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My NAD 3020 D proves your Class D tropes are wrong

I have a desktop integrated, the NAD 3020D which I use with custom near field monitors. It is being fed by Roon via a Squeezebox Touch and coaxial digital.

It is 5 years old and it sounds great. None of the standard myths of bad Class D sound exist here. It may lack the tube like liquid midrange of my Luxman, or the warmth of my prior Parasound but no one in this forum could hear it and go "aha, Class D!!" by itself, except maybe by the absolute lack of noise even when 3’ away from the speakers.

I’m not going to argue that this is the greatest amp ever, or that it is even a standout desktop integrated. All I am saying is that the stories about how bad Class D is compared to linear amps have been outdated for ages.

Great to see new development with GaN based Class D amps, great to see Technics using DSP feed-forward designs to overcome minor limitations in impedance matching and Atmasphere’s work on reducing measurable distortion as well but OMG stop with the "Class D was awful until just now" threads as it ignores about 30 years of steady research and innovation.
erik_squires
oldschool1948's avatar
oldschool1948
503 posts
 
I have four power amps: NAD M22v2 (Class D), PS Audio BHK 250 (Hybrid Class A), McIntosh MC 2600 (Class A), and Pioneer SPEC-4 (Class A).  My vintage Mac and Pioneer amps work well in my rec room, but not so much in my listening room.  In my listening room, I use the BHK with the NAD as my backup.  

The BHK 250 sounds the best in my main system; it is more musical than the NAD.  There is no harshness, and it is more detailed, has better imaging and sound stage, etc.  At twice the price, I would hope so.  

Having said all of that, the NAD sounds very good in my main system and in my rec room systems.  I could live with it if I had too.  Like the BHK 250, the M22v2 can be run in standby mode so it's quick to warm up.  I give both 30 minutes before doing any serious listening.  The M22v2 is OK by me.
zufan's avatar
zufan
563 posts
 
Enjoying mightily my week old D 3020 V2. Sounds delish. I also own Tommy's Cherry amp. And a rebuilt Dynaco. Ergo, both ends of the amp spectrum. Anyhoots @erik_squires I'm with you 100%. To own one is to kick back & smile. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,901 posts
 
Going along with that, there is something about some Class D that requires DAYS to warm up.
@erik_squires I missed this earlier. This is not true of all class D amps. I'm not contesting that this is your experience with your amp, but its nothing to do with class D- its something to do with your amp.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Yeah some take just 15-30 minutes.

Cambridge Audio just released the super integrated (includes built-in streamer/dac - ESS 9016km2 or 9018km2, StreamMagic platform) EVO super integrated amps for $2250 and $3000 depending on configuration. Use Hypex nCore class D amp modules.

Will compete against the NAD M10 nCore superint that goes for $2750 and class AB Naim Uniti Atom for $3300.

I wonder if these Cambridge are competitively priced? Maybe a bit high? TBD I guess
jwl244
64 posts
 
@kren I didn't know about this product. My experience with CA is that their amps are a little too forward for my liking. I found them powerful but fatiguing. Interesting they are going to class D. I can't imagine they will do as good a job as NAD and can't see this unseating the naim although it is competitively priced. It remains to be seen but based on what I know about those 3 companies CA may have to lower the price point. 
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