Class D vs. Class AB audio amplifiers | Which one sounds better? | Unbiased listening comparison

This video will explain the differences between the selected audio amplifier boards and concluding the video will be a series of listening tests. All tests used a line output converter (LOC) in order to create an accurate playback representation of the amplifier quality. Be sure to like and SUBSCRIBE so that you won't miss the next new video like this.
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[@DaGoose]

I believe the general point of this video was missed by many viewers. I understand there are far better implementations for both classes of amps, and there are modifications that can make both of these amps better, but they don’t represent the majority of real-world applications. This video compares two modern, off the shelf amps that represent the majority of the market share for class D and Class AB.

[@Zockopa]

Nope,class ab mostly comes not as a chipamp.

[@DaGoose]

@@Zockopa you can’t be serious. i think the keyword you missed was “modern.” Most modern Class AB amps are a solid state chipamp configuration due to their small size and low external component count.

[@Zockopa]

@@DaGoose 🤣

[@DaGoose]

Below are a list of modern products that use a Class AB chipamp: Harmon Kardon HK395 Logitech “Z” series satellite Tannoy Ellipse KRK V-series Genelecs JBL LSR-series Mackie HR-series and Tapco models Polk PSW series Creative speakers Manufactures use chip amps because they’re small, cheap and have decent fidelity. every modern discrete class AB amp i found costed at least $100 and most high end models above a $1000 which do not represent the majority of the market share.

[@frankfarago2825]

@@DaGoose KRK V-series, of course. Also AB used to be in their Gen 3 Rokits, and AB is also in their "New" Rokit Classics.

[@jasonmc.dougall8551]

From my experience with amplifiers, the background noise can be reduced significantly by grounding the power supply, and keeping the input signal line as far away from the power supply line as possible, good grounding is essential so don't daisy chain the ground wires...

[@howardskeivys4184]

I’m old school. Got seriously into audio in the early 80s. So, naturally my auditory system is conditioned to the sonic characteristics of AB amplification. That having been said, I have heard some excellent sounding class D amps. Which may even fool me in a blind A-B test, forgive the deliberate pun. But currently my amplification is AB and I’ve no plans to make any changes. But, never say never.

[@paulcheeba]

Good point, that's a cheap D. I have Amphion and a Nord on my PMC's and they sound great.and 1/10th of the price of the equivalient.

[@BrianPex]

Boy I wish I had held onto my old Amos and equipment from the late 80s early 90s. Along with CDs as the source, it was epic.

[@WiseUpRiseUp]

It's not too late. I just picked up a used Yamaha a-s301 for $250 and pulled my 300 disc player out of retirement...yum. Find a CD player with digital out and throw a DAC in between and you're golden 👌🏼

[@carlfranz6805]

Sigh... I'd love to have my old Sansui 881 back.

[@dshnt1893]

There is no doubt that class AB still rules perfect as sound is warm and natural ....i have many class ab in my collection...lm 3886 tda7294 as flat frequency ones and other like stk4141 tda2030,2050,and lm1875 which i use regularly...also transitor based circuits of 5200 and 1943.

[@NoneYaBiz200]

Which one is your favourite amplifier topology? We cant get the lm3886 these days so what do you recommend?

[@davidperry4013]

@@NoneYaBiz200 TI still makes the IC as far as I know. Not really a Class D fan except for subwoofers or the exotic GaNFET amps. Class A has the lowest distortion but, is highly inefficient. Class AB is my favorite for speakers and pure class A for preamp and headphones.

[@NoneYaBiz200]

@@davidperry4013 Thanks, I’ll have another look. I really would like to try the lm3886 and see for myself wha the fuss is all about. I’ve heard so much about it.

[@duanebledsoe7566]

As far as sound, I listened through headphones and most of the time I couldn’t hear a difference. During the combined test, the left side had more bass. I listened to it twice to be sure, and then flipped the headphones around left to right just to ensure my own hearing wasn’t the issue. The bass moved to the right side when I flipped them. The only thing I can conclude is either the class D amp made the bass stronger, or the audio track was recorded with bass on the left instead of centered, which is not normally the case. Also the hiss test, I could definitely tell the class A/B amp was significantly quieter.

