Guido,
As Jeff Rowland, there are a couple of other manufacturers who have stated they are not tied to any topology and any power module brand. Amphion is one of them, D-sonic (only class D) and Matt Kraemer (only class D) are others.
Good times for us consumers, I suppose.
It seems that all the newest Class D power modules have in common a very advanced control loop (feedback error correction) and a very studied component layout to minimize EMI/RFI.
Call them AMS, Ncore, UcD, UMAC, etc, all technologies employ a high order control loop that includes the speaker load into the feedback error control to keep THD as low as possible. As a consequence of the high unmount of feedback required to accomplish this, the output resistance of the modules is extremely low (and dumping factor high).
For some time I've been wondering if this approach could be applied to other topologies. Classic class A / AB designers don't seem to treat feedback as a valuable resource for bettering amplifiers THD performance.
However, Benchmark Media is now selling a new amplifier called AHB2 that employs several THX patents, some of which are about feedback and error control. As the newest class D power modules, this amplifier has extremely low THD and high dynamic range, it even beats the best class D specs currently available.
It also uses a switching power supply, which IMO is another sign of using "non traditional" design resources to enhance the performance of the classic topologies.
So what do you think? Now that Class D has advanced to a level that can compete spec wise with all other topologies, will classic class A/AB manufacturers "enhance" their designs using all modern and non traditional technologies to bring them to the next performance level?
As Jeff Rowland, there are a couple of other manufacturers who have stated they are not tied to any topology and any power module brand. Amphion is one of them, D-sonic (only class D) and Matt Kraemer (only class D) are others.
Good times for us consumers, I suppose.
It seems that all the newest Class D power modules have in common a very advanced control loop (feedback error correction) and a very studied component layout to minimize EMI/RFI.
Call them AMS, Ncore, UcD, UMAC, etc, all technologies employ a high order control loop that includes the speaker load into the feedback error control to keep THD as low as possible. As a consequence of the high unmount of feedback required to accomplish this, the output resistance of the modules is extremely low (and dumping factor high).
For some time I've been wondering if this approach could be applied to other topologies. Classic class A / AB designers don't seem to treat feedback as a valuable resource for bettering amplifiers THD performance.
However, Benchmark Media is now selling a new amplifier called AHB2 that employs several THX patents, some of which are about feedback and error control. As the newest class D power modules, this amplifier has extremely low THD and high dynamic range, it even beats the best class D specs currently available.
It also uses a switching power supply, which IMO is another sign of using "non traditional" design resources to enhance the performance of the classic topologies.
So what do you think? Now that Class D has advanced to a level that can compete spec wise with all other topologies, will classic class A/AB manufacturers "enhance" their designs using all modern and non traditional technologies to bring them to the next performance level?