No it can not but can be better than cheap inexpensive class A/B
Could Class D really be that good?
I've heard statements praising modern class D amplifiers all the time but was sort of hesitant to try. Lately, one particular model caught my eye, the Fosi V3, which costs sub $100 but is praised for having refined sound like class A/B. To fulfill my curiosity, I quickly ordered one and tried it with my Burchardt S400II and Wharfedale Linton speakers. Basically, this is a neutral sounding amp but, to my surprise, the sound is clean, open, airy, with full mids, wide soundstage, good imaging/separation, with nearly null traces of the edginess, dryness, or lean sound that traditional class D amplifiers have. The background is just as quiet as my current systems. The core is the TPA 3255 chip from TI and comes with a 32v, 5A power block, which is supposed to deliver approximately 65 watts per channel (into 8 ohms). It drives the S400II/Linton without any hesitation, as well as my 130-watt-per-channel high-current Parasound A23. Very impressive.
Measurement is not everything. However, according to the lab test results, when operated under 10-60 watts, the distortion level (THD) is below 0.003%, better than a lot of high-end (price) gears. I am going to build around it for my fourth system with upgraded op-amp and LPS. I believe it will outperform my current mid-end (price) amplifiers.
I know, I know, quite a few Audiogoners' systems are above $100k, and mentioning this kind of little giant that costs a fraction could be rather embarrassing. But I thought this is just like gold digging with a lot of surprises and fun. Don't you think?
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@eddnog I was further confirmed with the 4/20 on Kickstarter which is initially informed by @jackjohnson316 and Fosi also told me that it will hit Amazon in US on June. I am interested in SS3602 myself too but wonder why don't you consider the 2nd SS3602 instead of V7 Vivids since SS3602 is half the price and the review is good? How does SS3602 stack up with V7 Vivids? |
As has been mentioned before, Class D continues to evolve. But the company that brought the NCore module to the market (Hypex) has continued to refine and engineer the technology to impressive new levels. With the introduction of the Mola Mola Perca stereo amplifier (Hypex's premium product and brand) we are now 5 generations beyond NCore. The new modules being called Trajectum. Putting the technical aspects aside for just a moment, the Perca stereo amp is simply a fantastic sounding amplifier, regardless of which class of operation the amplifier is based on. To me, and those who have purchased or experienced it, the Perca represents the BEST of this technology, with the resulting sound quality as evidence. |
Although Perca ($$$10k) does not publish its load-dependent distortion level, its average THD of 0.0003% (corresponding to -110 dB) puts itself closely against the Benchmark AHB2 (0.0001% or -115 dB; $$3.5k). Perca's high efficiency lies in its inherent nature of being a class D design, whereas the AHB2 is essentially a class A/B (technically class H) design but manages to achieve 92% efficiency thanks to its 'railing modulation' technology implemented on its voltage stage. In practical terms, the AHB2 generates a lot less heat compared to regular class A/B and runs as cool as a class D. Therefore, I concur with a few folks saying that the dividing lines among classifications become less and less clear; i.e., the class A/B amplifiers can be very efficient, and vice versa, the class D can be as smooth/musical as the class A/B, even though the fundamental PWM output waveform remains unchanged. To me, if I could afford a few grands for a high-fidelity, high-end amplifier, I would jump on the AHB2 any time. Not only is it much more affordable, but the inherently smoother sinusoidal sound wave also wins me over. Despite various types of modulation, filtering, and feedback techniques implemented on modern class D amplifiers to make them sound better, I still believe in retaining the purity of the original sound wave as the ultimate avenue to achieve ultimate sound quality. |
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