2. amps-preamps
  3. 165827-20253

My NAD 3020 D proves your Class D tropes are wrong

I have a desktop integrated, the NAD 3020D which I use with custom near field monitors. It is being fed by Roon via a Squeezebox Touch and coaxial digital.

It is 5 years old and it sounds great. None of the standard myths of bad Class D sound exist here. It may lack the tube like liquid midrange of my Luxman, or the warmth of my prior Parasound but no one in this forum could hear it and go "aha, Class D!!" by itself, except maybe by the absolute lack of noise even when 3’ away from the speakers.

I’m not going to argue that this is the greatest amp ever, or that it is even a standout desktop integrated. All I am saying is that the stories about how bad Class D is compared to linear amps have been outdated for ages.

Great to see new development with GaN based Class D amps, great to see Technics using DSP feed-forward designs to overcome minor limitations in impedance matching and Atmasphere’s work on reducing measurable distortion as well but OMG stop with the "Class D was awful until just now" threads as it ignores about 30 years of steady research and innovation.
erik_squires

Showing 1 response by blooloo

blooloo
8 posts
 
I’ve been buying, listening to and selling/swapping class A and A/B audio gear since 1974. Last year I downsized and so needed to simplify the space and reduce the number of ’boxes’. So I sold off my large monoblocks, preamps, DACs, subs and large floorstanders. Bought a pair of Goldenear Triton Ones (class D powered bass units in each). This was my first introduction to class D - very happy with the sound. Last month my NAD M33 arrived (Class D again - this time by Bruno P.) and to say I am happy is an understatement. In my room they are a wonderful, clean, emotional and tonally rich combination with a great synergy between amp and speakers - definitely no nails scratching on a blackboard. These are all keepers.
I have never heard older class D models in stand alone power amps so cannot comment on them, and even if I was able to, my views would be entirely dependent on the combination of components used and room they were playing in.This particular class D design and configuration is a game changer fro me.
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