Time to buy a class D amp?

Hello George
You seem to know a lot about technical issues about class D Amps (I dont), but in my case I dont feel any of the problems you have mentioned above, if I understand you correctly. 

When I listen to music at low levels at night (everybody is sleeping), I dont feel the mids or the highs rolled off or not involving at all. In fact, as the AC Power is cleaner and the ambience noise is lower, I experiment the best of the music as it gets much more involving, smoother, with more dynamics, detail, better tone and with an incredible soundstage.

Also, when I listen loud (I try not to do it often for my earing safety), I dont feel the sound harsh.

On the other hand, I've listened to multi thousand dollars systems (+120k), much more expensive than mine, and I've found them harsher and with more digital flavour than mine. And those systems had class A or A/B amps.

In fact, I've had class A valve amps that didnt sound as smooth and grainless as my class D amp, at all. 

I dont want to start an endless and pointless discussion, but my experience doesnt follow your theory. I guess there must be exceptions. 

My amp is a Nord Acoustics NC500DM with Rev D boards and Sparkos Op Amps. My preamp is the Audio-gd Master 1 and my DAC is the Audio-gd R8. I feed the DAC with the SOtM SMS-200 Ultra Neo going through the Gustard U16 USB to I2S converter. My speakers are the Q Acoustics Concept 500 floorstanders. 

georgehifi:
"What I hear from that technology, is dependent on where the "output filter is set" to filter out the switching noise.

1:Too high and it lets through too much switching noise but with reduced phase shift into the audio band, this to me sound hard and bright on music.

2:Too low and it roll off the highs and causes too much phase shift into the audio band, but it filters out more of the switching frequency, this to me sound soft and opaque in the highs, and not involving in the mids, but at least it’s not hard."

     Wow George, you finally responded to how your theorized and supposed class D deficiencies are manifested audibly. I’ve been requesting this info from you for what seems like years with no responses. What gives?

     I understand your position is not to utilize a class D amp until you deem it to be technically perfect and that’s your choice. However, to me and I believe to the majority of other class D amp adopters, making the perfect the enemy of the extremely good makes little sense.
     I’ll use logic to explain my perspective. Even if your theories about the deficiencies of most current class D amps are correct, that the current carrier switching frequency needs to be raised to the 1.5mHz range and the current output filters removing the carrier frequency are inadequate, they are meaningless to all individuals that do not perceive your claimed audible effects of the music sounding hard, bright, soft and opaque in the highs and not involving in the mids. Since I perceive none of these effects in my system using numerous class D amps, by your own definition your claimed class D deficiencies don’t exist in my system.
     I believe this is also true for all individuals who do not hear the audible qualities you detail in your above descriptions labelled as 1 and 2. Our combination of perceptions represent all of our realities.
     However, I'm still willing to keep an open mind and will listen to any class D amp you deem to be perfected in the future just in case your claims are actually valid and I can perceive the audible results. 


Tim

I owned Nord NC500 Hypex class D monoblocks for 6 months or so this year. I found them to be very quiet and detailed, and fairly smooth sounding once they broke in (which seemed to take forever - easily several months). But ultimately, I was dissatisfied with them.

I'm having a hard time putting my finger on what the problems were, but I just didn't feel the emotional connection with the music that I do with the right amp. I replaced them with a Parasound JC5, which I'm much happier with (the JC5 is admittedly twice the price).

Since I perceive none of these effects in my system using numerous class D amps, by your own definition your claimed class D deficiencies don’t exist in my system.

Good on you, your one of the few that do, for every one that does, there's two that don't

However, I'm still willing to keep an open mind and will listen to any class D amp you deem to be perfected in the future just in case your claims are actually valid and I can perceive the audible results.

Good way to hedge your bets. That way you won't end up with egg on your face when you do. 

noble100clearthink,Anyone stating class D is "noisy as hell" very obviously doesn’t know what the heck they’re talking about. It’s simply not scientifically or anecdotally true. It’s not my opinion that class D is quiet as hell, it is a scientific fact. I stand by my statement that anyone claiming class D is "noisy as hell" has either never auditioned it or purposefully lying."

I have never asserted or claimed that Class "D" is "noisy as hell" so you must be quoting some one else but I do understand that you believe your opinion is not an opinion at all but a "a scientific fact" supported by actual science which certainly lends an air of authority and righteousness to your beliefs that you embrace and insist others accept as a Literal Truth. It might amaze you to know that there are those here who will disagree with you and yet they are not lying but actually are expressing their own, individual, personal opinion that has as much value, validity, and authority as you're "opinion" which you assert as an indisputable, unquestionable, verifiable "fact."