2. amps-preamps
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My NAD 3020 D proves your Class D tropes are wrong

I have a desktop integrated, the NAD 3020D which I use with custom near field monitors. It is being fed by Roon via a Squeezebox Touch and coaxial digital.

It is 5 years old and it sounds great. None of the standard myths of bad Class D sound exist here. It may lack the tube like liquid midrange of my Luxman, or the warmth of my prior Parasound but no one in this forum could hear it and go "aha, Class D!!" by itself, except maybe by the absolute lack of noise even when 3’ away from the speakers.

I’m not going to argue that this is the greatest amp ever, or that it is even a standout desktop integrated. All I am saying is that the stories about how bad Class D is compared to linear amps have been outdated for ages.

Great to see new development with GaN based Class D amps, great to see Technics using DSP feed-forward designs to overcome minor limitations in impedance matching and Atmasphere’s work on reducing measurable distortion as well but OMG stop with the "Class D was awful until just now" threads as it ignores about 30 years of steady research and innovation.
erik_squires

Showing 1 response by mglik

mglik
887 posts
 
Class D amps have traveled quite a long journey over 25+ years.
Surely, there has been a lot of focus on improving the technology.
I have been a dedicated tube guy for most on the past 50 years into this hobby. About to turn 68, got my first system when I went away to school at 18. BTW- it was a Pacific Stereo $199 special with the original Lenco TT. 25, or so, years ago I was thrilled with the Spectron, think it was, Class D amp. Believe it was the first. And even then I was excellent and had great qualities beyond tubes.
Noticed in the “recommended components” recently was the $50K Solution 501 mono blocks. Believe they are a type of Class D (switching power supply) with AB output. Has anyone heard them?
They must be pretty special...
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