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Oh how I wish Class D amps ...

I sure wish manufacturers and designers would move forward as quickly as is possible on improving the current status of Class D amps ... I have heard them all, some in my own system, and they have SO mcu promise !!! Unfortunately they just do not have it down yet. They still sound dry, unmusical, and strange in the treble ... kind of chalky and rolled off, and definitely lacking air.
I long for the day I can get rid of my hundred pound Class AB monster amp, for a nice small cool running amp that sounds just as good. I am worried though that designers and manufacturers have accepted the " It sounds good enough" opinion, and that the B&O Ice power may be a long time before it is "fixed"... sigh.
Just my rant ...
timtim
macrojack
1,303 posts
 
You can overcome the size/weight problem by switching to high efficiency speakers and using smaller A or A/B amplifiers. It is the need for enormous horsepower that requires you to own massive amplification.
There are some pretty great 30 watt SS amps out there that are not too large or massive.
timtim OP
84 posts
 
I can't switch speakers, as I have NO doubts it would be a downgrade, regardless the price or brand. Owning a pair of Vapor Cirrus is the ultimate experience ;-)
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Well, I have Rowland 102 class D amp that "sound dry, unmusical, and strange in the treble ... kind of chalky and rolled off, and definitely lacking air" and unmodified Benchmark DAC1 that according to another review suppose to "sound lo-fi and shrill". In addition I listen to CDs that again according to opinion expressed on this forum "I found almost all cds way to harsh and shrill sounding" and overall sound is short of amazing. Keep going guys - you helped me a lot!
spectron
130 posts
 
" 'd' amps have a pretty good phase shift in the HF range due to the Zobel."

To the best of my knowledge no class D amplifier on Earth uses Zobel "filters". With Zobel, you would need to build up your amplifier individually to satisfy requirment of each individual speaker not to metion its other problem. It would be terrible creature....

All, with no exception, class D amplifiers have a challange in HF signal processing. Similar to that of traditional tube amplifiers in LF area and traditional transistor amplifiers in midrange.

Simon
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
There is no signal processing since most of class D amps are analog. As for the Zobel - Yes it is choke and output resistor and capacitor. Icepower calls it Zobel.

Excerpt from datasheet of Icepower 200ASC and 1000ASP modules:

"Due to the compensating Zobel network in the output stage, the maximum allowable short-term output power
is frequency-dependant."
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