“I’ve read a lot of opinions on this forum, and I know the consensus is that D is good, but not great.”
STOP!
Generalizations about Class D are stupid, especially when the opinion is formed based on one or two samples. Even worse are those who express an opinion who have never heard even a single sample.
Class D is like any other Class / topology. There are good and great and not so great examples of every design approach. I’ve been in this game long enough to have owned many different amplifiers over the years. And although I have owned more tube than SS amps, they all have one thing in common in that they all vary quite a bit even among their own kind, especially in terms of musicality.
Some tube amps, regardless of the tube and topology sound like refuse for the toilet. Same thing with the various SS amps that have passed through my hands over the years. OTOH some were outstanding and some were pretty good. The point is there isn’t any one Class, design approach or topology that is inherently better or more musical than another.
STOP!
Generalizations about Class D are stupid, especially when the opinion is formed based on one or two samples. Even worse are those who express an opinion who have never heard even a single sample.
Class D is like any other Class / topology. There are good and great and not so great examples of every design approach. I’ve been in this game long enough to have owned many different amplifiers over the years. And although I have owned more tube than SS amps, they all have one thing in common in that they all vary quite a bit even among their own kind, especially in terms of musicality.
Some tube amps, regardless of the tube and topology sound like refuse for the toilet. Same thing with the various SS amps that have passed through my hands over the years. OTOH some were outstanding and some were pretty good. The point is there isn’t any one Class, design approach or topology that is inherently better or more musical than another.