[@cjbartoz]

Amplifiers: The controversy over tubes vs solid state presists. When response, modulation distortion and transient intermodulation distortion are below certain levels (< 1%) there should be no audible difference. Speaker wires: It can be solid, stranded, copper, oxygen free copper, silver, etc.--or even "magic" wire--as long as the resistance is kept to be less than 5% of the speaker impedance. There is no listening difference as long as the wire is of adequate size. Bear in mind, a well-designed amplifier will not have a problem with any of these wires. CD players: In the 1980's, people spoke of experiencing "no air" and "aggression" while listening to digital recordings. Today we understand the principles which are fundamental to this phenomenon, we name it Jitter, we test it, calculate it and dress it with numbers, systemize it and describe it entirely. Jitter has always been and still is the worst enemy of the digital audio format. And today it is understood. Fact: Digital audio data is 'just' 0's and 1's. There may be many formats (.wav, .aif, CD-audio) but the information is still digital. There is no loss during format conversion, provided the formats don't utilize compression. Fact: Copying CD's (if they aren't damaged physically) is a lossless procedure. You can extract CD-audio with your computer and generate a file on your hard disk. Compare this file with the file created when you extract the same audio using a $30,000 player, the resulting two files are identical. The question which naturally arises out of this paradox is: why does the $30,000 player sound better? Before we answer that question, let us first understand that at the Digital Out of a $100 CD-player we have the same 1's and 0's as we do in the $30,000 player. The only difference is in the Jitter content. Jitter only means that the data (the 1's and the 0's) is not perfectly time-aligned, but is transmitted either slightly earlier or later than it should be in the ideal case. However, this time flaw is not as great as to cause a digital error (data fallout). Now if you know that, then you must ask: so why does one CD-transport cost much more than another? Ah, Jitter. The cheap ones shake and the expensive ones don't. Well, that's true. The entire audio business of CD transports and DACs is built on the totally backward setup of the CD player containing the Master Clock and the DAC being the Slave. This results in the entire palette of innovations to lessen Jitter, starting from air drives to expensive digital cable technologies with complex math to reduce line-induced Jitter, to very carefully filtered power supplies, to all sorts of very necessary things when you want to achieve the least possible Jitter. So we have the worst possible digital scenario bringing in the most possible amount of money, because it is extremely difficult to annihilate Jitter when the CD player is the Master Clock. If you're looking for quality, this is stupid, to say the least! The whole setup should be different. As is the standard case in any pro-audio studio, it is always the playing device, the DAC, which is the Master Clock. The clock is located right next to the converter chips. That way, no line induced Jitter can appear. This clock signal is then taken from the DAC device and is used as the clock input of the signal source device, say the computer, the DAT player, or the CD player. Yes, in that setup, the CD player is receiving a more jittered clock than the DAC is, but that doesn't matter, because the DAC is doing the audio playing. When the Jittered audio signal arrives at the DAC, it is quantized into place temporally and is then played, in perfect synch with the clock oscillator, which is right next to it. But oh! In that case, you can use a $100 CD-player with a very poor power supply, a digital cable made from your average household extension cord, and still get a better sound than you'd be getting if you spent $30,000 on the best transport and digital cable! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the naked, uncensored, plain truth about CD players and DACs. Their Master/Slave relationship is BACKWARDS and their prices therefore HIGH. If you don't believe this, then all you need to do is record digitally your favorite tune from a $100 CD player into your computer (provided you have a soundcard and software that doesn't add yet more lies into the equation, which is often the case, so beware!) Then borrow the most expensive CD transport you can get your hands on and repeat the experiment. The resulting sound files aren't just similar, they are identical! But the $30,000 player sounds better! How do you get them to sound the same? You only need to slave the transports to a DAC in Digital Master Mode. That's it. Identical sound, guaranteed. The least possible Jitter. The least loss.

[@cjbartoz]

@DW11111 none

[@cjbartoz]

@DW11111 I never said I came up with this.

[@JoyRaptor]

Can you reccomend a video going over dav digital master most setup?

[@michaelethangross3395]

Thank you for this excellent video - I must say that I am fan of Class AB vs. Class D though. I have (among many other amps) a Crown XLS 1002 (class D) rated at 215 wpc at 8 ohms vs a Crown CE1000 (class AB) rated at 275 wpc at 8 ohms. Both amps are rated at 1KHz with 1 percent THD so the ratings are stretched. I figure the XLS 1002 can realistically put out ~ 185 wpc and the CE1000 around 229 wpc continuous sine wave power. The CE 1000 still sounds better and stronger despite the negligible difference in dB output.

[@TheLazyYoutuber-io3qc]

What about how much electric both takes?

[@rawux1228]

Well class D is good for subwoofers, class AB for high frequencies, but you wont feel too much difference if you feed them already with digital signal (from pc, phone ect.), and class D is way more efficient and don't require big heatsinks and power supplies. Music quality depends on your speakers too so good amp is just one key to perfection out of 100. To hear difference on youtube is impossible.

[@WhatTheFragrance]

I’m listening through a/b headphones, a/b sounds warmer rounder but less impactful, d sounds boxy more solid but slightly sharper. D has that modern output which suits corporate and movies where a/b suits quiet listening and softer experiences

[@guillermomartin8248]

Class D is good for home theater applications, especially when dealing with many channels. However, I have found class A / a/b are leaps and bounds ahead in music, especially pure class A.

