So what do you think of Class D amp for subwoofers


I am curious to hear what folks think of Class D amplifiers for driving subwoofers. An interesting aspect of this is the switching frequency is ~1000x higher for the frequencies in question, as opposed to using a Class D amp for full range.

My home theater is Class D (Dolby 7.1) and my next major upgrade is replacing the amps with Class AB amps, although I will keep the low signal processing part of the amp.

In the high end system, I found a four channel, 450W into 8 Ohms Class D amp from Marantz to drive the four subwoofers. The price was right and I am not living in a fantasy land that it is a JC1 sitting there!

I have formed my opinions but I wonder if others share my opinions as well.

Thanks!
spatialking
Spatialking - Class D is absolutely analog, at least in Icepower or Hypex implementation. I think you're very confused here. We deal with digital when when resolution has certain limits. There is no resolution limit here. Analog voltage signal comes from the input to analog modulator that changes voltage (in linear fashion)to duty cycle WITH UNLIMITED RESOLUTION. Output parameter until filtered is time (duty cycle). Type of parameter does not have any bearing on being digital or analog. Voltage can be analog or digital as well as any other parameter.

Digital implementation wouldn't be even possible since to get 16 bit resolution and 20kHz bandwidth carrier frequency would have to be 1.3GHz (Nobody makes N-channel Mosfets this fast). You can read, Karsten Nielsen (founder of Icepower) doctorate work on principles of Icepower (in English on Icepower website). B&O was so impressed with his work that created subsidiary company for him and gave him stock (private company) first time in their 70 years history. This, and the fact that Jeff Rowland put his name on changing whole production to class D only, makes me believe that it is not so bad (at least for me) and even for very discriminating audiophiles should be satisfactory for subwoofer.

You stated that class D produces other kinds of distortion - could you comment on this? What other kinds of distortion? Do they have name?

Harmonics produced by class D are mostly even (like in tube amp) - just opposite to class AB producing higher order odd harmonics (especially at low levels).

I never said that there is no noise on the output of class D amp. I stated that any amp produces a lot of switching noise and that the one created by class D does not affect the sound. In order to affect the sound something would have to show in FFT of idle noise in audible band (0-20kHz).
It doesn't and Icepower itself is the best proof because it doesn't contaminate itself having idle noise 0-20kHz below -140dB.

No matter what can be measured or proved - the best proof is listening session. Listen to one of top Rowland amps that Guido recommended and prepare to be amazed. Mine is the cheapest one and I think it's great.
I don't have any papers or math or theories to dazzle you with. But I do have a Rowland Capri preamp, 102 amplifier, and PC-1 power correction device and a pair of very high resolution conical horns. These horns only reproduce up to about 14 Khz and, being a 61 year old male, I can't hear anything higher than that. My equipment is deafeningly silent directly into the horn but when I go through my dbx Drive Rack, I hear a faint rushing sound. A recording engineer friend tells me that the dbx has a residual noise floor of -100 db. and that I need line level attenuators to eliminate the sound. I may acquire some of those eventually if the noise ever bothers me enough.
The message I get from this is that my ICEpower amp is silent and my noise is definitely emanating from elsewhere.
Maybe yours is too.
All of this anti-Class D hysteria is ridiculous. There may be poor implementations out there but I have owned Red Wine Audio and JRDG amplification devices for 4 years now interspersed with tube and class A amplifier insertions. My experiences have been uniformly positive and I am beginning to believe that those who decry the increasing presence of Class D have a flat-earth disorder, a profit motive or a faulty theory.
We have, like it or not, passed the point of no return with Class D. It is here to stay and the established modalities are the ones that should be questioning their future.

Napoleon isn't going to return, Mr. Chauvin.
"those who decry the increasing presence of Class D have a flat-earth disorder, . . ."

I love it Macrojack, you made my day! Guido
All of this anti-Class D hysteria is ridiculous Except for the fact it sounds terrible.
And when companies like Conrad Johnson,Coda any number of other companies get on board,then ill get off my flat earth,talk about financial gain make and sell some class d amps.