High end Class D amps?

I haven't offered much of anything to this thread but at least I've taken time to read it. 

cakyol:" Most hi end class D amps pretty much use the Danish company ICEpower class D amplifiers. Bang & Olufsen also used to use them. I dont know if they still do, but they are all ok. They are extremely efficient & space saving."

Hello cakyol,

     I don't know where you received your information leading to your posted comments quoted above, but most of your comments are dated and, currently, demonstrably false.  Did you just wake up from a decade long sleep?

     The B&O ICE class D power modules were popular about a decade ago but were never considered hi-end, relative to other more traditional amp types, because of their poor upper frequency performance.  Ice modules represent an evolutionary progression stage when class D amps Actually Were only good enough for sub amps.  I don't recall any ICE module based class D amp ever generally being considered hi-end.  You are correct, however, that B&O is and was a Danish company.
    When Bruno Putzeys worked at Philips Applied Technologies Lab in Belgium prior to 2005, he invented the UcD (universal class D) class D circuit.  As I understand it, these were the first class D power modules generally considered to have very good midrange and treble performance and are the first to be generally considered to provide hi-end performance.  Bruno Putzeys has stated his design accomplished this high quality full frequency performance through the use of very high levels of negative feedback. 
     Bruno Putzeys left Philips in 2005 to form a new class D company, named Hypex, along with another partner.  While there, he invented the Hypex NCore  series of class D power modules that utilized even further increases in negative feedback to even further elevate the performance level of these power modules and the class D amps incorporating them.
     Bruno Putzeys latest venture was to form a new class D company, Purifi, with cofounder Lars Risbo.  This company has just begun introducing their initial class D power modules which are expected to further incrementally raise the performance bar of this very rapidly improving technology.  Here are links to a good article about Purifi and to to Purifi's official website:


 https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/purifi-audio-and-the-audiophile-style-readers-qa-with-...
    
https://purifi-audio.com/about/

     For a more accurate and truthful summary of hi-end class D in general, I think it's important to realize that there are no monopolies in hi-end class D technology.  Concurrently with the development of high quality class D power modules from Philips' UcD, Hypex's NCore and Purifi's new modules, other companies have also been developing and improving their own class D technology and offerings.  These companies include Pascal, Anaview/Abletec as well as Merrill Audio and, expected in the near future, even an offering from reputed tube company Atmasphere.
     The current state of hi-end class D amplification is very good and its future looks even brighter.

Tim

jim2:" What’s this talk of underpants, leather boots, and a pimp?

https://cdn2.lamag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/07/Seinfeld2.jpg"

Hello jim2,

Just my feeble attempt at injecting a little humor, and having a little fun, in my long post on the relatively humorless topic of class D amps.

Good photo of Cosmo Kramer, I miss him and the show.

Tim

on 11/22/20 @bluorion posted the following:

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

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but he must have given up reading over the past 7+ weeks of chat by all the "experts" on this forum; and I don't blame him. @Bluorion,  I am not an expert, but I lived with Bel Canto ref1000 monoblocks for about 10 years as I have previously stated (about 6 weeks ago). My advice, try some Class D out see if you like it. Real simple solution.

Amplifier SINAD list ASR + 3rd parties: link to Google spreadsheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZlTOYxmPs938gqHjtDABkWS-MApu7uJjzIGnJ2Elm6Y/edit?usp=sharing