Class D amps seem poised to take over. Then what?


I am certainly biased by my lifetime final amp being a Class D. But I know that after 30+ years of development, Class D seems to be on a high plain. I know there are now many, many companies focusing on Class D and, maybe, a good handful already as good as it gets. My Class D amp is as smooth and beautifully musical as a great tube amp and as punchy and detailed as a great SS amp. I am satisfied and done with my search. A class D amp has effectively taken me off the amp merry-go-round. It’s about time after 50 years. And, for me, this Class D is a milestone. Will all other classes of amps fade away?
mglik

Showing 10 responses by mglik

I am off the merry-go-round for my entire current system.
Woodsong Garrard 301 TT, Triplanar arm, Lyra Atlas SL cart, Atma-Sphere MP-1 preamp, AGD Audion amps, Tetra 606 speakers, Silversmith Fidelium speaker cables, Shunyata Triton/Typhon power, SRA Ohio Class platforms, Polycrystal rack.
Only with the Class D AGDs, there is no longer any such thing as a bad LP. Hearing the “essence” of the music makes even very old, previously poor, recording eminently listenable. It’s a new world…
I am very sorry to see that this tread has devolved into petty personal. Please bring it back to the subject.
Interesting that one of the last CL D threads included many good comments about the Legacy amp. Believe rh67 was going to Legacy to audition it. Any result?
And in this thread, the “amp de jour” is the Technics. If I am not mistaken, that integrated is a digital amp not CL D.
Anyone ever owned a Spectron Musician? I had one years ago and loved it. It was one of the first CL D but used a big analog power supply with a large toroidal tranny. Had a great grip on the bass and music and sounded very really good. CL D has certainly evolved since the Spectron. Bruno P. Seem to be one of the geniuses of CL D, Alberto G. Of AGD and Ralph K. of A-S coming out with a CL D amp after 3-4 years of development.
rh67
Would you agree that the actual GANfet used in AGD amps is proprietary? The comparison has been made to Nelson Pass acquiring all available SITs. Although Nelson does not hold the patent on SITs as does Alberto on the AGD’s GANfet.
One reason I bought AGD is because I was convinced that they stood apart from all other Class D.
That all the others used variations of existing technology (chips).
I got my AGD class Ds just in time for 116 degrees here in Portland!
FWIW, these Class Ds are different from others.
The SQ of my current Class D amp is the most emotional I have experienced without any other even coming close.
Maybe it’s the lack of distortion, having the right harmonic distortion, the transparency, the smoothness, the sweetness or the sheer musicality. To just say the sound is “wet” and not at all “dry” is an understatement.
I have certainly raved enough about my particular Class D amp.
But now feel there are, at least, a handful of Cl D amps on the market which have similar qualities.
I believe that within this decade Class D will surpass all other class amps and become the “benchmark” of quality Audio amplification.
@earlflynn 
My current Class D amp is the AGD Audion.
There are about a half dozen+ Forum members all saying the same thing… they are uniquely superb.

A brand new result of the unique performance of the AGDs is that every record in my collection is now highly listenable, to say the least. Regardless of recording quality, the AGDs bring out the essential beauty. Quite a bargain for a whole new LP collection!
I definitely feel fortunate. I listen to AGD Audions in my main rig and a Bakoon HP-1 in my headphone rig (with superb ZMF Verites).
The Bakoon is excellent. Similar to the AGDs in that “open window” perspective. It is not easy to compare headphones to speakers but I would say that the AGDs take things to a higher level. Not to diminish the Bakoon. And to get the power output range in Bakoon is $18K. They are not balanced. And they don’t make mono blocks.
Ralph, 
So, it seems you have heard Bakoon. How would you describe them? Current drive?
Speaking of tintinabulation, I get that fully with AGD. Not quite as much with Bakoon.
But it was Ralph who said "excluding the Bakoon".
I believe the Bakoons are superb and that the HP-1 is the lessor of the models. I need balanced for preamp/phono and TT rig. And really need the 100 wpc of the top model.
My general feeling though is that Bakoon is not quite as "juicy" as AGD.
Although it is super clear and musical. Bakoon captures the flow and AGD more gets the phrasing.
But before I bought my AGDs I really considered the Bakoon. The 50 watt one would have probably be enough power but it was no balanced and no mono blocks.