Class D amplifiers are good at delivering lots of clean power, that's true , but you listen to speakers driven by them . From my perspective the best sound has a seemingly limitless low level resolution and quickness where you can hear very far into the distance with what I call " the breath of life ".Everything sounds so real . High sensitivity loudspeakers do that the best and don't require tons of power . You choose your power amplifier to suit your loudspeakers , not the other way around . There are two new David Berning ZOTL amplifiers from Linear Tube Audio at 10 and 40 watts that offer enough power if you have the right speakers . I've only heard an older ZH270 and that's got the best sound I've yet heard . Would love to hear the newer designs.His designs are not class D , using tubes operating at radio frequencies , extracting the music signal from the carrier wave for dynamic , effortless sound .Reviews can be found .
Class D Technology
So I get the obvious strengths of Class D. Efficiency, power output & running cool which allows for small form factors. I also understand the weaknesses somewhat. 1. Non-linear & lots of distortion that needs to be cleaned up with an output filter.
So my question is, if it weren't for efficiency & power, would there be any reason to own a Class D amp? Do they beat Class A in any other categories that count for sound quality?
So my question is, if it weren't for efficiency & power, would there be any reason to own a Class D amp? Do they beat Class A in any other categories that count for sound quality?