I went from Class D to Luxman A/AB - And most of what you think is wrong

ERIC, my bugaboo is with certain review entities, specifically Srajan. As I no longer have an interest in non class D amps, and a keen interest in new class D, I suggested that in his Archives he put class D in it's own amp category. He basically told me to pound sand 

Mola Mola? That is some name for an electronics manufacturer. The problem with class D amplification is that there is a very broad range of quality. It can be a very cheap way to build an amplifier of mediocre quality with a high school electronics degree and make a lot of profit.
Then there are the good ones like the Rowlands that are faster and have high quality power supplies. I had a pair of TACT amps that were sort of class D. They were pulse width modulated sampling at 90 meg. They sounded very nice. I used them to biamp my Divas. Unfortunately they struggled to drive my Acoustats and would keep tripping their protection circuits so I moved on. I think Lyngdorf still uses the design. I have not had the opportunity to listen to a lot of class D amps so my opinion lacks for sample size but I have not yet heard one that sounds as good as a Class A amp. Hopefully some day that will change as I see no great advantage in all that heat and high electrical bills not to mention that big heat sinks are expensive.   

Erik, thanks for the post, always an interesting read:-)...

Erik, thanks for the post, always an interesting read:-)...

I second that!

If you have ever read the works of Nobel winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, he devotes a lot of brainpower and ink to proving that people develop a process of thinking that usually makes it very difficult for them to accept change. Often, completely unbiased analytical data doesn't help with allowing someone to open their minds to the possibility that some process or product may be better. Therefore, we may be talking about the comparative aspects of Class D sound for a while.

Six years ago, I bought a Crown XLS 2000...a $500 Class D amp based on a TI chip.  It sounded darn good, solid and deep low end, big soundstage (width but with minimal depth), dynamic and decent but sibilant midrange and top end.

I replaced that amp with a Class A/AB Parasound Halo.  It was better in every respect...but still, pianos, trumpets and a few other things didn't seem quite right (and obviously, it could have been the speakers, dac, preamp, wires, etc.)

Then, two months ago I replaced the Halo with another Class D...which should elicit the question WHY a Class D of all things.  For exactly the reason that erik suggested...there isn't really a reason to be talking about amplifier classes so much anymore.

At any rate, I bought a 2Cherry from Digital Amplifier Company.  If you go to their website  https://www.cherryamp.com/dac-home   you will see that they are building Class D amplifiers unlike anyone else...bandwidth to 150kz...switching frequencies up to 2mghz...and they don't use modules from anyone else.  Their owner/engineer Tommy Obrien designs his own circuits and the builds his amplifiers from discrete components.  His stated goal is for his amplifiers to sound like nothing.  (Sounds a lot like the specs and statements from the well respected Class A and Class A/AB guys)


Tommy doesn't do paid advertising with anyone so one might assume that the professional reviews he is getting from the magazines might be a little more (skeptical, critical, harsh, etc.) less supportive...but in fact, they love his amplifiers.

Let me say this about the 2Cherry...in comparison to the Halo it replaced...What "shocks" you right away is the incredible level of transparency/clarity that seems to lift a fog that you didn’t know was there which brings the music alive. There is no sibilance, no brightness, no harshness, no artificially pumped up midrange and top end.  This amplifier brings you into a detailed, layered, powerful yet delicate soundstage with emotional involvement similar to a live performance.

I think we might all agree that the sound that moves us and the amplifier that brings us that sound is a personal preference...you prefer X and I prefer Y...and one of the beauties is that we have choices.  I'm with eric on this one; there is no longer a need to talk about Class D vs other classes...instead focus on what sounds best in your system and be open to the idea that it just might be a Class D amplifier.