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Class D at low volume

Hi,

How do class D amps behave at low volume levels?  My question is general rather than related to a particular amp.  I know there are exceptions, but as a rule, SET’s and class A SS excel at low volume.  What about class D?  Is low volume performance of class D predetermined, all else being equal? Do class D amps have a comfort zone?  Do they distort more at low volume or is it uniform throughout?  For the purpose of this question I am only referring to analog input amps and not the ones that take in PCM (e.g. NAD M2).

The second part of my question is as follows.  I’m interested in some higher end commercial class D amps from the likes of lab.gruppen, powersoft, mc2, XTA, etc. due to their network-ability as in, I can control them, DSP them, and stream digital, all via RJ45, at the same time dispensing with all the extra boxes and cables.  But, they are all of very high power from 100‘s to 1000‘s of watts.  Does this mean that in a domestic setting at low volume they operate much closer to their noise floor or is this different with class D?

Thanks
serge_s
serge_s OP
20 posts
 
Tim, my comment on getting off topic was tongue-in-cheek in reply to your comment. This thread is educational and I appreciate yours and others contribution.

Re my looking into pro amps: It is for home use. The ones I listed are of interest to me due to their ability to accept digital input from PC via RJ45. Since I started the tread I came to conclusion that at low volume a thousand watt amp will operate too close to its noise floor and will be unfit for my purposes.

Thanks
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
Serge,

Okay, thanks for clarifying.

I also agree with Chrshanl37 that class D amps seem to perform better at low volumes than other types of amps. My first class D amp was from the same company as his, ClassD Audio, but mine was an SDS-440-CS model. My current D-Sonic M3-600M mono-block and Emerald Physics EP100.2SE stereo class D amps both also posses this same quality at low volumes.

My previous amp was an Aragon 4004 class A/B amp that was very large and weighed 85 lbs. The much smaller and lighter ClassD Audio 440 was much better at low volumes while still delivering 440 watts (the Aragon was 400watts) into my 4 ohm speakers. I tended to play the Aragon at a much higher volume than the 440 to achieve what I considered a proper frequency response over the total audible range.

Good luck with your search,
Tim
pavpet
121 posts
 
at low listening levels CLASS D AMPS , sound so good , as the s/n is very very very good , compared to class A/B AMPS , SO YOU PICK UP TONS OF MICRO DETAIL THAT GIVES YOU GOOSEBUMPS

LOW NOISE FLOOR NOW VERY VERY BIG, AND HAS BEEN FOR ALONG TIME , NOW ITS BEING REDISCOVERED AS AMPS ARE BECOMMING REAL REAL GOOD
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