Class D vs Class A Education


Can anyone some it up in a nut shell if possible what the difference in design and output are of class D vs class A power?

Thank You!
128x128thegoldenear
Well if you can read between the lines, you should be able to understand that despite all the different design implimentations(class A, solid state, tube pp, tube set, tube otl) there really weren't night and day differences between any of the amps.

It was obvious to me after doing the comparisons that no one amp was better than what I was enjoying in my current system.

Had one amp of any stripe cleaned the pants off what I use I would have declared it the winner.

But does this mean that class D amps, or specifically my D amps are the best there is ? Of course not, what it does do is illustrate that you can't make generalizations about all D amps having some sort of sonic signiture that is inferior to other types of amp designs.

Boring or not they may be, but these are my experiences ,with my gear in my room.

Synergy really isn't all that hard to accomplish, I think people make way too much of this.

I said I could have lived with any of the amps,so there was synergy with all of them.

Not one amp struck me as being inferior or unlistenable,a high price tag amp wasn't a sure bet for best of show either.
I almost feel Hirschian in admitting that.

Hopefull I haven't bored anyone with this reply, but in all honesty I never said which amp was best, I just said I never found an amp that was better.

Pehaps if I explored the mega dollar amps my findings would be different, but what's the point if I can't afford the price of admission?

I conducted my comparisons with amps that were available to me and that I could afford if one design trumped all others.
Even if that meant coughing up more dough, or spending less than I have invested in my current amps.

So for me, the "design" of the amplifier really wasn't the issue,and it shouldn't be for anyonelse with an open mind and a desire to find out for themselves what all the fuss is about D amps.

Preconceptions about amp designs run wild in this hobby.
Forget about the design, and just focus on what the sound is.

The only way to do that is to compare the amps like I did, not speculate the outcome from your laptop.
I disagree with your synergy statement however. I believe it is very important, IME.
IMO, the type of music would strongly lead to one's preference over the other. Class D has all the efficiency and power reserves for strong and demanding type of music. On the other hand, Class A typically has the refinement and finesse to track and amplify the signal more faithfully. Acoustic instruments like flute, oboe, violin, piano, harpsichord...etc., their natural timber and harmonics are somewhat rendered more realistically with Class A amps. With difficult to drive speakers and demanding type of musical preferences, Class D would be the preferable choice.
Vinw, I suppose you are right. But how about having the best compromise in one package? Would you recommend particular amps that deliver closer to the ideal regardless of As and Ds?