Analog is obsolete pure digital not class D ...

When 99.9% of the signal is manipulated by digital technology, it's a mostly digital amp, and we should call it such.

If its class D, it will be an analog circuit. But IIRC there is a class reserved for an amplifier that decodes directly from a digital source- class T.

True, Class D is analog, with a switching output.

Technics is calling theirs a pure digital amplifier and it’s hard to tell with what I’ve found how far they carry the digital part. We know it does A/D conversion, and DSP based speaker impedance correction.

What remains an open question to me (being poorly read) is whether the PWM that controls the output is using an analog feedback loop, like Class D, or whether it relies entirely on the feed-forward design to generate the PWM pulses. If the latter, then it is not Class D and it is IS pure digital.

There is a camp out there that says if an amp generates an analog signal it must be analog amp, and I will never ascribe to that definition. When 99.9% of the signal is manipulated by digital technology, it's a mostly digital amp, and we should call it such.

Just to be clear, class D is an entirely analog process. It was proposed as a class of operation in the 1950s and the first commercial class D amps were made in the 1960s. 

Analog will always be king in sound.

The Voyager GAN amp has an exceptionally clean, clear, spacious and extended presentation of music.  However, though the bass is no slouch, some of my class A behemoths like the PassLabs X 250.5 and the Parasound A21+ have a bit more grunt on the low end.

The Technics is based on the GaN amplifier module, which to my ears IS a big deal. There are several GaN threads (including my own) which might help you

hth

erik_squires would that be an improvement over class D

@scott22

I think the strategy would be an interesting solution for a problem a lot of amps IMNSHO suffer from, which is a weakness in the bass for speakers near or below 3 Ohms there.  A lot of speakers made today have an impedance which dips below 300 Hz, and you can hear it.

or just a variation of a class D sound which I understand to be light in the bass.

Well, I hate this kind of broad classism since it is rarely borne out.  I've hear plenty of Class D amps which had better bass than some Class A or A/B.

I think it would be interesting to listen to for sure, but trying to arm chair guess what the sound would be like without actually listening to them... that's something I am experienced enough not to do.

Fuzztone  I do not understand your comment. 

Understanding or repeating prejudice?

erik_squires would that be an improvement over class D or just a variation of a class D sound which I understand to be light in the bass.
My knowledge is also light on such matters but it sounds like an amp for everyone SS and analog guys alike as headphone and phono stage appear to be  very good

Well, yeah, kind of.

A pure Class D amp is a linear amplifier with a switching output.  There is no A/D or D/A conversion really, instead it relies on a feedback loop to switch on and off.

Technics is using all of that.  A/D, DSP and a switching output without a feedback loop.  It's more of a feed-forward correction.

You could do this yourself, by the way.  Assuming you had the measurement tools you could do this all with a miniDSP type of circuit.

phCollie he would give "Willie and the hand jive" a run.
 yea agreed albums are dead, CDs are dead, even the grateful dead is dead.  

I've heard something along the lines of the title of this thread for the last twenty years.  Also...."Tubes are Dead".   Love the hand action.....they guy on the right looks like he is conducting an orchestra.  Other readers, please pm for a shipping address if you want to toss your now obsolete kit. Especially the tubes.  Thanks.  ;)

Also, I will freely admit, I like a little distortion. It *feels* good.