Class D is still not as good in 2024?

[MaSh]

Wow, Class D amps. In my opinion in today's times with the costs of basic amps sky rocketing, an Aiyima or a Fossi amp is the Go To Amp for someone getting started with this Hobby. These amps are comparatively cheaper and have come a long way in terms of reliability and quality. To add to that, if one is inclined, can even upgrade the opamps to really tailor the sound signature to ones own taste. The cost would still be lesser than the cheapest class AB amp.

For a beginner, I am all for a Class D amp. For example, a Fossi ZA3 with upgraded opamps can keep one happy for a long time.

Did I miss mentioning, these amps are easy on the pocket in terms of energy consumption and generate negligible heat. Tuck them away out of sight and they will still perform.

MaSh

 

[Analogous]

Excerpt from an article titled:

Today’s Disruptive Class-D Amps Are Changing the Audiophile Hobby Very Much For The Better​

“Will Traditionalist Audiophiles Fight Modern Change in the Amplifier Category?​

The audiophile hobby isn’t much about embracing the future over its two generations in existence. The print magazines that have shaped the hobby for 50 years and counting put a big premium on a high price, exotic technologies, and exclusivity. These new Class-D amps are better than that, thus they represent the type of Silicon Valley “disruptive” change in technology that points many traditionalists to vinyl and tubes over more modern, more efficient audiophile electronics options.

The next-generation audiophile is seeking performance and value, as every other enthusiast has in his or her journey over the years. The fastest way to get to an increasingly high-performance stereo system is to embrace, engage or at least understand what is possible with these types of new technologies. Do you have to own a Gallium Nitride, Pascal or Hypex chipped amp to be a new-school audiophile? Of course not, but you should know about them as they represent the types of technological advances that really can improve performance of real-world, high-end audiophile systems, while saving power and delivering excellent value. “

Audiophile game changer in the category of amplifiers

Today's Class-D amps be it Gallium Nitride, Hypex or Pascal chipped are changing the value proposition of what it takes to power speakers

futureaudiophile.com

Thoughts?

 

[keroo1099]

I for one am very happy moving to a ClassDAudio power amp after going the whole solid state to tubes to class D. I just like the convenience of its form factor, how cool it runs and the sound signature which is clean no nonsense power. I now spend more time enjoying music and less time tweaking the system to get the perfect sound.

 

[Kannan]

Excerpt from an article titled:

Today’s Disruptive Class-D Amps Are Changing the Audiophile Hobby Very Much For The Better​

“Will Traditionalist Audiophiles Fight Modern Change in the Amplifier Category?​

The audiophile hobby isn’t much about embracing the future over its two generations in existence. The print magazines that have shaped the hobby for 50 years and counting put a big premium on a high price, exotic technologies, and exclusivity. These new Class-D amps are better than that, thus they represent the type of Silicon Valley “disruptive” change in technology that points many traditionalists to vinyl and tubes over more modern, more efficient audiophile electronics options.

The next-generation audiophile is seeking performance and value, as every other enthusiast has in his or her journey over the years. The fastest way to get to an increasingly high-performance stereo system is to embrace, engage or at least understand what is possible with these types of new technologies. Do you have to own a Gallium Nitride, Pascal or Hypex chipped amp to be a new-school audiophile? Of course not, but you should know about them as they represent the types of technological advances that really can improve performance of real-world, high-end audiophile systems, while saving power and delivering excellent value. “

Audiophile game changer in the category of amplifiers

Today's Class-D amps be it Gallium Nitride, Hypex or Pascal chipped are changing the value proposition of what it takes to power speakers

futureaudiophile.com

Thoughts?

It will remain an endless topis as the hobby is subjective and also that the audiophile community has many misplaced fixations that find no cure. Technically and also aurally Class D is progressive and very good. However, it is perfectly fine if one embraces A or AB for his subjective merit, but to argue on objective merit is misplaced.

 

[Analogous]

I for one am very happy moving to a ClassDAudio power amp after going the whole solid state to tubes to class D. I just like the convenience of its form factor, how cool it runs and the sound signature which is clean no nonsense power. I now spend more time enjoying music and less time tweaking the system to get the perfect sound.

I think if you like the sound signature in your set up in your room with music that you enjoy then you have reached a milestone that you can either settle down with…. For a while
But if you continue to engage with fellow audiophiles, audio fora, online reviews etc, your journey will continue endlessly

 

[keroo1099]

I don't think one can ever truly be content with what one has, but yeah, for now I'm happy with the setup.

