Class D Amplification Announcement


After 60 some odd years of disappointment, Class D has finally arrived. As per The Absolute Sound’s Jonathan Valin, the Borrenson-designed Aavik P-580 amp “is the first Class D amplifier I can recommend without the usual reservations. …the P-580 does not have the usual digital-like upper-mid/lower-treble glare or brick wall-like top-octave cut-off that Class D amps of the past have evinced.”

Past designers of Class D and audiophiles, rejoice; Michael Borrenson has finally realized the potential of Class D.

psag

i agree very much with ralph/@atmasphere

class d is a class of technology, even within it, there are substantial technological variants, not to mention myriad of ways to implement

but folks keep at the old saw... class d is like this, class d is like that

it is all in the details folks!  would we say, well moving coil cartridges have this sound?  it's silly, in reality they run high and low, all over the spectra, it is a technological means to do something, how it is designed specifically, how it is implemented, drives the sonic result

Years ago at a show in NYC I heard Joseph Audio Pulsars driven by Bel Canto Ref 500M mono blocks and it sounded excellent — changed my perception of Class D on the spot and realized it’s really all about implementation.  Definitely one of those “aha” audio moments. 

Yes, it's all in the details, the implementation, the execution. Technics cringes when someone calls their GanFET integrated a Class D design as it's an all digital amp designed in house, built around their digital decoding tech. 

The best part is, it sounds like nothing else I've heard and just gets better all the time. 

All the best,
Nonoise

If you started driving in the early 1960's, you know what a crappy car is and you know the worst car you can buy today is leagues better.  Our stereo equipment today has gotten so good for knowledgeable enthusiasts it's also hard to buy something poor like we listened to 60 years ago, relatively speaking to the state of the art that existed then and now.  Unless we listen to every piece of equipment, for us average listeners reviews are mostly what we got.  It would be nice if every review could give an absolute answer about relative value to competing equipment.  Sometimes the reviewers compare, but more often they don't.  I seem to think it happens more with lower priced audiophile speakers because like in cars, it's easier to design a $200k Ferrari in some ways than to bring a high percent of that performance in a $20k car.  I think reviewing equipment is an art and what I've learned is that reviews are a good guide but reading the review is also an art where if you read enough of them you get more insights into what technology and equipment is really good and a good value, too.

Just got my AGD Audions back after they were upgraded to the latest revision-MK III. The power supplies were greatly improved. Before the upgrade they were not very good at powering my difficult to drive Quad 57s.

Now, they pick up the Quads and dance them around the room. Wow, what a difference! I was considering other amps but no longer. Can't imagine anything better.