When did class D start to not suck?

[ameerm]

Anybody who has been reading/watching hifi reviews is highly likely to have seen or heard the regurgitated comment that “class D sucked way back, but is now good.” Sure.

My question is; when did it start not to suck? Who made the module?

Just curious if there is a known delimiter out there.

 

[Chrispy]

Been worked out for a while now. Hypex/Purifi (both have Putzeys involvement) modules seem to be leading the way currently. There are others, too. Did you take a Rip Van Winkle type nap or something? As if class A is particularly desireable....well, except in the winter maybe.

 

[restorer-john]

Probably before you were born. 1976.

Sony TAN-88:

Yes, thats a SMPS and yes, they're VFETs in a Class D design. Yes, it's a die-cast block of alloy making up the chassis. It weighed only 11kg, put out well over 160wpc@8R, S/N over 110dB, distortion curve flat from 10W to nearly 180W.

Bruno Putzeys was only three (3) years old when it was sold.

 

[ameerm]

so anything prior to hypex and purifi sucked is what youre saying?

I have seen forums dating back 2008 or further praising ice modules with that comment class d doesn't suck anymore because they are great that time or something.

Makes me think if they release within 10 years, new class d that performs better than the best we have now then we can say keep regurgitating the same comment that class d sucked but it doesnt now in 2032.

Catch my drift? So let me rephrase my question: when did audio enthusiasts really start liking class d?

 

[Chrispy]

so anything prior to hypex and purifi sucked is what youre saying?

I have seen forums dating back 2008 or further praising ice modules with that comment class d doesn't suck anymore because they are great that time or something.

Makes me think if they release within 10 years, new class d that performs better than the best we have now then we can say keep regurgitating the same comment that class d sucked but it doesnt now in 2032.

Catch my drift? So let me rephrase my question: when did audio enthusiasts really start liking class d?

When "audio enthusiasts" start liking something is particularly relevant? They're still stuck on tubes, fer chrissakes

 

[ameerm]

When "audio enthusiasts" start liking something is particularly relevant? They're still stuck on tubes, fer chrissakes

I dont know, maybe i just got curious with the history of the topology and when did it really get liked by many because i know it started way back.

 

[Chrispy]

I dont know, maybe i just got curious with the history of the topology and when did it really get liked by many because i know it started way back.

And likely much of the future....

 

[oldsysop]

Anybody who has been reading/watching hifi reviews is highly likely to have seen or heard the regurgitated comment that “class D sucked way back, but is now good.” Sure.

My question is; when did it start not to suck? Who made the module?

Just curious if there is a known delimiter out there.

Class D never stopped sucking.

 

[ameerm]

Class D never stopped sucking.

Man we should have a firewall rule on whoever is hosting this site that denies comments like these lol.

 

[Chrispy]

Man we should have a firewall rule on whoever is hosting this site that denies comments like these lol.

The aforementioned tube guy?

 

[restorer-john]

Man we should have a firewall rule on whoever is hosting this site that denies comments like these lol.

Right. Your thread title wouldn't have seen the light of day then, would it?

 

[jhaider]

Anybody who has been reading/watching hifi reviews is highly likely to have seen or heard the regurgitated comment that “class D sucked way back, but is now good.” Sure.

My question is; when did it start not to suck? Who made the module?

Just curious if there is a known delimiter out there.

Hypex UcD was the first one I know of that was designed to deliver flat frequency response regardless of load. That would have been 2005ish?

There may be an earlier one but that was at least the first mainstream one. Many earlier Class D sound like triodes - huge variability in FR due to interaction with the driven load.

However, as for subjective amp “reviews” I would not pay attention beyond comments about hum, remote/signal sensing quirks, that sort of thing.

 

[Hiten]

I dont know, maybe i just got curious with the history of the topology and when did it really get liked by many because i know it started way back.

I dont know if you are looking for performance or popularity. I may be wrong but on popular side 'Sonic Impact Class T' amplifier became very popular 15 years ago. Dont know how many were sold.
regards

 

[voodooless]

Hypex UcD was the first one I know of that was designed to deliver flat frequency response regardless of load. That would have been 2005ish?

2003, so next year 2 decades old.

Well the Hypex modules are. The technology is a bit older. Was used earlier for some Philips products as well.

 

[McFly]

When class D finally got flat phase 20-20khz

 

[DWPress]

it's a die-cast block of alloy making up the chassis. It weighed only 11kg, put out well over 160wpc@8R, S/N over 110dB, distortion curve flat from 10W to nearly 180W.

I want one!

Depending on your level of threshold of "Audiophile" perhaps the Icepower modules first made headway into mainstream offerings with some acclaim starting with B&O in 2003. I use one for my woofers in an active XO and in that application the distortion and noise are at a minimum so perfect.

From Wikipedia

Current customers seem to include Alpine, AMX, Aston Martin, Asus, Audi, Bowers & Wilkins, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Eclipse by Fujitsu Ten, Elipson, Gallien-Krueger, Aguilar, Genz-Benz, Jeff Rowland, Legacy Audio, MartinLogan, Pioneer, Peachtree Audio, PS Audio, Rotel, Teac, Wyred 4 Sound, Seymour AV, XTZ, Vazari Audio, Samsung as well as Bang & Olufsen.[6]

 

[ZolaIII]

As the story goes... traditional class D sucks and will always suck. With introduction of class G which whose commercially available from late 70's thing's changed with introduction of voltage rail modulation which came with them (and it doesn't matter if it whose Sony, Hitachi or someone else who whose first that whose a turning point and explained why). Class H inherited it along with propetry improvements we cannot track anymore and it's considered as the end of the class specification.
Specification by classes is fairly good done and explained on Wiki so there is no need for such questions hire.
Still I would love if all of you would stick with classification as it is, it would cut such questions in the core if nothing else.
In the end as shown numerous times (hire and elsewhere) typology isn't crucial, engineering is. All you need to do is read about it.

 

[voodooless]

As the story goes... traditional class D sucks and will always suck.

Mkay…

In the end as shown numerous times (hire and elsewhere) typology isn't crucial, engineering is.

So much for the your first sentence then..

 

[ZolaIII]

Mkay…

So much for the your first sentence then..

Engineering isn't magic. You have examples of great class G and H amplifiers along with great class AB amplifiers in history and today but not really class D one's.

 

[voodooless]

Engineering isn't magic. You have examples of great class G and H amplifiers along with great class AB amplifiers in history and today but not really class D one's.

Did you miss the top ASR amplifier chart? Don’t tell me Hypex Ncore or Purifi aren’t great…