I am quite new to the audiophile world but I am a professional musician so I have quite a bit of experience with music and how I think it should sound. In my opinion, there will always be something artificial about electronic equipment trying to capture what the human ear (and brain) experiences in a live situation. Let's not forget the pro audio side of the equation i.e. what kind of mics, pre-amps, mixing board were used, mic placement and then, what kind of limiting and compression. And then on the hi-fi side, you go through a bunch of equipment again, trying at the very best, to reproduce what has been recorded. I'm seeing some comments about the lack of naturalness of class D but too me, everything in audio reproduction is somewhat unnatural. That's not to say it doesn't sound good, it's just not as sophisticated as what we experience when we listen to music live. I recently was at a hi-fi store and listened to 2 comparably priced and well-regarded integrated amps. One was class A/B and the other class D. Both sounded really good but emphasized different elements of the musical experience. The class D sounded more detailed and clearer but leaner and some would say clinical. The class A/B sounded more liquid and richer but some would say less detailed and congested. I think it just comes down to personal preference. Recordings are never going to sound like the "real thing"so you might as well just go for the sound that is pleasing to you. Maybe with my modest budget I have as yet to hear a system that captures everything that a live performance offers but I have a feeling that its a very very hard thing to do. BTW I preferred the class D amp but I thought they were both very very nice
The Truth about Modern Class D
All my amps right now are Class D. ICEpower in the living room, and NAD D 3020 in the bedroom.
I’ve had several audiophiles come to my home and not one has ever said "Oh, that sounds like Class D."
Having said this, if I could afford them AND had the room, I’d be tempted to switch for a pair of Ayre monoblocks or Conrad Johnson Premiere 12s and very little else.
I’m not religious about Class D. They sound great for me, low power, easy to hide, but if a lot of cash and the need to upgrade ever hits me, I could be persuaded.
The point: Good modern Class D amps just sound like really good amplifiers, with the usual speaker/source matching issues.
You don’t have to go that route, but it’s time we shrugged off the myths and descriptions of Class D that come right out of the 1980’s.
I’ve had several audiophiles come to my home and not one has ever said "Oh, that sounds like Class D."
Having said this, if I could afford them AND had the room, I’d be tempted to switch for a pair of Ayre monoblocks or Conrad Johnson Premiere 12s and very little else.
I’m not religious about Class D. They sound great for me, low power, easy to hide, but if a lot of cash and the need to upgrade ever hits me, I could be persuaded.
The point: Good modern Class D amps just sound like really good amplifiers, with the usual speaker/source matching issues.
You don’t have to go that route, but it’s time we shrugged off the myths and descriptions of Class D that come right out of the 1980’s.