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Is Class D Analog or Digital ?

Wow!!!..what a conversation! I called Music Matters yesterday in San Francisco inquiring about an older Spectral 
Preamp since their an authorized dealer for many years. The salesman I spoke to was not familiar with the DMC-10. He took my phone number and said I'll have someone get back to. I received a phone call today from the co-founder/owner Jay. I asked about the DMC-10.He trashed the piece saying it is grainy, bright and the newer designs are the opposite.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Us Spectral geeks know exactly how those older models sound. I told him I already had made a decision on amps. He asked, which amps are you getting? I said the Nuprime Evolution Ones since
Demiam Martin from Spectral is co-designer. He said don't buy them... their digital amplifiers and I tell my customer's to stay away from them because of that bright digital sound. Wow! I said they are analog amps and Class D is just a category. He said no, the D stands for digital. This is another prime example why so many Audiophiles are skeptical and will not put their toe in the water to go the class D direction.
audiozen
erik_squires
17,552 posts
 
And BTW< no, the D in Class D was just random coincidence. Class A, B and C were taken, so Class D became class D because it was next.

Also, I prefer some class D to lots of analog amps. :)

You can't go by the class, gotta listen for yourself.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,508 posts
 
Words "switching" and "analog" in the same sentence might be confusing, since switching between two voltage levels suggests "digital" operation, but at this point voltage is not the quantity of interest - "duty cycle" (average value) of the square wave is and it is purely analog with no discrete values (steps).  This "analog" average value of the square wave is converted back to analog output voltage by means of filtering.
erik_squires
17,552 posts
 
It is binary, but not digital, and it is quite confusing. :)


teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
maybe we call it digital as the opinions are mostly binary....
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,406 posts
 
@kijanki and @erik_squires have this exactly right.
Its an unfortunate bit that class D and digital coincidentally use a 'D' in a significant way. 'Digital' can also mean fingers but for some reason we don't seem to have that confusion so often.
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