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 All I am saying is that the stories about how bad Class D is compared to linear amps have been outdated for ages.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 3 responses by dletch2

dletch2
455 posts
 
And that is the difference between a technician and a scientist. With the exception of Floyd Toole who hangs out there and I have the deepest admiration for, they are technicians pretending they know a thing about science when they don't.

Nelson Pass, Revel, Bose, JBL, Meyer Sound. That's where t he actual scientists are. I don't necessarily like the result of all of them, but their science and business practices are rock solid as a result.


Na, you just have to know who exactly you are dealing with. There are a ton of tire kickers there, but also some people really strong, especially on amplifiers and electronics, and digital.  Acoustics is pretty weak, but that is pretty true for most forums.


I don't see Nelson at all as a scientist. Tinkerer and artist perhaps, but not scientist. Bruno Putzey is far more of scientist, as is Dr. Bose, and not just because of the Doctor, but the company overall. Certainly some scientists at Harmon (Samsung) and I would put Meyer far ahead of Pass too.


dletch2
455 posts
 
Class D feedback works so differently than linear amps that I have trouble believing the amount of feedback behaves the same way, but what do I know?




How so?
dletch2
455 posts
 
It is quite possible there is a flaw in the ICEPower design where optimum operation requires a higher operating temperature. Many SS parts have significant performance change w.r.t. temperature.  I would say run them hard for 20-30 minutes after cold and see what you think, preferably with you out of the room so you are not getting desensitized.
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