2. amps-preamps
  3. 167595-11588

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
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
11,856 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.
jtgofish's avatar
jtgofish
515 posts
 
Ralph,I trust your ears and judgement.
Any suggestions of Class D that have decent image depth and musical engagement?The only one I have heard which I thought sounded OK was a Hypex based Nord but that was only briefly at a hi fi show so I would need to listen longer and to my own music to confirm that impression.I do wonder if in trying to make the Purifi "perfect" [well measure perfect] they have overcooked it and made it worse.

More to discover