Oh how I wish Class D amps ...

I have heard many Class D amplifiers, the latest Nuforce can seriously challenge many, really expensive conventional amplifiers. Nuforce are the only switching amplifiers that I have heard that have a liquidity and presence in the midrange that rival really good conventional amplification.

I have heard the Bel Canto and other Ice amplifiers which sound much more hifi than the Nuforce.

If you haven't heard the latest Nuforce you should listen to a pair you will be convinced that these types of amplifiers have real promise.

Hello Kijanki,

I wish to apologize. I have had no idea whatsoever that ICE Power uses Zobel network. I don;t want my words to be iterpreted as even slightest critic of our competitor.

Still, for the record (and from our web site):

" Spectron designs team won a contact with pro audio giant Inter-m (among others in competition were Bang & Olafson and Philips)..."

Inter-M may be the biggest pro audio company and we are proud, as small team of 4 design & 1 production engineers, to have our design to win against somewhat more resoursful Philips and B&W ...but music lover have right to choose and be happy with any design they choose. Its a given.

If I offended someone - my deepest apologies again.

Regarding "There is no signal processing since most of class D amps are analog "..... before digital signal there was and still is analog signal which people for 100 years processed: from simplest as adding to most complex. Even computer does not need to be digital; some early computers were analog.... making my living for 30 years from digital signal processing I better know what I am talking about.

Respectfully,

Simon

Audiofreakgeek : I was loaned a Nuforce Reference 9 V3SE to audition, and found it rather dull in my system. Definitely a lack of air and extended highs. JMO

We should never underestimate the importance of system synergy and how some components are not a good match. Timtim, maybe a more appropriate elaboration would have been "Oh how I wish Class D amps would be a good synergy with my Vapor Cirrus speakers" :-)

Simon, - my bad! I tend to attribute everything to DSP forgetting that even simple analog filtering is form of signal processing.

As for class D - I believe that it is very good for the money (important to me). Opinions vary a lot. Some believe that class D is at reference level while others that class D is LO-FI.

Stereophile reviewed Bel Canto REF1000M (Icepower) ending review with this conclusion:

"The Bel Canto Ref1000 Mk.II can be compared with the cream of the other amps I've had in my system: the Classé CA-3200, Mark Levinson No.433, and Ayre Acoustics V-6xe. Each of these distinguishes itself in different ways, and particularly with different speakers. Because of this, I think I must keep the Bel Canto Ref1000 Mk.IIs as a reference amplifier—an easy decision even when based solely on its sound, but also: in my living room, none of the others can be so easily hidden in plain sight."

Class D amps might be very revealing showing shortcomings of the system but also might have better synergy with some speakers than others. Also, long break-in is most likely required. It took about 400 hours for my amp to sound best.

It is often said that Icepower sounds good only with linear power supplies. On the other hand newest linear class AB amps from Jeff Rowland (one costing $46k) use switching power supplies.