Class D Amps - article

[Pilgrim]

I may be late to the party compared to some of you, but I found this article outlining the increasing popularity of class D amps both interesting and non-technical.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/tools-toys/classd-audio-the-power-and-the-glory/1

I just know that I'm very grateful for my Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 which is incredibly light (3.75 pounds) and performs so astoundingly well.  It's a great tool.

Enjoy.

[Basvarken]

The reduction of the weight is a huge advantage.

But so far all the Class D amps that I've tried had a terrible lack of dynamics.
It makes no difference if you caress the strings with the flesh of your thumb or if you hit them hard with a pick; it all comes out the same.
As long as they don't find a solution for that problem I won't be buying a class D amp in a hurry...

[rahock]

A lot of lightweight class D bass amps are pretty anemic. The Genz Benz stuff definately is not. I just bought some new Class D PA gear, including a set of active 1000watt JBL PRX15M cabs. They are very nice . Not all Class D amps are created equal.
Rick

[nofi]

back in the day if you had a couple voice of the theater cabs and a pile of crown power amps you were good to go. sometimes smaller (new stuff ) is much better.

[rahock]

back in the day if you had a couple voice of the theater cabs and a pile of crown power amps you were good to go. sometimes smaller (new stuff ) is much better.

That's what I used many moons ago and it was a great sound . These JBL PRXs are 44.5 lbs and 1000watts each, freakin' crystal clear at high or low volume , plenty good bottom, and just plain sound great. Still a little tough to grasp that so much juice comes out of such  a small package. I do not miss miss the HEAVY artillery.
Rick

[Aussie Mark]

But so far all the Class D amps that I've tried had a terrible lack of dynamics.
It makes no difference if you caress the strings with the flesh of your thumb or if you hit them hard with a pick; it all comes out the same.
As long as they don't find a solution for that problem I won't be buying a class D amp in a hurry...

You should try a Markbass TTE-500 (4 tubes, 500 watts, 3kg) or a Genz Benz Streamliner (3 tubes, 900 watts, 2kg).  Both these Class D amps have a lot of dynamics IMO.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Not all Class D amps are created equal.

This is the often overlooked (or hidden) fact that budget amp makers of Class D designs don't want well known: even with the reduction in weight and power consumption, unless an amp has SUPER tight supply and output stage regulation, it's going to become a doorstop with very little use. Even the best switching designs are going to be, at best, half as long-lived as a conventional topology amplifier. The cheapies? There are lots of threads in online forums documenting many a budget lightweight amp's demise after just a few months.

[Chris P.]

I know Rob's love for tube amps and in fact I share it!

But:

A lot of times I took my Hiwatt with me onstage. In the end it had to be turned down otherwise it was too loud for the small venues we play in. So I played a very big and heavy tube amp on a very low volume... Of course I could go for a 50 or 100 Watt tube amp, but I decided to have a smaller amp for smaller gigs. I know It doesn't sound that good, but good enough and I let the sound engineer do his job by creating a good PA sound.

[Basvarken]

The sound is not the problem, Chris. For example: The Orange Terror Bass emulates the tubeamp AD200 perfectly soundwise.
The lack of dynamics is the problem.

I know they're not all equally as bad: The Ampeg PF500 that I tested was much better.

[jumbodbassman]

ampeg has had some problems with the pf500 cutting out,  myself included so it got returned.

[dadagoboi]

Rock and Roll was never supposed to be easy.

[Pilgrim]

Class D is probably like every other class of equipment - not all are created equal.  Like Rahock, I'm OK with the dynamics on my G-B Shuttle.