A great article on Class D/switching amps


The latest edition of The Absolute Sound has, in my opinion, the best overall perspective and evaluation of the eight most regarded class D switching amps on the market today.

The article contains an explanation of the technology, an interview with a couple of the most important designers, the individual reviews and finally a round table discussion regarding these amps.

I believe any of you GON members who might be considering auditioning a class D switching amp would want to review this piece regarding their different sonic signatures.

I had the pleasure of listening to the Kharma MP150 which the panel picked as being on top of the "heap" compared to Audio Research 300.2,Channel Island Audio D-200, Nuforce Reference 9 Special Edition, Red Dragon Audio Leviathan Signature, Jeff Roland Design Group 201, Cary Audio Design A 306,and finally the Spectron Musician III.

Each amp had at least two different reviewers with different systems evaluate them and then compare their experiences. This was a well done piece and if you read it I believe you find it both educational and helpful to understand what these amps are all about.
teajay

Showing 1 response by drubin

The overall tone was more negative toward these amps than I expected, but that
owes mainly to the comments of WG and JV. JV inhabits an audio ivory tower
and I think his perspective on these modestly priced products may be a bit
compromised. As for WG, I don't know, I've never been able to fathom his
perspective. The Kharma is his reference amp, but he dislikes the rest of them
and was outright brutal about the Nuforce. I got the impression Robert Harley
was scrambling to keep things from going too negative given that Class D is a
pretty big movement (understatement) in the market they cover.

That said, I do commend them for the comprehensiveness of the article.

Which Class D technology is the Kharma based on?