know what the heck they’re talking about.
Why did twoleftears dog run out of the room when it was turned on??

Go near one with a portable am radio tuned off station around 600khz (or whatever your switching frequency is) and see what you get out of the radio.

If you look at their output on a oscilloscope they are more than just noisy as heck! And that (undetectable to human) noise goes through to the tweeter if it’s not Zobel’ed as many hi-end ones aren’t

Take the output filter off the output and they are an abomination of noise that the military could almost use as a mind altering stun weapon.

Not noisy at all. sure Cheers George
tweak1
3,681 posts
 
Over the decades I have owned tube, SS (Class A, AB): I have also owned 2 different older generation W4S amps, Emerald Physics 100.2SE monos, Audio Alchemy DPA-1 (UcD), and PS Audio M700 monos prior to the EVS 1200; it’s an entirely different sonic experience from what the naysayers pontificate

The Audio Alchemy DPA-1 or DPA-1 monos (see TAS March 2016 glowing review) could well be the ticket for you, and are typically available at > 50% discount on the used market
erik_squires
16,478 posts
 
If a Class D amp sounds great to you, buy it.
If you need some sort of test gear to tell the difference, you might as well be using dowsing rods.
golfnutz
231 posts
 

@niodariI, I would avoid the Red Dragon S500 as it’s spec sheet suggests 2.7 ohms minimum. This is the same as the Icepower 1200AS1 or 1200AS2.

I think anyone using speakers that have an impedance below an amplifiers minimum rating will risk clipping the amp, and I don’t think you’d want that (under 3 ohms through MOST of the range).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(audio)

From Stereophile measurements on Thiel 3.6.

"The CS3.6's impedance magnitude and phase plot (fig.1) reveals a very low impedance value. The loudspeaker is under 3 ohms through most of the range, dropping to a minimum of 2.3 ohms at 3.6kHz (the cursor position). The low impedance value explains the CS3.6's need for the iron-fisted Mark Levinson No.23.5 to provide control in the bass; the CS3.6 would appear to be current-hungry".


Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/thiel-cs36-loudspeaker-measurements#sW8lKVPmy1I7xlVD.99

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