[@DaGoose]

there’s no reason to use Class Ds in home theater applications. they are widely seen in battery powered applications because of their high efficiency.

[@seez8164]

If you want to make it small then you have reason. I do like my Heos AVR with 6channels on TI TPA3251D2

[@Cenkolino]

@@DaGoose True but his point still stands. And he is right. A very good Class A amplifier is far superior. There is no question about that. Class D gives out totally distorted and sterile music. Yeah yeah, I know people rave about cheap stuff nowadays and its the new hotness. But as always, you get what you're paying for.

[@karlschauff7989]

@@Cenkolino Class D is "totally distorted and sterile"? You should probably let Stereophile know. They raved about the latest NAD class D amplifiers using Purifi's Eigentakt Class D amplifier modules. I agree that for decades, class D amplifiers were absolute garbage. Several of the worst amplifiers I have ever heard were class d. But in the last few years, Bruno Putzey's work at Hypex and Purifi has changed a LOT of minds about the sound quality of class D and it's not a case of "people rave about cheap stuff." Stereophile has *never* raved about "cheap stuff". Class A is nice. Especially for the great way it doubles as a space heater in the winter. I'll take a Nelson Pass AB amp over most Class A stuff. I want more than 30 or 40 watts without needing a dedicated 30 amp circuit run just for my stereo.

[@The101damnations]

@@Cenkolino As always, you have to justify what you pay extra for too.

[@chriscall3794]

very informative and useful information, presented in a straight forward learning format. thanks!

[@karlschauff7989]

Not really. These are pretty terrible examples of class D and AB amps. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJW9d3SNmpaBrtE

[@BudoReflex]

AB was a clear winner. Pun intended. It kept the dynamic range of the excellent atmospheric track, while the D compressed it and sounded like it had lost the bottom end warmth and top end chime.

[@ron101346]

Using rock is not an optimal source for comparison. Rock is usually compressed to death and the ensemble sound is more important than individual instruments.

[@soundman2604]

Class AB wins in this test.

[@siriosstar4789]

There is no objective standard that can be used to convince someone that one system is " better" than the other due to the fact that ALL sound experienced in the brain is subjective . Yes we can use general consensus and electronic measurements to play the "Best " game but it eventually ends with , the best systems is the one YOU like the most .

[@pelokuro5810]

i think with blind test you can listen Noise Floors from class D is so loud. class AB slightly black background

[@SadCowDisease1]

Great video, but it would also be nice to see how many watts each used - and would be super easy to do. That's the only advantage of Class D in that point range - right? I think the AB clearly sounded better with much less noise.

[@chloeleedow7250]

The test with left and right running on each amp sounded slightly out of phase even on my phone lol, class Ab for the win still overall

[@DaGoose]

i recorded the samples separately and then manually made a stereo mix from the two, so the phasing may be slightly off :)

[@chloeleedow7250]

@@DaGoose interesting, not to blown my own trumpet but I feel I've always had a really good ear phase variations, totally wasn't being critical either I found this video very interesting and still is now lol. Thanks for making it, will have a listen on big speakers see if i pick it up. Phone speakers are probably out of phase themselves do to one coming out the phone call ear peice and one at the bottom so like 45° off axis 😂 Thanks again. And for taking the time to respond so quickly bro

[@juniorsilvabroadcast]

Why so much noise on class D ? i don't remember any class D amplifier making this noise

[@davidperry4013]

I prefer the Class AB architecture. The LM3886 is an amazing amp IC. ST Microelectronics makes great class AB amplifiers chips too.

[@jessbautista3578]

Hi there this jess.. the class AB sounds bigger and bass is wider but Class D sounds much clearer specially the middle band which is a very hard part to produce.. you can only hear clear backgroud instruments and a clear voice in a well working circuits.. if noise is noticeable during no signal drive its because the circuits has nothing to amplify therefore since class D amps basically has loop circuits it is amplifiying its own self induce noise in the physical circuit... if the much bigger sound or bolder sound is desired then bigger power is the answer... and if noise is the problem dc supply should be regulated... that will improve the performance...

[@DaGoose]

More power does not equate to “bigger” or “bolder” sound. A 4-ohm speaker rated at 25W can be quieter than an 8-ohm speaker rated at 15W. The way a speaker sounds is based on its frequency response, sensitivity, cone area, and other factors such as the enclosure it’s housed in. The noise that you’re hearing with no sound is the floor noise and that is a normal factor in all audio amplifiers regardless of its configuration. The Class D appears to have more pronounced mid-range frequencies because it has weak high frequency response. This is a common problem in most Class D amplifiers which is why they are commonly only used in low-frequency applications only (i.e. car subwoofer amp) I have no idea what you mean by regulating DC voltage to reduce noise. Both of the amps in this video were used with a switching DC regulator and there is still noise. Noise is a very broad issue and could be anything.

