Expanding the Class D Conversation: How Would You Characterize Their Differences?

@earthbound Could it be that people who have listened to music for so long are so used to distortion coming from their systems, home, car etc..that without it music seems lifeless? The more I think about it, the more I wonder. How many of us have listened to live music without it going through some sort of electronic equipment...

Great question, and could be. :)  You might be on to something perhaps. 

A decade ago doing some updated research on what type of guitar amplifiers were being used on well known songs we all loved from the 60s, 70s, and part of the 80s.  At the time, I was really into EL34 tube amps at home, loving the distortion, and play back of those same songs originally played and recorded as such. Playback on the same types of tubes they were originally recorded in, etc.  

i.e. EL34 tubes are famously associated with the "British sound" of Marshall amplifiers, creating a warm, lush, and punchy tone with prominent midrange that defined much of 1960s and 70s rock. They are known for breaking up early, offering a creamy, rich distortion. 

My friends new Guitar amp:

-a good friend was giddy about his new guitar amp coming soon, and all of his other amps were Marshalls, we had come to love the sound of, and for his band.

Well, the new solid state (non tube) guitar amp showed up with the Class-D for the lower bass section, not sure how it was configured. The sound was quite different. Sure, fast, clean, snappy.  Most of the former tone, texture, decay, and transition of notes from one string to the next was not there any more. More strident. Sure, you could hear a bit more of those notes, yet how it was presented in [more strident] and less pleasant way was definitely being compared to a former sound both of us were "so used to" before.  I sort of agree with your question and why you bring it up. Yep, possibly so.  

If today's generation of new audiophiles grows up with early version Class-D amps and sound, with electronic crossovers involved too, perhaps they might prefer this type of sound over what older Class-A SS/Tube amps offer. Could be, and to your point.  Interesting question btw.   

Yeah just a thought for another time. I don’t want to derail this thread, which is a good one. 

"@earthbound Yeah just a thought for another time. I don’t want to derail this thread, which is a good one."

.

imo, I don’t think you are too far off topic, actually.  The title of this thread asks "How Would You Characterize Their Differences?"

What if those characterizations and descriptions of likes & dislikes also relate to preferences, and what each person is "so used to" growing up with audio.   

There may in fact be those who will continue to like Class A/AB solid state, others for all tubes, some for hybrids, and some pure Class-D, just like different types of food. How each person decides what they like and how they describe what they hear could vary greatly.  Same debates with Tube vs SS in Class A, AB, now into Class-D more than ever.  Similar discussions around different "tubes" too, fwiw.   

Having had class a, ab and set, someone mentioned the switching rate of the ab and its affect on clarity. I will assume this isn’t always the case but may help explain what I feel is missing with my current sound. The 300b set has super clarity and was dead silent, 2 qualities that I’d like to have more than I have now. But, to me it lacked power and oomph. So I went back to ab which just sounds good with every genre of music and has more power. Just much more satisfying to me across the board. I’m hoping class d will have attributes of both. Fingers crossed. I keep discovering “new” sound. I guess I don’t have expectations of what my perfect sound is so I’m going to keep trying different pieces of gear and topologies to hopefully get to where I want to be. 

@decooney It’s interesting that you say,

"There may in fact be those who will continue to like Class A/AB solid state, others for all tubes, some for hybrids, and some pure Class-D, just like different types of food."

I started this thread with a quote from @atmasphere, who said,

"IME, class D amps vary in sound more than tube amps, which is to say, quite a lot."

If Ralph is right, then maybe we’re not helping ourselves get clearer about preferences by talking about "class A" etc.

Yes, we need linguistic shorthand to convey clusters of sonic characteristics we prefer, but if amps vary a lot within each "class" then aren’t we just confusing ourselves at exactly the point we’re trying to get clear?

Maybe instead of "Class A" preferences are described with a label like, "Seamless" meaning: organic, warm, enveloping, analog-like, layered, intimate midrange, blooming bass.

Instead of "Class D" preferences are described with a lable like, "Articulate", meaning: clean, detailed, punchy, precise, controlled, dynamic, focused soundstage, forward midrange, taut bass.