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The Truth about Modern Class D

All my amps right now are Class D. ICEpower in the living room, and NAD D 3020 in the bedroom.

I’ve had several audiophiles come to my home and not one has ever said "Oh, that sounds like Class D."

Having said this, if I could afford them AND had the room, I’d be tempted to switch for a pair of Ayre monoblocks or Conrad Johnson Premiere 12s and very little else.

I’m not religious about Class D. They sound great for me, low power, easy to hide, but if a lot of cash and the need to upgrade ever hits me, I could be persuaded.

The point: Good modern Class D amps just sound like really good amplifiers, with the usual speaker/source matching issues.

You don’t have to go that route, but it’s time we shrugged off the myths and descriptions of Class D that come right out of the 1980’s.
erik_squires

Showing 7 responses by helomech

helomech
766 posts
 
Straight from the horse's mouth:

S&V: Generally speaking, what are the key benefits of Class D versus the traditional Class AB and Class A designs that have long been favored by audiophiles?
BP: Efficiency and therefore the ability to construct amps that are powerful for their size. Only that. Modern Class D amps, in particular mine—ahem—sound good not because they’re Class D, but in spite of it.
Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bruno-putzeys-head-class-d#61cL4a1ATw0DkUL2.99

helomech
766 posts
 
Vladimir Shushurin (Lamm)
"No, it is not. And I would like to respond to the second part of this question with an allegory. Any field of human activity defines a number of requirements which, when properly implemented, guarantee a positive outcome.
For example, the basic requirement in the army and sports is an able-bodied individual. So, it would be quite natural to concentrate on searching for such an individual (especially as we know where to find him).
However, out of the blue we decide to choose a feeble-bodied person who, on top of that, is encumbered by various diseases. Having made this decision (which is a priori improper) we start justifying it to ourselves and others by citing the great state of our medicine, which is capable of curing many ailments."

Bingo
helomech
766 posts
 

We better put up the question again to what this answer above relates to, which is:
" Is Class D competitive with linear designs in sound quality, and if not, will it ever be?"

I believe it may be someday but it isn't yet to my ears. I've heard the Parasound Halo Integrated take the Devialet Pro monoblocks to school. The new NAD N-Core based amps sound no better than class D of 15 years ago: cold, analytical and fatiguing. Same for the hybrids I've heard. I'll continue to give new designs a chance, but I've yet to encounter one that sounds as smooth/listenable as a halfway decent class AB amp. I think some audiophiles just don't hear the digital-like character that most, if not all of them exhibit.
helomech
766 posts
 
Can you tell us about the speakers you evaluated with when you say the Parasound took the Devialet to school?
Magnepan 1.7is - so it didn't even take very high performance speakers to do so.
helomech
766 posts
 
@erik_squires 

helomech -

So you heard Parasound and Devialet amps on Magnepans and did not like the Devialet.

That is 1 single sample of a specific Class D amplifier you did not like. Is that correct?
Maybe you didn't read through my other posts in their entirety, but no, I've heard many class D amps I didn't like, including but not limited to Devialet, NADs new M class, the Rogue hybrids, Bel Cantos, Audio Alchemy, Peachtree Novas and countless mobile audio amplifiers. I know I left off a few, but anyhow, the one trait they all shared was a sort of analytical (maybe "sterile" is a better description) presentation. For me, they just suck the soul out of music. One reason I no longer listen in my car - has a factory "premium" system powered by class D.
helomech
766 posts
 
What many of you will realize is class D is the future of audio amplification. I believe that is inevitable. IMO.
It already is, but that's because most consumers don't care about audio quality and manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to skimp on production costs. The benefit to the consumer is saving a few $$ on their electric bill. The benefit to the manufacturer is lower production and shipping costs. As BP clearly states, sound quality is not the intended benefit:

S&V: Generally speaking, what are the key benefits of Class D versus the traditional Class AB and Class A designs that have long been favored by audiophiles?
BP: Efficiency and therefore the ability to construct amps that are powerful for their size. Only that. Modern Class D amps, in particular mine—ahem—sound good not because they’re Class D, but in spite of it. I can’t repeat that often enough. Left to its own devices, a switching power stage tries to do just about anything except amplify audio. You choose Class D to save energy but it’s all elbow grease after that.
Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bruno-putzeys-head-class-d#W85iCOqbk6BmH5yU.99

Which approach is best: modding a Prius to be almost as quick as a Lambo (with better MPG), and charging Lambo prices, or just starting from the ground up with a real gas-guzzling Lambo? 

Personally, I'd take the latter though I can understand the argument for the former. 
helomech
766 posts
 
Not to steer this off topic, but no system can produce a convincing life-like sound, partly because the recording equipment cannot capture it. This is most evident in note decay. Musicians will know what I'm referring to. Anyone who thinks their system can recreate a live performance should go buy a cheap guitar, play a few chords and compare that to their very best acoustic recordings.  


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