Agreed. But if you look closely and particularly if the item has been measured either by a 3rd party or in this case Tommy, you will clearly note the differences and pick the better performing amp. The devil is in the details and it takes an evaluation of numerous measurements to be able to discern the differences. The easier way is listening of course but the problem is the tremendous amount of sighted bias as such.
I became Class agnostic a long time ago. And I own Class A, AB and D.
Best,
Anand.
I'm more about live and let live....so for those that feel the numbers should be the final determinant...so be it. And for those that care more about how it sounds...ok for them....and for those that care about how it makes them feel...sound, looks, numbers, etc., also ok.
Personally, I'm not so concerned about sighted bias because when I hit the switch and it sounds good and gives me a positive emotional response, the numbers, the looks, the reviews, the comments, etc., while important, take a second position.
Again, live and let live. What is interesting is that Clayton, who obviously gets to try a lot of different equipment, is willing to make a strong statement about class d in general and about Tommy Obrien's amplifier being an amplifier that sounds really good on Clayton's open baffle loudspeakers.
Should this mean anything to anyone else? Only that that Tommy's amps are getting a lot of positive feedback and with a 30 day return policy, certainly merit serious consideration from anyone who is looking to make a change.
Clayton didn't say why he called them the "best sounding amps we have tested under $3k"...but from my own experience...live music sound has a number of differences from home audio sound...for me, two of the key aspects are clarity and immediacy...Tommy's amps take you closer to the live music sound.
Finally, one more thought...this is a Spatial Audio thread...if you have never heard one of Clayton's loudspeakers, you are missing something really special and you owe it to yourself to give them a listen!