We each have our own opinion as to "musical". The Crown amp was part of a 4000 watt home theater system involving JBL stage monitors and 18" sub. For HT use, the system made most visits to the theater superfluous, as the better sound was at home. It was never intended for use as a 2-channel stereo system amp, nor did I claim it was. Keep your snark to yourself
Expanding the Class D Conversation: How Would You Characterize Their Differences?
Expanding the Class D Conversation: How Would You Characterize Their Differences?
I'm currently trialing the NAD M23 (1st gen. Eigentakt-based), and I find it intriguing enough to want to understand it better — which means understanding the broader sonic landscape of class D. So I'm crowd-sourcing.
In a recent exchange, the estimable Ralph Karsten (Atma-Sphere Music Systems) made two comments that stopped me cold. For those who missed it, here's what he said:
"IME, class D amps vary in sound more than tube amps, which is to say, quite a lot."
"IMO there is a bigger difference between various class D amps than you hear between various tube amps. IOW just because you heard one class D amp says nothing about how the next one might sound."
Link: https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2885828
As I think through this more carefully, these are genuinely important claims. My own experience with tube amps confirms that they produce audibly distinct characters across topologies and designs. If Ralph is right and class D exceeds that range, then generalizing from one class D experience to another is even more hazardous than I assumed.
One specific question for Audiogon members:
If you have a Class D amp or have compared class D amplifiers, how would you describe their character(s)?
Here are some criteria I use:
- Frequency balance — Is the tonal response even across bass, mids, and treble, or does it favor certain regions?
- High-frequency texture — Are the highs extended and smooth, or edgy, grainy, and fatiguing?
- Bass definition — Is the low end tight and articulate, or loose and bloated?
- Midrange character — Does the midrange feel present and natural, or recessed and thin?
- Transient speed — Does the amp respond quickly to dynamic attacks, or does it sound sluggish and rounded?
- Dynamic range — Does it scale convincingly from quiet passages to loud ones, or compress the difference?
- Soundstage width and depth — Does it create a convincing three-dimensional image, or sound flat and narrow?
- Image specificity — Are instruments and voices placed precisely, or do they blur and wander?
- Background noise floor — Is the silence between notes actually silent, or is there grain, haze, or hash?
- Long-term listenability — After an extended session, do you want to keep listening, or has something been quietly fatiguing you?
If you can include relevant system context — room, speakers, preamp — please do. Those variables will help me interpret what the amp itself is contributing.
I'm less interested in rankings than in understanding what Ralph mentioned, namely the [vast] range of sonic signatures class D is capable of. Eigentakt, Hypex, Pascal, Purifi, GaN-based, etc. — all fair game.
Price is no constraint here — I'm interested in the full range of what's out there.
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@fatdaddy2 You were the one who called the thread "useless." Your snark is evident to everyone here. As for the term "musical," yes everyone has something in mind by that term. But that is a truism. If "musical" were purely subjective with no shared meaning, it wouldn't survive as a term in audio discourse. Words persist because they carry *shared meaning*. When someone says an amp sounds "musical" versus "clinical," listeners recognize a real distinction—not an arbitrary one. Yes, "musical" needs unpacking. But unpacking a term doesn't prove it's meaningless; it proves it has structure. The thread's value lies in exactly that unpacking: people describing what they hear when they use the term. That's empirical observation, not relativism. |
After reading @bluethinker's response, and comparing my Atma-Sphere Class D monoblocs, I think the AGD and my Class D's are very similar. I'm constantly impressed with how I just want to keep listening, how they never seem harsh, have great bass, dynamics, etc. I'm driving them with a digital frontend and Backert tube preamp, and speakers are J.M. Reynaud Cantibile Jubilees. The gain on the Class D's is not too high, which might be a concern if I listened at high SPL's. But that is not the case, and they get plenty loud for me. I've had older (cheaper) class D amps, and this is a whole other level of sound. Hope this helps. |
I have been listening to my Pass 250, which is class A at my listening level. It’s smooth, rich, and slightly laid back. I always wanted to own a pair of mono blocks and decided now was the time. After much research, I decided on Nuprime EVO TWO SE. These are classified as class AD. Marketing say they can compete with the finest class A. These amps are VERY dynamic and fast! Bass is hit in the chest hard and very articulate. The air is crazy good and has immense width and depth. lm using a OCTIVE 300SE hybrid pre, and I’m not sure how much it’s contributing to the sound. I did try a PS audio signature pre with the amps, and that was not a good match. I can say these 300watt mono’s bring me closer to the music. |
@hilde45 -Ive been following class d for several years now and am also interested in the comparisons. So, thank you for starting this thread. I’ve had ss, class a w/tubes and class ab with tubes. I love the tube sound but am aging and downsizing so class d is appealing. I’m currently next in line for the Orchard Audio class d monoblocks. I should receive them the end of next week. I will certainly share my thoughts and keep them focused on the areas you highlighted. |
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