Class D amps


I know Class D power amps are used in car audio applications. Why not for home audio power amps? Thanks.
nordic587
Actually, there are a number of Class D amps available for Home Audio. Bel Canto, for example, offers a number of Class D amps. I believe NuForce does so also. There are others as well.

The real issue has been acceptance of Class D by audiophiles. The amps have a mixed reputation -- some listeners enjoy the detail Class D amps reveal in recordings, while others do not like the hard edge many Class D amps add to higher frequencies. I, for example, briefly owned a Bel Canto amp -- I didn't like the sound at all. But it is a matter of taste, so YMMV.
Nordic587 did you just come out of a coma? This site and others are full of comments on Class D amplifiers used in 2-channel and home theater applications. Some of the brands are very well known.

Obviously you have not been paying attention so I will give you one piece of advice. Beware of postings that do not identify which iteration of a product is being discussed and under what conditions. For instance the person posting may have heard the first generation of a product that is now in its third generation. That is particularly important for Class-D as that technology is still evolving.
Nordick587 - it must've been long coma, since this partial list of companies making home Audio Class D was compiled in 2008:

Acoustic Reality www.acoustic-reality
eAR202, etc (ICEPower)

Aivin www.aivin
DT300 (www.aivin) (Tripath)

Analog Research Technology www.analogresearch-technology

AudioArt (NL) www.audioart
Van Medevoort MA240 (Hypex UcD)

Audiodigit www.audiodigit
MC 8x100 (Tripath)

AudioResearch www.audioresearch
150.2, 300.2, 150M (Tripath)

AV123 www.av123
X-Empower, xAmp (prelaunch (av123forum.com))
(Philips class-D?)

B&O www.icepower
(ICEPower)

BelCanto www.belcantodesign
Evo (Tripath) eOne (ICEPower)

Bertram www.audiokabel
(ICEPower)

Carver www.carverusa
300.2, 700.2, 1200.2

Cary Audio www.caryaudio
A 306 power amplifier (www.caryaudio)

Channel Islands Audio www.ciaudio
D100, D200 (Hypex UcD)

Chapter Audio www.chapteraudio
Couplet Power Amp (proprietary WMP class-D)

D-Sonic www.d-sonic
Magnum (www.d-sonic) (ICEPower)

DIYCable www.diycable
Exodus (www.diycable) (Hypex UcD)

Egosys www.egosys
Audiotrak DrAMP (www.audiotrak) (Tripath)

Elan www.elanhomesystems
D1200, D1600 (12 and 16 channel power amps, Tripath)

Electronic Visionary Systems www.tweakaudio
EVS-2 (www.tweakaudio) (ICEPower)

Flying Mole www.flyingmoleelectronics
(proprietary class-D)

Gilmore Audio www.glacieraudio
Raven, Raptor, Dragonfly (www.glacieraudio) m/ch (looks like ICE)

Halcro www.halcro
Lyrus

H2O Audio www.iceh2oaudio
M250, M500 (ICEpower)

Integra /Onkyo www.integrahometheater
DTA 9.4 (www.integrahometheater) 7x120W 8Ω

Jeff Rowland www.jeffrowland
(ICEPower)

Jjaz Audio www.jjaz
(ICEPower)

Kharma www.kharma
MP150 (www.kharma)

LC Audio www.lcaudio
Predator SE (www.lcaudio) (ZapPulse)

Marantz www.marantz
Opsodis ES-150 (www.marantz) (D2Audio) 2ch virtual surround

Medius [DK] www.medius
A II, A III (www.medius)

MG Audiolabs www.mglaudiolabs
Symphony (www.mglaudiolabs) (Hypex UcD)

Midgard Audio www.midgardaudio
(ICEPower)

MindCraft (NL) www.mindcraft
Media Amp One (www.mindcraft) (Hypex UcD)

Murano-Audio (TW) www.murano-audio
P500, P1000 (ICEPower)

NHT nhthifi.com>Power2 (nhthifi.com), Power5 (nhthifi.com) (ICEpower)

Nuforce www.nuforce
Ref 8, Ref 8b, Ref 9 (nPhysics proprietary class-D)

NuVo Technologies www.nuvotechnologies
NV-P2100 (www.nuvotechnologies)

Onkyo www.onkyo
A-1VL, A-9755, A-9555 (www.eu) (?)

PSAudio www.psaudio
GCA, GCMC (ICEPower)

Red Dragon Audio www.reddragonaudio
(ICEpower)

RedWineAudio www.redwineaudio
Clari-T, Lotus (Tripath)

Rotel www.rotel
1077 (7x100), 1092 (2x500) (ICEPower)

Sharp www.sharpusa
SM-SX1, SM-SX100

Sonneteer freespace.virgin
Brontë (Tripath)

Sony www.sony
TA-DA9000ES, TA-FA1200ES (www.stoneaudio) (S-Master)

Spectron www.spectronav
Musician, Troubador (int amp w digital inputs)

TactAudio/Lyngford www.tactaudio www.lyngford
Millennium & others (Equibit)

TEAC Esoteric teac.co
AZ-1 pre-main (translated (babel.altavista))

ThetaDigital www.thetadigital
Virtu PowerDAC (www.thetadigital) (Zetex class-Z)

UniwaveTek www.uniwavetek
Anaco II

Yamaha www.yamaha
MX-D1
There are and many are quite good and worth consideration.

The Bel Canto ref1000m monoblocks I use are one good example. These are competitive soundwise with some of the best SS and tube amps I have heard and the combination of small size, weight and low power consumption along with bleeding edge power output and solid current delivery is hard to beat.
It really is YMMV. I got a pair of Wyred 4 Sound class D monoblocks about 4 months ago and they are the greatest things I have heard in my system thus far. IMO they are extremely transparent and convey what is exactly on the source material which to me is the highest complement you can pay a amplifier UNLESS you want your amp to color your music. I don't have any issues with its high frequency performance and they sound just as extended as any other amp I have heard in my system. The alleged high frequency issue kept me away from class D for years until I decided to hear it for my self.

I suspect the high frequency issue has more to do with impedance matching between components rather than something that it is intrinsic to all class D amps. Alot of owners of tube preamps don't like the tube/class D combo. Class D amps tend to get their best reviews when paired with low output impedance solid state amps.