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The Future of Audio Amplification

I have recently paired an Audio Research DS225 Class D amplifier with an Audio Research tube preamplifier (SP8 mkii). I cannot believe how wonderful and lifelike my music sounds. The DS225 replaced an Audio Research SD135 Class AB amplifier. Perhaps the SD135 is just not as good as some of the better quality amps that are out there, but it got me thinking that amazingly wonderful sonance can be achieved with a tubed pre and Class D amp. I have a hunch that as more people experience this combination, it will likely catch on and become the future path of many, if not most audiophile systems. It is interesting that Audio Research has been at the forefront of this development.
distortions
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
Luckily the tube amp industry is alive and well, and should be thriving for many years to come...If I'm fooling myself by enjoying a tube preamp, a single ended tube power amp, and efficient horn speakers, regardless of the specs (I honestly don't have a clue what the actual specs are for my Dennid Had power amp), it makes absolutely no difference to me what anybody else claims about how this stuff sounds in my home. That said, my Class D bass amp is fine...I just patted its little head and told it to not be intimidated by all the tube amps around it.
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
@mr_m 

I think it's pretty safe to say that an amp that makes 10% distortion at 2 watts isn't even hi-fi by the definition of the term. You can get better distortion than that just feeding voltage onto the grid of a triode connected to a power supply and a load with just a couple of resistors. You'll also get this really nice second order harmonic, not some brutally offensive high order harmonic. 
bjesien
614 posts
 
I recently tried two class d amps in my own home, I do every five or so years.  One was made by a small Japanese company, and remarkably good, but as the week went on, I turned it on less an less.  The second was also interesting with more features but it didn't bring out the midrange magic that I love about my speakers and it sounded a bit hard and flat. 
For me, if I was limited to class d, I wouldn't listen to music as often.  Now what I would accomplish with that additional time is more interesting than if I should feel shame for liking one more than the other.
Post removed 
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
@stevecham 

I'm certain that I could tell the difference between .02% and .005%. I could tell you if it's higher or lower order, and I could tell you the phase as well if it's the low order type. Phase is irrelevant beyond 4th order. I spent most of a year voicing my amp for my speakers, trying this and trying that, and I definitely know what different kinds and amounts of distortion sound like. 
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