"D" amps, general discussion who's 1 and why?

Dev,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that each case that appealed to you involved tube amplification. Also, you liked the Rowland Class D amp with the ARC tube pre.

I suspect that the "toe tapping" sound you like is more a result of the tubes, even if just in the pre, more so than as a result of using a Class D power amp.

Maybe a tube pre-amp and Class D power amp is the way to go, particularly with certain speakers that present more difficult loads to drive where Class D's that double down to 4 and even 2 ohms hold a distinct advantage over tubes for maintaining tonal balance with the low end.

I recently added the ARC sp-16 tube pre to my system running a well regarded SS amp needed to drive my difficult large Ohm Walsh 5 speaks and the toe tapping factor increased significantly.

I would consider a good Class D in my current setup in a heartbeat if I felt I really needed more power than the 120w/ch Musical Fidelity A3CR amp I currently use.

Hi Mapman,

I have heard my same amps used with a tube preamp, and the sound was just what many may want. It was very smooth, clean, and musical.

I prefer no tubes in the preamp, as long as that preamp is the H2O Fire. A 6moons review is in the future. This is an abnormally squeaky clean solid state preamp.

This is not to say my system doesn't benefit from tubes. I have mine in my non sampling DAC. The beauty of tubes and NOS carry through unsullied by the preamp. The advantage to my liking is the sound is more lively and detailed with the Fire aboard rather than a tube amp.

Hi Mapman,

Not exactly because in the past that 8 month spell with the "D" class amps I was actually using a tube pre, ARC REF3, Supratec Sav., VTL 7.5 and one of the amps where the Jeff Rowland 501's which I believe is the amp section of the 500 integrate.

The class "D" is very interesting and there are a handful that I have not heard and would like to do so but I will say to date the Jeff Rowland 312 is my fav. for this type of amplification.

Regarding amps I seem to actually prefer tube, just have not found that magical match for my current MBL's. Not that I have really heard allot either because I really had purchased the Cat JL3 thinking that would be it but unfortunately it wasn't do to other issues but the Joule is on my radar and will be listening to the exact system Dob heard and raved about.

Maybe I missed something. Are you ( Dcstp) saying the Bel Canto with the Tripath module is not digital???? Keith

The "D" in class D does not stand for digital. It's simply a sequencing convenience. . . A, B, [C], D. . . do not ask me where class C devices are, I have no idea. Recent Bel Canto amps have abandoned Tripath modules. . . . Bel Canto is now using ICEpower modules: ASP500 in the Ref 500 and ASP 1000 in the Ref 1000 Mk.2. Like with any other basic module/tube, the sound of a class D amp depends as much on what the designer is capable of harnessing from the strengths of underlying devices, as much as on the raw 'sound' of the device itself. . . . which by the way, -- for all it matters -- remains analog.