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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
ricevs
190 posts
 

Georgy,

You misinterpreted what I said about mosfets.........The category that mouser put these new GAN devices in was under "mosfets" (they have no category for GAN devices yet)......this is why I said they were not mosfets......so in case you read their thing real fast, you might think they are mosfets. Which is why I suggested downloading the data sheet. So, the one going off half cocked is......

Also, I think Merrill has a great point......maybe we don’t need higher switching frequencies.....just less overshoot, dead time, ringing via circuits using super high speed output devices (GAN). The use of parallel output mosfets (like the older Icepower amps) makes it worse with even more capacitance. The ICEedge modules have one pair of output mosfets that give 1200 watts a channel into 4 ohms. Icepower also claims they have "continuous dead time compensation". Maybe these two things are part of what makes the new ICEedge modules so good. Surely, this is not zero dead time.........but I will say these modules implemented right are really sweet.

guidocorona
4,114 posts
 

Thank you so much Merrill!


Indeed I had suggested a few small things... I believe that you actually implement my recommendation to use 20A IEC to maximize stability of connection with heavy power cords.... Well, at least now, if anyone complains about 20A inlets, you can refer their  lamentations all to me *Grins!*


And yes, the Element 118 prototypes I played with were already exceptional performers, even with their pre-production circuits and assemblage!


BTW, have you published pricing for Element 116 and 114?

 

Saluti, G.

  

 

erik_squires OP
5,268 posts
 
While there are a lot of logical mistakes we can make, what I cannot argue with is listening. 

Buy what you like. 


georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
4,966 posts
 
ricevs
you might think they are mosfets.
Please point to where it says I think they are Mosfets??

I said the GAN device was invented by the same guys (directors of EPC) that invented the Power Mosfet!!! All those years ago.

They (EPC) are into inventing/developing and selling their patented inventions to the major semiconductor manufactures, just like they did with the Power Mosfet.
Also the ones used in the Techincs SE-R1 may not even be the same ones that are on Mouser that are non existent not in stock anyway.

BTW "G" here is the difference in switching noise ringing on a square wave between Mosfet and GAN, https://www.technics.com/content/products/r1/images/se-r1-img2-2-uk.png
there is still a little ringing but it’s far better than what all the other Class-D’s do. https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/uploads/monthly_2016_12/583f6e91157f6_Class-Dsquarewaveringing..jpg...

And this is at 1.5gHz at 3gHz it could be all but gone, without effecting down to 5kHz into the audio band.

ricevs
190 posts
 
Good grief, you still don’t get it. I never said that you thought they were Mosfets.....never. The link that I posted sent you to a page on the Mouser site where the GAN transistors are listed as Mosfets. I just wanted to make sure you read the data sheet to see that these are indeed GAN devices. If anyone looks fast at that page they "might" think they were Mosfets as Mouser mislabeled them as they have no category for GANs yet. You were the one that said GANs were only made by EPC and hard to get. My post was to show that GANs are made by others too, and that you can buy them soon at Mouser. End of story. Let us move on!
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