Full range class AB vs. full range class D

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

I've never listened to a full range class D amp before, how do they compare? I think it is cheaper to manufacture a class D amp of the same power than a class AB amp but that's bout it.

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[miker 5,000+ posts]

I've never listened to a full range class D amp before, how do they compare? I think it is cheaper to manufacture a class D amp of the same power than a class AB amp but that's bout it.

Class D is more efficient? I believe. The THD on a class D will also be far higher.

full range class D amps are made? What one are you looking at?

 

[l7runner 10+ year member]

Alpine PDX and the Eclipse XA amps are nice

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

I run full range class D for my front stage. Lots of power in a small package.

IIRC my amps power output is rated at .1% THD, and they sound just as good as any other amp I've ever used...

 

[gentlejax 10+ year member]

I run full range class D for my front stage. Lots of power in a small package.
IIRC my amps power output is rated at .1% THD, and they sound just as good as any other amp I've ever used...

these days thats pretty accurate. they have improved quit a bit I think from original days

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

I've never listened to a full range class D amp before, how do they compare? I think it is cheaper to manufacture a class D amp of the same power than a class AB amp but that's bout it.

There is no audible difference if you compare two quality products.

 

[PPI_GUY 10+ year member]

Alot of people have claimed that up until the release of the JL HD Series, class D full-range didn't sound quite right. That the impact and headroom of A/B amps was much more apparent when listening to dynamic music. I know Alpine and Planet Audio both sold a bunch of full-range class D amps so, surely you know someone who has some experience with them. I do know that the JL HD amps are fantastic and are physically tiny compared to A/B amps.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

There is no audible difference if you compare to quality products.

The reason why full-range Class D amps didn't come out until the last few years is because it is limited to the topology's switching transistor. Earlier ones can only respond up to a few hundred Hz because they have trouble producing high frequencies and have low damping factor, that's why class D was limited to sub amps. The ballgame has changed these days and most home-theater-in-a-box receivers are class D, but those setups always come with crapola speakers so I was never able to really listen to one.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

The reason why full-range Class D amps didn't come out until the last few years is because it is limited to the topology's switching transistor. Earlier ones can only respond up to a few hundred Hz because they have trouble producing high frequencies and have low damping factor, that's why class D was limited to sub amps. The ballgame has changed these days and most home-theater-in-a-box receivers are class D, but those setups always come with crapola speakers so I was never able to really listen to one.

Define last few years? I had a class D from '03 and it sounded just as good as my old school EA3532 class A/B. I fail to see your point. I still stand by my statement. If you compare two quality products, one class A/B and one class D you will not hear an audible difference.

 

[gunz4me2 10+ year member]

The reason why full-range Class D amps didn't come out until the last few years is because it is limited to the topology's switching transistor. Earlier ones can only respond up to a few hundred Hz because they have trouble producing high frequencies and have low damping factor, that's why class D was limited to sub amps. The ballgame has changed these days and most home-theater-in-a-box receivers are class D, but those setups always come with crapola speakers so I was never able to really listen to one.

Full range Class D has been available in the 120 volt pro-audio world since 1998 or so. Why it took car audio so long to catch up, I'll never understand.

 

[Sarthos 10+ year member]

Which models of amps have been full-range class D from Planet Audio? I might be able to give some better insight if I knew which ones they are.

The little digital ones? Like the BB150.2 in my sig?

 

[PPI_GUY 10+ year member]

Which models of amps have been full-range class D from Planet Audio? I might be able to give some better insight if I knew which ones they are. The little digital ones? Like the BB150.2 in my sig?

The ones I was referring to were BB four channel models and available in black or natural/silver. They looked similiar to this one...

PLANET AUDIO BB1250.1 2500W 1 CH MONO AMPLIFIER CAR AMP - eBay (item 190461300754 end time Nov-25-10 23:23:10 PST)

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

With a quality product you won't notice the difference. There are very few quality products in the car audio arena though in the class D department.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

Define last few years? I had a class D from '03 and it sounded just as good as my old school EA3532 class A/B. I fail to see your point. I still stand by my statement. If you compare two quality products, one class A/B and one class D you will not hear an audible difference.

I had a Crossfire CFA1000D when it first came out, they were the first 1000 watt class D amps ever made so I was on the wagon from day 1. I never liked how it sounds when compared to my home subwoofer at the time but I was able to pull a 148.8dB in a VW Golf on an AC mic with it. I switched to an US Amps USA-2000X for a short time and it was literally night and day difference with the same TS-W2000SPL subs in the same box and car. Of course it was louder(it is a bigger amp) but the bass sounds completely different - the bass was much tighter and deeper with the 2000X than the Crossfire.

It isn't fair to compare the Crossfire to the US Amps but there are definitely audible differences between the two, a good example is how tube amps sounds different from a solid-state amp and the sound characteristics will change if you use a different set of tubes. Of course people argue that vacuum tube adds nothing but distortion but if that's true then there wouldn't be a community of high-end tube amps that cost thousands or a lot more. I've owned several home theater amps and some do have their own "sound" no matter if the volume is at 1/4 or 3/4.

 

[Sarthos 10+ year member]

BB150.2 is the same line as the 1250.1. I have that one, I love it, gives my speakers plenty of power, doesn't distort, and fits nicely under my front seat. Didn't know it was class D though.