Audio Research DS450 review from techradar.com
 

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Audio Research DS450 review from TechRadar UK's expert reviews of Amplifiers

IMO High end manufacturers like Levinson and A/R are jumping on the class D bandwagon for;
low cost alternatives in this economy
appeal to a new generation audiophiles
bigger margin percentages form these cheap to build amps

BUT.....I haven't read one article highly praising any of these "high end" class D units.

Brad.......I find myself in agreement with you on this one.

The reviewer's comment, "While no one's claiming Class D amplifiers are sonically superior to their pure Class A counterparts, the practical and environmental advantages of the former are not to be under-valued", fairly well sums up the prevailing general attitude towards Class D amplifiers.

Here are two that were full of praise of ARC's DSi200 (the smaller integrated amp version of the DS450):

http://www.audioresearch.com/DSi200HiFiNews0310.pdf

Audio Research DSi200 Integrated Amplifier (TAS 204) | AVguide

Furthermore, AeroSmith on this site had Ayre MX-Rs that could not drive his Revel Ultima Salon 2s. He substituted in the DS-450s and they had no problems. They are now driving his Wilson Maxx 3s. He seems to like them. I have no opinion. I get that we all come to this hobby with preconceived notions and biases but it seems to me keeping an open mind about a new technology/circuit topology makes sense if you are seeking continual improvement in the search of the sound you are seeking. So why preclude a technology until you hear it for yourself and judge it then.

My 2c's worth

Cyril.......I don't want to be misunderstood. I am not bashing Class D amplifiers. There is a hefty Class D amplifier in my JL Audio Fathom f113, and I have a 300 watt/ch Crown K1 two channel amplifier (Class D) in my studio control room. The Crown K1 sounds very good, but head to head with the MC352 amplifier, the McIntosh amp sounds better to me.

Class D amplification is far from new, but is certainly getting more attention of late as electronics design engineers advance the Class D amplifier state of the art.

Jeff Rowlands was a big proponent of class D and in fact I used his 501 monoblocks for a while but he has changed direction and seems to be ditching this technology.v:scratch2:

Dan...I have not heard a Class D amp so don't know. That's why I said I have no opinion. But it just seems to me that there are always advances in a category and if you completely dismiss a category because earlier examples of that technology were not up to snuff, you could potentially be missing out. When the CD first came out in the 1980s (with claims of the "ultimate sound" or whatever it was), it was not great sounding technology, although it did have certain advantages over the cassette and LP, but over the past twenty years, digital reproduction has grown up and improved leaps and bounds. I get that Class D amplification has been around for a while, but there are always opportunities for advancement/refinement.

Here's another example of a very interesting Class D design that has gotten some very good response in Europe. The amp is called Devialet-D. It has some very innovative technologies. Here's a link to the page at a London-based retailer that overviews it plus has links to official reviews over on the right hand side of the web page. Makes for an interesting read. Enjoy: Product Information

http://www.absolutesounds.com/img_ga...LET-APCI_1.jpg

Cyril,
You're right about keeping an open mind and not have preconceived ideas.
Like Dan, I do prefer conventional amps, generally speaking. But I don't doubt that a class D amp like this ARC could impress me. I would also like to listen to the Lyngdorf Millenium who received very good reviews.
I just wonder why companies still produce class A / AB SS and TUBES amps, when you know how difficult and costy it is, while an other technology like the D is available : it is less costy to produce, the efficiency is better....
Probably that the sound don't appeal to everyone.

Jerome...like I said I have no opinions one way or another having not heard any examples of Class D. I was just reacting to Brad's sweeping statement earlier in the thread that all Class D amps are a waste of time and that he had not read a single positive review of any Class D amps. So I supplied a few examples above of some positive reviews and suggested the thought that one should keep an open mind :D

Jerome have you heard anything about this Devialet amp? It's a new french company and this amp they have come up with is getting some interesting commentary about how innovative it is. Just curious...

I heard nothing about it Cyril. Maybe at the next Paris high end...
"Nul n'est prophète en son pays!"
Noone is a Prophet in his own country !