[ethirolle]

I am fascinated by the rise of "audiophile" Class D amps, and the increasing respect they get from reviewers and listeners. If you have been "converted" to Class D, I would be curious to hear what amp converted you, and what your journey was before you arrived at Class D. Did you come from Class A/B solid state, or pure Class A, or even tubes? What convinced you that Class D was right for you?

I am most interested in stories where Class D just sounded so good that you no longer felt you were compromising by listening only or primarily to a Class D amp.

My story first: I have been a Class A/B solid state amp listener for most of my life, starting with high-current HK integrated amp from the 1980s, and later with an Anthem receiver (which I still think sounds fantastic), and most recently a beautiful Luxman L507-u integrated amp. I even dabbled in tube amps with a nice mid-priced SET amp (Tokyo Sound Valve 100/SE). But on a lark, I bought a used pair of Bel Canto Ref500M monoblocks, and later a Bel canto Pre3... and these have become the core of my primary listening system. I just find them to be as good as anything I have ever lived with: refined & balanced, powerful and liquid-sounding. What more can I ask for? The sense of sonic realism is startling when I first turn on a good recording.

Cheap Class D can sound lifeless and grey. But well-executed Class D can hag with the big boys! (Though I will admit that I have not spent much time with some of the BIG boys, like Pass Labs pure Class A solid state amps...)

Thanks in advance for your stories of how you arrived at Class D!

Regards,
Eric

[stylerb]

do the Bel Canto still use ICEpower modules? i dont know much about class D but would like to know the difference between ICEpower, NCORE and Eigentakt.

[mresseguie]

Hi, Eric. Welcome to AC.

I've got both 300b tube dual mono amps and Class D amps in my 'corral'. The Class D amp is a Nuprime Evolution STA that I purchased a couple years ago. I typically use it in my main system during the hottest months.

I own a couple other Class D amps that I use in desktop (Nuprime's Omnia A300) or bedroom (IceEdge1200as2) applications. The IceEdge amps sound pretty good and are very powerful, but they lack the warmth of my Nuprime Evo STA amp.

Michael

[Phil A]

I've owned a few class D amps (and currently use one in the main system and another in a back-up system).  Prior to that, I've owned class A/AB amps (all the way to one which is still a current model and lists for $11k) for about 40 years.  I never envisioned getting a class D amp when I first heard them about a decade back.  While they had some nice qualities back then, it just didn't impress me as something I'd consider.  I first tried a stereo IcePower (probably around a half dozen years back) amp which I figured I'd end up using in a secondary system (where I had a class A/AB amp from a well known manufacturer) and I was shocked how much better the class D was (I used to think the secondary system shortcomings were the speakers).  I was even more shocked when it bested my $11k list amplifier (and that's not just my opinion as others heard it).  I think class D will get better when they start using discrete input stages vs. inexpensive op amps as the what the signal passes through first.  I think a lot of people just automatically dismiss them based on their pricing and based on some of the early models. 

[Early B.]

Well-executed amps of all varieties are expensive. Good Class D amps are now on the same level as good Class A or A/B amps. If I were gonna buy a solid-state amp today, I'd seriously consider a Class D amp due to convenience (lower weight, etc.) and my budget would be several grand. Tubes are a different breed altogether and there's no comparison  -- either love 'em or leave 'em.

[Zuman]

There's Class D and there's Class D...
Most Class D amps are analog, but I had a NAD Masters Series M32 digital Class D integrated for many years. I thought it was great, until I switched in a Modwright KWH 225i amp, which is Class A/B with a tube front-end and a solid state output stage, operating in Class A for the first 25 watts.
It was the single-biggest sound quality improvement I've ever made to my system, providing a much greater sense of control and heft and a smoother, purer-sounding top end. I don't know whether it is because of the triodes, the extra 40 wpc, the analog signal path, or the A/B operating class.
That said, I'm also intrigued by some of the newest Class D designs, and I believe that there are still breakthroughs being made which will benefit all of us. Progress continues even in Class A with companies like WestminsterLab, whose compact 35-lb Class A monoblock is being embraced by many ultra-high end enthusiasts who normally stick with 100-lb + monsters.
These are exciting times, and I think that the key mindset is to be open to the future, not mired in the past.