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High end Class D amps?

Just an observation and a question. Are there 'high end' Class D amps out there that are just as good as Class A, A/B amps? I realize that's a sensitive question to some and I mean no disrespect---but whenever I see others' hifi systems on social media, all of the amps are A or A/B. There's always Pass, McIntosh, Moon, Luxman, Accuphase, etc. Where are the Class Ds? For folks out there that want more power for less efficient speakers and can't afford the uber expensive Class As, A/Bs, what is there to choose from that's close to those brands? Thanks
bluorion
erik_squires
16,346 posts
 
You want to find a good quality class a a/b amplifier because class d amplifiers come with a list of sound quality issues especially in the midrange and above. You can find very good amplifiers at not unreasonable prices this way and get much better sound than new.


Yeah, absolutely true! In 1995. 

mrdecibel
3,065 posts
 
@speakermaster, I have many of those amps you speak of. I want to try Class D, and judge for myself.
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,420 posts
 
@tvad ,Thank You for the details! It helps.
julie_priest
134 posts
 
Danish Lyngdorf TDAi3400 is right up there with Hegel 390 in my book. Of course the former is class D. Their room perfect is actually quite stunning and it has Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon. Absolutely perfect device for folks who still want an amp and passive speakers in this day and age. (Dynaudio Focus XD powered speakers are my reference now.) 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,931 posts
 
@mrdecibel What a class D amp potentially brings to the table is the ability to be neutral in a way that most solid state amps of traditional design cannot: they can be designed to lack brightness and harshness. For this reason alone they can work quite well on horns.


We are still in a period of the Wild West; there are a lot of different approaches to class D implementation and they sound different, so you have to be patient.
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