"D" amps, general discussion who's 1 and why?

Seems I found this thread a little late in the game. . . oh well!

In answer to Steidlguitars. . . you are historically correct. It is IMO only in the last couple of years that several class D implementation have left behind some of the idiosyncratic behavior of class D and are in fact exposing the intricacy of harmonic decay in a manner that I deem astonishing. My very preferred devices have already been mentioned here: Rowland 312 and C500, Bel Canto Ref 500/1000 Mk.2 series, recent Spectron Musician 3 implementations.

Coffey is also correct in his cautionary opinion. . . I have listened to the Red Dragon Leviathan twice now at RMAF. . . and I have hardly ever listened to that much intermodulation distortion coming from any system, with amps of any class. I suspect that class D may be no panacea for ensuring quality sound.

G.

Ugly Huh? I must have very bad earwax buildup. . . the more I listen to my class D JRDG 312 the more I like it. . . or may be it's in those bad recessive genes of mine. . . who knows! (smiles!)

The bottomline Coffey, is that unless you had the opportunity of listening at some length to at least a couple of well broken in examples of the more well regarded / advanced class D amplifiers on the market today, you won't have any idea if these devices are for you or not. Try a careful listen to at least 2 or more of the following: latest H2O monos, Spectron monos with all the upg, Bel Canto Ref 500 Mk.2, Bel Canto Ref 1000 MK.2, JRDG 312, JRDG Continuum 500, JRDG 501 monos with a PC1 on each monoblock. . . . . In the end, at least you will have formed a reasonably educated opinion. about some significant examples in the current state of the class D art.

Coffey, I empathize with your experience with Red Dragon Leviathan. . . I suspect this device may not be quite representative of the state of the class D art. Conversely, on the subject of Bel Canto. . . it's a brand, not a device. Unless you have auditioned at some length the Mk.2 versions of the Ref 500 or Ref 1000, you may have heard obsolete models that sound to all accounts not quite as refined as the new ones.

Coffeey, as you well know, the Bel Canto EVo2, Gen 2 in question is approx 3 or 4 generations old. . . it does not even faintly represent what best of breed class D amps can deliver today. Have you considered getting a fresher perspective than the cherished solace of old bad memories?

"best class D will sound superb and the poorly designed class D will sound like crap and the same goes for tubes, SS etc. etc."

Thank you Radical. . . couldn't have said it more eloquently myself (grins!)

The "D" in class D does not stand for digital. It's simply a sequencing convenience. . . A, B, [C], D. . . do not ask me where class C devices are, I have no idea. Recent Bel Canto amps have abandoned Tripath modules. . . . Bel Canto is now using ICEpower modules: ASP500 in the Ref 500 and ASP 1000 in the Ref 1000 Mk.2. Like with any other basic module/tube, the sound of a class D amp depends as much on what the designer is capable of harnessing from the strengths of underlying devices, as much as on the raw 'sound' of the device itself. . . . which by the way, -- for all it matters -- remains analog.

See my review of the Bel Canto Ref 1000 Mk.2 monoblock amplifier just posted on issue No. 43 of Positive Feedback Online. Yes, IMO, this is an example of an excellent and very musical high power amplifier at a Real World price, regardless of underlying technology.
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue43/bel_canto_ref1000.htm