Class D is just Dandy!

The technological backflips and design hurdles inherent in making Class D viable seem challenging to every designer who bothers with it, and clearly some are more successful than others. I think cheap Ice modules in a box or whatever Atmasphere Ralph is designing may work for many (I have one in an Ampeg 350 watt bass amp a friend traded to me...matches a vintage looking speaker box I already had), but replace my simple little single ended tube amp? Why? Less heat maybe, less distortion perhaps, more power that I don't need...and the biggest thing by far, an amp that likely doesn't sound as good to my ears as the harmonically rich and musically profound tube amp and preamp I'm using now. The "sounds like tubes" argument for some items, including the Schiit Aegir (not Class D but I'm tossing it in anyway) I recently auditioned and sent back, never really sounds  like tubes (Nelson Pass tries, and the things of his design I've actually heard do sound real nice...but...)..."drives like a sports car"...right...until you drive a sports car.

but replace my simple little single ended tube amp?

First, @wolf_garcia , I applaud you for being willing to expose your audio quirks without fear. I wish I had that kind of personal courage. ;-)

But that’s just it. If you love the LP sound, only the LP sound will be good enough. If you have a particular niche of amp, no other amp will sound as good. It’s not proof Class D is behind the best solid state amps. If you have a love for 30 watt Class A, same thing. It's a bit like comparing all restaurants to mom or dad's home cooking.  Kind of unfair to rate them that way, unless of course your mom (or dad) was an absolutely terrible cook.

As I always say, buy and enjoy what you like, even if it’s’ some quirky SET or full-range with a giganormous bass horn. That’s fine.

But I think it’s unfair to diss Class D because it doesn’t sound like a SET. Among large solid state amps, I don’t know anyone who can listen and say "Oh, that’s a Class D amp, I can tell because....."

Best,

E

It’s one of the first, commercial Class-D that came after the original Class-T (Google these also as they only used N channel fets which allowed in some cases a higher switching frequency)

I wonder if this is the reason why I only like Tripath amps under Class D category. Class D amps other than Tripath, give me kind of fatigue after 30 minutes of music. When I put my Tripath amp back, I can listen to my Harbeths for hours.

Really, after having had this same exact discussion for a year or two we need to rehash it a millionth time?