Holy Grail of D Class Amp

As threads often do this has taken on a life of it’s own. But I’d like to take it back to my original question. Do Class D designs aspire to “sound” like Class A or is that just a gross generalization?

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Okay guys meet the new batman… :grin:

Best wishes

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She was a leading light in the UK Bat Conservation Trust until she moved to California about 5 years ago. Ill health has curtailed her activities but she still helps out at local bat groups there when her health allows

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Very wonderful of her.

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My wife worked on the local Bats in Costa Rica for her Masters Thesis. Same trepidations about asking!

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There are great A, A/B and D amps. Each has its own merits, and selecting one over the other boils down to personal preferences/ needs / capabilities. Equally, there are average and below average amps in each class of the above. Each amp should be assessed on its own merit. One could prefer an amp within the same class over another though by the same designer / brand.

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Some probably do, but I’d say in general a generalization (gross or not, haha). I think the reason that often gets kicked around is that many consider class A amps to generally be the best sounding, but that in itself is a generalization, and there are MANY people whose favorite amp is a class A/B amp, or a class D amp.

I think it’s much better to talk about specific amplifiers, regardless of class, than to lump them together and talk about subjective aspects (like SQ) of particular classes (not accusing anyone of doing that, but it happens often). For non-subjective things like power consumption or efficiency, then I guess ok.

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I am not convinced I would be able to reliably identify an amplifier’s topology by listening to it.

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If you Google on Bruno Putzeys, the mastermind behind, nCore, Mola Mola, Purifi Eigentakt, and many other high end brands like kii audio, partner with Grimm Audio etc. etc.

Bruno Putzeys vision about class D is extreme low THD ie. Output = gain x input with gain being a rock solid constant. His vision is that feedback, when controlled perfectly, helps keeping THD low and constant.

Bruno Putzeys never intended to copy class A, but improve and outperform. Trying to copy a concept is never a good recipe to gain a leading position.

His approach is so pure (hence Purifi) that his creations have even found entry into the German High End T+A brand new 200 series power amp.

I have never heard Bang & Olufson owners complain about sound quality with the superb ICE modules that find their way also into the PS Audio Stellar series.

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In the past I always had a problem listening to class D for a long time.
Feeling that something was not right.
Until 2 months ago I got an Aavik P280 on loan for 4 weeks.
I immediately had to adjust my idea about class D.
What a good amp.
Absolutely not tiring and what a convenience.

But I still prefer to stick with my Spectral.

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One thing that I found strange on Darko’s review of the Kula was when he stressed how hot it gets.
Maybe because of all the stuff (pre, DAC) that’s in it?

Did you hear that T&A?
I’m curious to the sound of T&A and Mola Mola amps

I need to keep these 2 points in mind. Thank you both.

So in keeping with the above all must be judged on their own merits. I did pick up, read, and start to exercise Paul’s excellent audiophile’s guide and disk. A few things stood out but his advise to align yourself with companies - more so the people - you trust and whose priorities and values you share is well received.

I’ve not tested the theory but am likely the same. I suppose that could be somewhat liberating.

Can we hear more about the bats now?

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I haven’t had a class A or A/B amp in years, I feel the sound of the current class D amps is just more linear from top to bottom, they have great control of the speaker and just let it disappear completely in my room with accurate bass and beautiful midrange and spacing between the players.

My journey so far with Class D

I lost my job in 2019 and sold everything I had which was basically tube stuff Rogue, Audio Research, started hearing about really good amps for low money, here is my history:

2009 Virtue Audio small integrated that used a Tripath chip amp later added a tube input buffer, very sweet sounding amp

2010 AudioCircle had a thread about a company out of CA ClassDaudio that hired handicapped people that built class d amp boards for kits, so I built a dual mono amp sounded great for the cost of less than 1K

2015 D Sonic M3-800 mono amps based on Pascal boards I found them a little bright and not involving

2016 Acoustic Imagery Atsah 500 mono amps with Ncore 500 boards very nice sound

2016 Nord One Up mono amps with Ncore 500 boards also heard they had custom input boards that you could change out the op-amps and customize the sound how you like it, did all the upgrades up to the 4th iteration of the input boards, really great sound for the money and small foot print

2020 Traded Nords on the PS Audio M1200’s another nice upgrade everything is just better with tube inputs, very satisfied

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In that list I’ve heard of Rogue and PSA but nobody in between. It’s amazing how many different paths are available.
Honestly I have an easier time with Mexican restaurant menus than audio options.

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I can’t speak for actual amp designers since I’m not one, but if I were, and I wanted to create a Class D unit, my goal would be for it to reproduce as lifelike sound as possible, not to replicate the sound of another class of device.

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After nearly 10hrs of listening at normal volume the amp is just warm. Definitely not hot.

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Copycats are always at least one step behind. I say it as “The best copy of a piece of junk is still a piece of junk.”

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MBL has a unique way of implementing Class D in their Noble Line. The N15 Monoblocks are very heavy unlike any Class D amp I have lifted. Jurgen has made these seem pretty magical.

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Good to point this out. Thank you. I should have been more specific. I referenced Class A because I assumed this is the class that comes closest to natural sound. But thinking about it now a designer may compare to or benchmark a product for whatever reasons they have but that is very different than attempting to copy it.