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Class D amps seem poised to take over. Then what?

I am certainly biased by my lifetime final amp being a Class D. But I know that after 30+ years of development, Class D seems to be on a high plain. I know there are now many, many companies focusing on Class D and, maybe, a good handful already as good as it gets. My Class D amp is as smooth and beautifully musical as a great tube amp and as punchy and detailed as a great SS amp. I am satisfied and done with my search. A class D amp has effectively taken me off the amp merry-go-round. It’s about time after 50 years. And, for me, this Class D is a milestone. Will all other classes of amps fade away?
mglik
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,851 posts
 
Still not convinced sorry.I recently got to hear the latest Purifi class D [P452 I believe] in a very good system-Magicos/Accuphase and they still sound phasey.There is certainly less haze than earlier but they still struggle to create convincing image depth and height.So just not 3D enough.And sorry but the whole point of stereo recording and reproduction is imaging.I know a lot of people can’t seem to hear that sort of imaging and for them class D might be fine but it in absolute terms it is still flawed.
@jtgofish I'm not doubting your experience but to my understanding the Purifi module is not sold as an assembled amp- you have to buy them and assemble them into an amplifier. So a lot depends on how competent the individual was that did that.


I've not heard the Purifi, but I have heard class D amps that have as much soundstage width, depth and height that I've only heard in the best tube amplifiers (which easily best most of the solid state I've heard).


IMO if you really want to know about this you might try a different amp- one amp does not represent all of them.


zufan's avatar
zufan
563 posts
 
My Starkrimson gan amp arrives in 2 days, I'm jazzed! 
jtgofish's avatar
jtgofish
515 posts
 
Atmasphere,The other problem I am hearing is how mechanical it sounds.I hooked up my Gale 401s which are famous for their rhythm, groove and timing  and now they sound like the music is being played by robots! I would have never thought any amp could do that but somehow it is.To me that indicates some fundamentals are really srewed up.
tweak1
3,676 posts
 
@jtgofish

I have owned lots of hi-end amps, both tube and SS, system is all true balanced kit. Currently (npi) I own (2 years now) a class D EVS1200 based on IceEdge dual AS1200 modules, but lots of tweaks by Ric Schultz. It is a fantastic amp, not at all phasey, with very good imaging. That said, UPS will be delivering my LAS Voyager GaN amp today. I can’t wait to hear whether it is THAT much better to deserve the hype from new owners. It is already broken in, but will give a couple days warm up, at which point I will start my own thread

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,851 posts
 
The other problem I am hearing is how mechanical it sounds.I hooked up my Gale 401s which are famous for their rhythm, groove and timing and now they sound like the music is being played by robots! I would have never thought any amp could do that but somehow it is.To me that indicates some fundamentals are really srewed up.
They probably are! But I think you also know that convention solid state amps can have problems as well as tube amps. Class D is no different in that regard- they can sound quite different depending on the design. We have a class D amp here in the shop that sounds for lack of a better expression, dead. But I have a pair of class D amps at home that sound very musical and lively. So If I were you, I'd continue auditioning amps (if you are otherwise interested in this technology) until you find something that ticks all the boxes.
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