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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
arni
313 posts
 
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" :-)
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
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.
timtim OP
84 posts
 
Well ... I guess I am wrong for assuming, but I do assume that EVERYTHING is always subject to system synergy. Having said that, the Cirrus speakers are the single best tool I have ever seen for component and wire evaluation. They are an open window, and PERFECTLY show every slightest change made upstream. So I am fortunate to have a system that does allow for very good evaluation.

I have no adgenda to bash digital amps, just a desire to see them improve.
magfan
1,583 posts
 
Please see first schematic::http://users.ece.gatech.edu/mleach/ece4435/f01/ClassD2.pdf
L1 / C1 are how the switching frequency is removed.....and should induce a phase shift in the audio band. No?
magfan
1,583 posts
 
Simon,
Want a good example of an Analogue computer?
Please see link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_engine

Charles Babbage could never get it together long enough to build it, but within the last decade or so, Smithsonian built one to the original drawings, and it worked fine.
The machine would have been used to calculate log / trig tables for navigators and such.
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