Explain what is a clean power amplifier?


Can someone explain what makes and define what a clean power amplifier is or does?  I have googled and searched the forum and haven't found a simple explanation to grasp. 

Thanks
trevanian
First, room acoustic is fundamental...

I think they vastly overrate the impact of the room vs. the benefit of advancing the system itself.
Second, upgrading (advancing the system) is a money pit and the root of this "elitism" that you speak about.

Third, room acoustic made my listening experiments  possible and at practically no cost a hi-Fi experience by itself...Using passive materials and also with active homemade device... I know i made it and the reward is amazing....

A remark:
Buying very good components in the scale corresponding to our purse is the first task.... But upgrading after that is a very problematic solution to the problem of the system improvement....No one can exceed his purse possibility, and most upgrades in the same rung of the scale is no more an upgrade but a "sidegrade", a useless expansive variation ....And the source of frustrations....

Then the solution to reach Hi-Fi experience cannot comes from the buying spree in "elite" new brand technology.... The solution can come and must come from the way we will embed rightfully what we already owns, that is anyway already relatively good gear if well choosen... a good amplifier or a good speakers of 20 years or 30 years ago or more are not obsolete  nor so bad that they cannot gives no more an HiFi experience...



 i call that solution the 3 embeddings of any audio system: resonance- vibrations controls in the mechanical dimension, controlling and decreasing the noise floor of the electrical grid of the audio system, of the room and of the house, and last but not least, controlling the acoustical space in a passive way with varieties of low costs materials and in an active way with simple homemade devices... All that is possible, simple, and dont cost high money.... I know that i made it.... Anyone go with his purse...

The true "elitism" and snobbery and ignorance is affirming that what i speak about, is impossible, illusory, and false...Saying only high cost gear is the key is half truths, and half truths are worse than lies....

Anyone KNOW only what he can create for himself.... I learn it the hard way for the last 7 years....

Audiophile experience is possible for all creative people at low costs....

Equating all i just say with the affirmation that  all piece of audio system are on the same level is not what i speak about at all....A Million dollars system will be better than my system but will need also to be rightfully embed to reach his potential higher S. Q....

Hi-Fi experience, naturalness of musical timbre, holographic imaging, dynamic, etc are all possible with a low cost good system, modulo the rightfull embeddings.... 
In just 5 second google search anybody can educate itself....

« The room response is far more critical than the speaker response.»
Dennis Foley

Chief Acoustics Engineer



I will  add that the 2 other embeddings will impact critically the S.Q. in a different way than the acoustical controls or uncontrols but nonetheless in a very audible way....The electrical grid of the house and his noise floor is the sea where float the audio system... Not controlling this sea is opening the gates of distorsions hell.... :) Same for the importance of the resonance underestimated controls....

This not adocating for some disparate "tweaks" , my rant is advocating for a "method" accessible to anyone... The beginning is stating clearly the problem at the root of an audio experience and experiment....

What is the more important for Hi-Fi experience?

The choice between paying 2000 dollars for a speakers or 4000 dollars? Or the way to embed ANY speakers making it able to produce his utmost potential S. Q. ?

It is not difficult to answer.....Except for someone who sells speakers...Or some brand.... Etc....
If by clean you mean low distortion look at the Benchmark AHB2 probably one of the "cleanest " amplifiers around. 
The cleanliness of the electrical grid of the house can be more "critical" than the cleanliness of the amplifier.... Brand "choices" or "tastes" are not the solution, even if some amplifier are better than other one....
Class D is “to “ clean. I miss the “emotion “ in the music. Sometimes to flat. For me, the best one is tubes pure in class A. Off course the poweramp.is just one piece in the whole system. A good source, préamp, dac,speakers and cables are very important (electric power “cleaners” to). I have as poweramp (mononblocks) Wavac 805m:pure music!!