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

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Opinions vary.

I power my studios Avalon Acoustic Monitors with Hypex nCore 400s and my listening rooms Avalon Acoustics Eidolons with Bob Carver Tubes.

When using the switching amps to drive the Eidolons the subtle difference in presentation becomes obvious to us. We find we listen for much longer periods of time with the tubes. Relaxing is the word that best describs the difference.

The switching amps slightly more forward and plate glass transparency that many may describe as brightness has become religiously indispensable in the acoustically treated studio.

Pitting Class D against linear solid state or tube amplifiers is silly. They're simply another class of amplifier to choose from, that's a truth. I'm not going to drive my subwoofers with tubes nor am I going to use the studio for my listening room.   
It’s closing in on sixteen years since Stereophile first stirred the pot when they gave the $1700. PS Audio HCA-2 their Solid State A list recommendation.

And the beat goes on...