OK, so I've come to the conclusion from all the responses that it's not the type of tech, but rather the implementation of the design. So that would mean to me that they're pretty much the same sounding if designed by competent people.
Class D - A Fork in the Road
So it seems these newer Class D amps are splitting into two paths. Now I'm not asking which is better, the Purifi Eigentakt, or the GAN models. I am asking is if you can describe the sound of each compared to the other. I understand which one is better is subjective, and opinion based, but a general description would be helpful to make my choice closer to what I want to hear. Thanks.
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@koestner how many folks have actually compared the two offerings in a meaningful way? Thus able to actually answer your question. I say few. Very few. Not enough to provide a conclusive responsible assessment. |
@ericrhodes1 I'd be interested in knowing what it was I misunderstood. For example, do you know of a GaNFET amp that is made in China and sold by a Chinese company? Or is that an example of something I misunderstood?
@koestner This is no more the case than it is with conventional amps. You are probably aware that harmonic distortion is something all amps make. Further, you are probably aware that our ears use harmonics to tell the difference between sounds, like the difference between a trumpet and a violin. When an amplifier makes distortion, the harmonics it makes ride on the waveform and are visible on an oscilloscope. So they are readily available to the ear as something that can be interpreted as a tonality. This is why tube amps are known for their smooth sound (and are still around, despite being declared 'obsolete' 60 years ago...) and is also why some solid state amps have a reputation for being bright and harsh (which is part of why tubes are still in business). So even though quite competently designed, you can still hear differences. If the designer is aware of how important the harmonic spectrum generated by the amplifier is, he might thus design the amp to not make objectionable distortions (such as higher ordered harmonics, which can cause an amp to sound harsh and bright if they are not masked). |
Well that can of course be true when comparing say a 300B tube amp and a decent SS amp. Those harmonic distortions give the amps their signature sound, but in the case of these 2 types of Class D (GaNFET and Purifi Eigentakt) where each of the amps are designed to have the lowest possible distortion percents, including harmonics, I would think they would sound somewhat similar. |
@koestner I'm sure they will- of course more similar than not. You'd have to compare them to know what the difference is about. |
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