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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.
erik_squires

Showing 2 responses by cheapbob

cheapbob
50 posts
 
I am very impressed with the PS Audio Sprout100 when using my DaytonAudio Bookshelf speakers and a Raspberry Pi as my USB source.
The Bass Boost they built in is adequate, but this amp really needs a sub-woofer for a foundation.
At lower listening levels, like a bedroom, I see that a Class-D amp is a good choice.
But to compare it to the Denon AVR-2805 for SQ, there is no comparison.
cheapbob
50 posts
 
For my two cents worth, I am reviewing a new SPROUT100 from Scott McGowan at PS Audio. This is the second round of testing and reviewing. The first time I found the sound rather anemic, even with their Bass Boost employed. In the interim, I obtained the Infinity Intermezzo 1.2s subwoofer, and now everything sounds better. The sub doesn't require the SPROUT to try and make Bass, and it asppears to free up ther Mids and Top-end.
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