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A great article on Class D/switching amps

The latest edition of The Absolute Sound has, in my opinion, the best overall perspective and evaluation of the eight most regarded class D switching amps on the market today.

The article contains an explanation of the technology, an interview with a couple of the most important designers, the individual reviews and finally a round table discussion regarding these amps.

I believe any of you GON members who might be considering auditioning a class D switching amp would want to review this piece regarding their different sonic signatures.

I had the pleasure of listening to the Kharma MP150 which the panel picked as being on top of the "heap" compared to Audio Research 300.2,Channel Island Audio D-200, Nuforce Reference 9 Special Edition, Red Dragon Audio Leviathan Signature, Jeff Roland Design Group 201, Cary Audio Design A 306,and finally the Spectron Musician III.

Each amp had at least two different reviewers with different systems evaluate them and then compare their experiences. This was a well done piece and if you read it I believe you find it both educational and helpful to understand what these amps are all about.
teajay
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Teajay, Henry has class A amps that will give your XA-100 amps tough competition. He isn't producing them because class A is a far cry from what his class D amps sound like. His first ICE amps were very much like the best of Class A amps. Now he has moved on towards making them sound just real.

Like many threads, this one has evolved, one idea building on another. There is no doubt simple class D amps are not the equivalent to first rate class A amps in some respects. What was brought out was a linear power supply steps up both the sound and the cost of a class D amp.
dazzdax
599 posts
 
TJ, what is in your opinion the biggest flaws regarding the sound of class-D amps? Lack of harmonic structure? Do they sound too "artificial"? And why? In my opinion the sound of class-D amps (and in my case, the ICEpower based Acoustic Reality Figaro's) is very clean and smooth, very "neutral" and accurate with awesome bass. I hear none of the typical signatures of solid state (some kind of "haze" and coloration).
PS: I'm only trying to find out what distracts people in case of class-D amplification.

Chris
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Right on, Dazzdax
Post removed 
teajay OP
1,697 posts
 
Chris, you asked a great question, so let me answer it in three ways:

1) As a reference point I'm not a fan of amps like Krell or Halcro or speakers like Wilson because I find them to have certain qualities (details, dynamics, transparency) but for me I found them "sterile/cold" sounding which I do believe has much to do with their way of presenting timbres and harmonics in their overall sonic presentation.

2) Another example would be the Pass Labs X series, that I found quite dynamic, detailed, with great extension, but not very "musical" to my ears. However, when Nelson Pass came out with the XA and X.5 series, it kept the dynamics but also returned the timbres/harmonics of his Aleph design.

3) So, when I have listened to a few of the switching/D amps they offer great clarity, dynamics, and a silky presentation, but not the realistic timbres I hear in the best of class A linear amps.

I believe that many of the class D amps are very good bargains for their price range, but do not yet compete with the reference class a/b amps quite yet in their development. I'm quite aware that at this level of gear we are really talking about personnal taste and system synergy, so there is no "right" or "wrong" answer to what are the best amps or designs in the world.
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