Switched to Class D or get left behind?

Feanor said:
Indeed, around here my ASR apologetics are "hollering down a well". I've been "called" on that and will be silent for now, however I reserve the right to defend ASR in future.
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I would rather have great chats with you about gear and such and what you like / don't like BASED ON YOUR OWN OPINION and such than have you here to defend ASR. This isn't ASR. This is Audio Shark.

If we want to know what ASR thinks about stuff we can go over there ourselves and trudge through that ourselves.

Let's talk about hifi audio and not ASR.

Deal?
 
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Mr Peabody said:
What ASR fails to point out and their readers are mostly ignorant to, Class D can compress, highs become harsh and bass weaken all the while still measure low distortion. This is why folks you need your ears. And, why specs isn't the only thing to rely on.

A good amp regardless of Class needs a good power supply, high reserves of capacitance and good current delivery. The amp has to be able to deal with the reaction of the speaker load. It's just fact, no debate.

I've often talked about how a receiver can spec lower distortion than lets say McIntosh. I think most listeners would prefer the Mac. Well now we know receiver manufacturers learned if they apply tons of negative feedback they could get super low THD measurements. We also learned that too much negative feedback or not applied correctly can be degrading to sound quality.

If you are going to be the one listening to a system and you don't use your ears that's about as foolish as I can imagine.
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They are all too young to remember (or may be audiophiles in the USA skipped?) the Japanese THD wars.

When I graduated, I went home with my "dorm room system". Mission 70 loudspeakers, Creek 4040 integrated amp and Rega Planar 2 turntable. It was the budget system at the time. By the time I started work and making a little money to upgrade my system, 0.001% THD was all the rage - and Japanese amp designers were racing to see who could achieve more zeros. I was sold by my dealer into a Kenwood with SIX zeros - 0.00001% THD. And regretted it for the next few years before I could afford to trade it out.

Unfortunately, the Class D designers over the past 20 years have been doing down the same road. Higher and higher feedback in order to achieve lower and lower distortion (and higher efficiency). That's why the Genesis Reference Amp was noted as "Class D reaches maturity" when I launched it in 2006. I used the original UcD400 module and modified it with lower feedback and used a linear power supply.
 
Yes
Michaels HiFi said:
I would rather have great chats with you about gear and such and what you like / don't like BASED ON YOUR OWN OPINION and such than have you here to defend ASR. This isn't ASR. This is Audio Shark.

If we want to know what ASR thinks about stuff we can go over there ourselves and trudge through that ourselves.

Let's talk about hifi audio and not ASR.

Deal?
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Yes, it's a deal since I've already decide to desist from ASR apologetics.
 
I was having a conversation with AI about amplifiers and sound. It zeroed in on what I gravitate to. Then I thought it would be fun to ask if there was a Class D amp that fits my profile. Here's a snip:

But honestly, based on your descriptions, I suspect you still may prefer:


  • high-bias AB
  • sliding bias designs
  • or very carefully voiced hybrids

because you appear unusually sensitive to:


  • depth gradation
  • harmonic sustain
  • image body
  • transient texture after the leading edge

Those are precisely the places where many Class D amps still sound somewhat simplified compared with excellent linear amplifiers.


One thing that’s fascinating psychoacoustically:
many Class D amps reproduce the attack of notes extremely well, but not always the bloom and decay trajectory afterward. The brain uses those trailing spatial/harmonic cues to perceive realism and dimensionality.


That can make the sound feel:


  • fast but emotionally flatter
  • clean but less immersive
  • organized but less alive

The fact you value both:


  • dark backgrounds
  • and dimensional depth

puts you in a narrower target zone than many audiophiles realize. A lot of designs excel at one while compromising the other.

Although AI correctly suggested I may not be a good fit for Class D it did recommend, Avic, Mola Mola, Jeff Rowland AGD or Marantz Model 10 as possible amps to listen to.
 
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