Has anyone switched from Class AB/A to Class D? Was it better? Was it worse?

I've been in this hobby 50+ years..I've owned them all.Class A Single Ended Tubes,Class A Single Ended SS,Class A/B PP Tubes & SS,Class A Hybrid & Class A/B Hybrid & I will admit,I WAS a Class snob!
 Recently,in preparation for a move across the planet,I've sold off everything, & now my sole & only amp is the WONDERFUL,Class D,Creek 4040a driving tiny little ProAc Tablette Anniversaries via Tellurium Q Black II cables...
 In the same room I once had large 3 way tower speakers or Harbeth M30.2Xd speakers,driven by any one of the above mentioned amps,I now revel in the mighty mouse sized expatriate system that will most likely take me to my grave(yea I am OLDDDD)...
 In all honesty with myself & you the OP,the Creek is as lucid & organic as any of the Class A SE amps,images & stages as well as any of the all tube amps and,has BASS that just absolutely blows me away..The miniscule ProAcs,with a modicum of volume,pump out bass that absolutely defies the laws of physics!DEEP,tight,textured & detailed beyond any & all my expectations!
 REGRETS?
ABSOLUTELY none!
 If there are moments while I listen I wonder,did something sound as good as I had it in the past,I walk over & pick up the less than 5 lb.amp & marvel at the beautiful Rosewood finish on speakers I can fit in a shoebox with room for cables left over..From a performance standpoint I see it as a sideways move that netted me size & weight benefits that I will absolutely be grateful for as the few remaining years I have left come & go...Oh & did I mention I banked several thousand $ from the downsizing!
 

I'm no longer convinced that talking about "Class A" vs. "Class D" etc. is all that helpful. Implementation designs vary in sound character so much that's it's almost like asking, "Has anyone listened to any 5' 5" musicians? I used to like them but now I listen to 6' 10" musicians. Anyone else make the switch?"

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/class-d-amplification

Check out the comment made by @atmasphere dated 5/5/25.

It depends, but when someone like Ralph @atmasphere builds a GaN amp it’s a pretty strong indicator it’s a legit technology.  As always, it comes down to personal preferences.  I’ve heard Class A/B amps sound sterile and Class D amps sound utterly musical, so again it depends.  Why are you so against room correction?  I heard Lyngdorf’s RC and it was pretty awesome.  

When the air conditioner in my small house could not keep up with the heat input from my Pass XA30.8, (ok, slight exaggeration), I said to myself this is ridiculous and I don’t care how much I liked the sound. Additionally, moving the 75 lb hulk every time the wife wanted to move furniture was equally ridiculous.

I went to a Hypex based class D amp that weighed 13 lbs but I was not crazy about the edgy sound. Then I went to a Benchmark AHB2 which is class H or something, and never looked back. It is a compact powerhouse.

So in summary, my motivation was more about convenience than sound but it worked out well in the end once I discovered Benchmark. Sometimes I miss the Pass sound but not enough to ever go back.

Amplifier class is just that. A different topology and implementation.

Doesn't correlate with sound quality at all and yes I use Class D.

Remember Class is  moniker for different topology. It is not a grading system

Doesn't correlate with sound quality at all and yes I use Class D.

Agree, much of the time. Since Class D is relatively new and the kinks are still getting worked out, I think there is some correlation to sound quality – but as you point out, not because of the topology, per se.

If someone said to you, "You can can have one free amplifier worth $1000 and we won't tell you which brand or topology it is," what would you choose to ensure the best possible sonic outcome? At $1000, I'd choose Class A/B.

Well, the main reason to buy a Lyngdorf amp is for Room Perfect, but that said, I look at amps like DACs. They have one purpose: to reproduce what is given to them accurately. Changing the character of your sound should be done at the preamp level. Enjoy!

@ntpc4 someone gets it

I tried Ralph's Atma Class D. It sounded pretty good. The bass was excellent, but the upper frequencies just seemed 'off'. (Which I put down to feedback). -And, I still own Atmasphere tubed amp and pre.

For me, it will be Class A/AB for the while...

Bob

I’ve always been a tube guy myself. However being in this business, you have to hear different technologies. In the beginning, Class D did not sound all that good as it was a new technology. They really have come a long way but like everything else, there are good and bad examples out there. I am a Class D fan (GaN FET) but I do not limit myself. If I like it, I’ll use it. 

In my primary residence the electronics is supplied by Conrad Johnson and the amp is the ART 27A, Class A.  In our summer home the electronics is Marantz, and the amp is an integrated PM10, Class D.  Before sending them to their final destination, I was able to compare the C-J and Marantz components quite carefully.  The C-J excelled at microdetail, but in terms of liquidity, tonal accuracy, and overall presentation they were remarkably similar.    

As others have mentioned, it seems the topology of the amplifier isn’t what’s important but the implementation.  I really enjoy both my Class A Pass Labs XA30.8 and my Class D Primare A60.  They each have a different sound.  The Primare almost sounds like some tube amps I’ve heard.  Just very smooth and nice to listen to.  The Pass is... well a Pass Labs... absolutely amazing with detail, imaging, tonal accuracy etc.  But it also is like having a heater in my studio when it’s running.  I have a solid climate control setup and only run the amplifier when I’m using the system but yea it’s a lot.  I’ve also tried quite a few A/B and D amps that just didn’t cut it compared to these amps.

Best advice I can give is if there’s ANY way to demo that piece of gear, then do that before purchasing unless you get a very good deal and don’t mind reselling.  You just never know what it’s going to sound like in your system until you get to live with it for a while and A/B it with your current setup.  Class D are lightweight so at least they aren’t rough with shipping costs!  Best of luck to you OP!  Please tell us what you decide.

In two weeks I should have a better understanding of GaN Fet amps. 
Will be using Class D Audio’s mono blocks paired with a Benchmark LA4 preamp.

Linear Tube Audio DAC fed by a Shanling ET-3 all into some Spendor D9’s.

My streaming computer is out for upgrades. 

lol my post was deleted, how stupid. 

@kofibaffour Great point: Remember Class is  moniker for different topology. It is not a grading system. Have both Tube Class A and GaN Class D sy...

So why did you have this deleted @kofibaffour 

Very weak!

@texasblues1959 I didn’t. Some of my comments were removed without explanation. I didn’t say anything untoward too