Hey That's Not So Bad if It's Class D

Class D amps from major manufacturers have never sounded terrible. The way some talk, one would think class D had CB Radio sound quality and Class A was HD fm radio. Even 20 years ago class D could sound very good. The sound difference is not anything most people would notice in a “playing in a room background” situation. 

Nothing wrong with the sound of Class D amps. It's comments like, "They did not get me emotionally involved with the music." It's statements like that that will drive a amplifier manufacturer NUTS.

    
    I know my class D monoblocks provide significantly better sound quality in my system and room than any of the good quality, big, heavy,inefficient and hot running class AB amps I previously used.

     If you're not getting emotionally involved in the music played thru a good class D amp blame it on the music, not the amp.

Tim

noble100"I know my class D monoblocks provide significantly better sound quality in my system and room than any of the good quality, big, heavy,inefficient and hot running class AB amps I previously used."

Actually Class AB amplifiers designed for music Reproduction Systems are quite efficient although not nearly as much as Class D but they also avoid the distortion, artifacts, and noise inherently embedded in Class D products and components and if you're Class AB amplifiers ran hot then they were misadjusted as to bias or they were improperly designed or they had insufficient heatsinking.

Hello clearthink,

     I apologize if it isn't true, but my impression is that you have limited experience with the various amp types.  I'm not sure what type of amp or amps you use in your system, but I'd suggest you get a bit adventurous and try some different amp types just to become better acquainted with their unique attributes, compromises, shortcomings, sound characteristics and sound qualities. 
     I've consciously done this over the years and I've learned quite a bit.  I really enjoy the sound quality of both class A types, solid state and tubes.  But their compromises of price, excess heat and extreme electrical inefficiency are too great for me to accommodate. 
      Due to a limited budget, I've used class AB amps in most of my systems until relatively recently, although I experimented along the way with used ss and tube class A amps, too.
      I began my audio journey about 1975 when I was 17 when I bought a Yamaha receiver, Technics turntable with a Shure cartridge and a pair of unfinished Birch Klipsch Heresy speakers. I upgraded to separates a few yrs later, buying an Adcom GFP-565 preamp and GFA555 class AB amp. 
     You're correct, the class AB amps I've owned don't run hot like class A amps but they do get much warmer than the class D amps I've used.  Class AB amps are more electrically efficient than class A amps but still vastly less efficient than class D amps.  The class D amps I've used never get hotter than tepid and are the only amps I've ever left on 24/7.  
      I'm now 60 and about 4 yrs ago I bought my first class D stereo amp more out of curiosity than anything else.  I was reading numerous rave reviews from professional reviewers and audio forum members and wanted to gain some personal experience with these amps in my system.
     At the time, I was using a VTL 2.5 tube preamp with a high current class AB Aragon 4004 MKII amp (400 w at 4 ohms) driving inefficient  (86db at 1 w) Magnepan 2.7QR speakers.  I bought a ClassD Audio SDS-440-CS amp (440 w at 4 ohms) that was 1/4 the price, weight and size of the Aragon.
    To state this light, affordable and little amp performed exceptionally well in my system is a definite understatement.  It outperformed my class AB Aragon in every category I care about: the best bass response I'd ever heard from my panels, a lower noise floor, lower distortion, better dynamics, more detailed, a more stable and realistic soundstage illusion, a more natural midrange and treble response that was very detailed and extended but never overly bright or fatiguing.  
     I then became curious about the differences between good class D amps and I've since bought another class D stereo amp (an Emerald Physics EP-100.2SE) and now drive my panels with a pair of D-Sonic M3-600-M mono blocks.  I've sold all my previous class AB amps and use only class D amps in my combo music and 5.1 ht system.
      My current opinion is that good examples of class D amps will eventually make good examples of class AB amps obsolete and only a few of the very best class AB amps such as Pass Labs will possibly survive.  And the best examples of class D amps will continue to be among the best amps regardless of amp type.

     I suggest you audition a few.

Tim