 

[sidvee]

Currently I have the following chip based class d amps:
1. Sabaj A4
2. Sabaj A2
3. Sabaj A3
4. Sabaj A20A 2022V
I have this Hypex based unit:
vtv Hypex ncore 252mp
And I also have a couple of Class A/B amplifiers.
My listening subjective observations have been that the chip based units, while they sound competent are not able to engage me in the music - I am using all these for TV watching, computer audio, games etc. rather than pure music listening, however the vtv sounds excellent to me. It sounds good enough, that now I am contemplating class D amps in the $5-$6k range - specifically AGD tempo di gan or the atma-sphere units for my main system to drive Wilson Sabrinas.
So I am personally convinced that class D (depending upon the implementation) has very much evolved vis-a-vis the Class A/B units, and while I may not give up class A/B entirely, I am going to have both in my system (I already have both, albeit a very base model hypex model).
Cheers,
Sid

 

[sidvee]

Currently I have the following chip based class d amps:
1. Sabaj A4
2. Sabaj A2
3. Sabaj A3
4. Sabaj A20A 2022V
I have this Hypex based unit:
vtv Hypex ncore 252mp
And I also have a couple of Class A/B amplifiers.
My listening subjective observations have been that the chip based units, while they sound competent are not able to engage me in the music - I am using all these for TV watching, computer audio, games etc. rather than pure music listening, however the vtv sounds excellent to me. It sounds good enough, that now I am contemplating class D amps in the $5-$6k range - specifically AGD tempo di gan or the atma-sphere units for my main system to drive Wilson Sabrinas.
So I am personally convinced that class D (depending upon the implementation) has very much evolved vis-a-vis the Class A/B units, and while I may not give up class A/B entirely, I am going to have both in my system (I already have both, albeit a very base model hypex model).
Cheers,
Sid

And I strongly believe that unless one experiences all these so called Class D advances personally in their systems, all else is hearsay. Hence I made the effort to accumulate all these amps., and experience them personally - so I am speaking from my personal experience - not from some spec. sheet or arm-chair comfort (which is quite common - claiming audiophile credentials), or some review or some expert speak. Yes it is subjective, but that's what matters to me - not some measurements by a so called expert. And I have been buying class D amps. for the last 15 years or so - starting with the early bel-canto amps., which I heard in a show 18 years ago and figured out their immense convenience and potential, in sound quality and portability, compared to the class A behemoths back then. And relating to some posts about loosing money on class d amps., yes that is quite common with early adopters. There is a case study in business schools about this, and I learnt this the practical way when I sold my early class d amps.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[square_wave]

And I strongly believe that unless one experiences all these so called Class D advances personally in their systems, all else is hearsay. Hence I made the effort to accumulate all these amps., and experience them personally - so I am speaking from my personal experience - not from some spec. sheet or arm-chair comfort (which is quite common - claiming audiophile credentials), or some review or some expert speak. Yes it is subjective, but that's what matters to me - not some measurements by a so called expert. And I have been buying class D amps. for the last 15 years or so - starting with the early bel-canto amps., which I heard in a show 18 years ago and figured out their immense convenience and potential, in sound quality and portability, compared to the class A behemoths back then. And relating to some posts about loosing money on class d amps., yes that is quite common with early adopters. There is a case study in business schools about this, and I learnt this the practical way when I sold my early class d amps.
Cheers,
Sid

I second this strongly. Please listen with an open mind to any of the brands that are really pushing the limits on this technology. You will be surprised what you hear. Avoiding confirmation bias in audio is very difficult but with some practice it is possible.
More than a decade ago, I listened to a top system running a pair of nuforce reference monoblock amps. Even back then, they impressed me a lot. The speakers were the one of the original iterations of the nautilus 800. Biggest models. Those speakers are known to be quite ruthless in the mids and highs if not fed the right amps and source.

 

[sidvee]

I second this strongly. Please listen with an open mind to any of the brands that are really pushing the limits on this technology. You will be surprised what you hear. Avoiding confirmation bias in audio is very difficult but with some practice it is possible.
More than a decade ago, I listened to a top system running a pair of nuforce reference monoblock amps. Even back then, they impressed me a lot. The speakers were the one of the original iterations of the nautilus 800. Biggest models. Those speakers are known to be quite ruthless in the mids and highs if not fed the right amps and source.

I have had a few Nuprime units - which I believe is the IP of nu-force in a new company. The ST10 was simply superb, in a moment of weakness - hoping for something better, I sold it. Combined with a Ayon Skylla II, the sound was ethereal. I still pine for this synergy (am experimenting feverishly for this - Skylla had a burr brown chip set along with 6h30 tubes into the nu-prime ST10 - finding it hard to source this combination now). In fact along with the AGD, or Atma-sphere, Nuprime is still on my radar - they have released some newer units since, but the ST-10 is still available (One thing to be said for the US brands is that, they have solid customer service vs the Taiwan/Chinese brands - which are iffy).
Anyways my mind is always open - with-in my financial limits - I have moved beyond brand names, If I cannot listen to it in my system and in my room - then a review, recommendation, what-ever- is basically an opinion - and you know the saying - opinions are like a$$, h0le$ - every has one!
Cheers,
Sid