[@scottlowell493]

class d modulate noise and hash treble. Class D treble is vague and attenuated by compare. Makes the mids seem more prominent.

[@hennievangalen3789]

What is the definition of 'better' sound?

[@hunkydorian]

Cleanliness. Clarity. Dynamics.

[@veyjaendiape5068]

I think the sound of ab is more cleaner than d,

[@kotim1142]

It is the best Ab class

[@mohdmohamad313]

I think so

[@chopinisee]

Absolulely!

[@Albert.einstein904]

Class d needs more spike filter in input and output

[@Hoseinsaboorizadeh]

Exactly 👍

[@rickhedez521]

Hello, great video. The eBay non-branded class D amplifier boards are a lottery when it comes to getting a well implemented version. Few of these are being built with top audio quality in mind and more as in masse low cost electronic projects. While class AB for audio reproduction has been around for longer than class D the latter has come a long way in sound quality. I have several class AB, class H and class D amplifiers which I switch all the time in my main system just for fun and I personally like both class AB and D, AB for efficient speakers and D for inefficient speakers (class D drives them with less effort because of its efficiency by sending more of the power from the power supply in to the speakers vs. wasting it as heat). I have tried 3 class AB boards, a pair of lateral mosfet boards, a pair of vertical mosfet boards and a pair of bipolar boards vs. a well implemented pair of class D LJM IRS2092s boards using identical +70v/-70v linear power supplies and A/B listened through several bookshelves and tower speakers using the same source and music material. The major difference between them I subjectively noticed was that the class D boards because of their efficiency (+/-90%) made better use of the power supply and sounded louder with less effort vs. the class AB boards which run at lower efficiency (+/- 50%). At the same matched output power at normal listening levels they sounded pretty much the same IMO. For well implemented versions of class D (and class AB) amplifier boards see the IRS2092 boards by LJM, all products by SURE electronics, Connex Electronics and HIFIMEDIY. Class AB are easier to implement and more forgiving when it comes noise to the point that several do-it-yourselves have built amplifiers with point to point soldering rather than using a breadboard using class AB chips LM3886 without impacting their performance, this approach is impossible to implement with a class D chip without messing up its performance and noise. The best low power amplifiers I have heard are the Trends Audio 10.1 using the Tripath Ta2024 chip, a board using the TA2020 and a board from HIFIMEDIY using the TK2020. The TI chips can't compete with Tripath IMO

[@DaGoose]

Neither of the chips in the video are from TI, they’re from ST Microelectronics. ST seems to have better chipsets over TI. The biggest concern with a lot of Class-D amplifiers today is that they suffer from low bandwidth. They have less dynamic range than the linear amp counterparts. This means most Class-D amplifiers won’t have as “vibrant” sound as Class-ABs or other linear amplifiers. The output filters also have some play in the fidelity of a Class-D amp. Poorly designed output filters can result in fatigue and muddy highs. Class-Ds can be great but their filter design in most electronics are terrible. High end configurations almost always get them right, but they can be very expensive. This videos aims to compare a typical Class-D amp configuration with a typical Class-AB for a better real world comparison.

[@rickhedez521]

​@@DaGoose Agreed but If the video aims to compare a typical Class-D amp configuration with a typical Class-AB for a 'better real world comparison' then these no name boards from eBay are a far cry. The word typical implies a complete amplifier with a properly designed power supply designed for it included in its chassis or separately, it doesn't need to be expensive btw. That's as important as anything else. For amplifier boards the LJM L25 class AB and the LJM L25D class D would be a more real world comparison since they are designed by the same person and are properly implemented

[@DaGoose]

@@rickhedez521 The Class AB board I made myself using genuine parts. Whether or not they are “ebay” boards is besides the point. Many consumer electronics share similar characteristics as far as the design and amp chips used.

[@jpjay1584]

I have a Tripath Board 4*100W class-D Amplifier TK2050. (from Sure) is that worth building an amp and would you know how these types sound? thanks! (I am an electronic noob and rely on infos online but its not always easy to filter out the right answers)

[@Yes_Piano]

Class AB is the winner in sound quality and fidelity aspect, class D is more compact, thus it need less power or has more efficiency but the sound is less realistic.

[@7thSenpai]

When it comes to more serious listening it seems class AB is better. But I am very interested in class D efficiency in low power applications. Sometimes you are looking for just a 5W max amplifier that can tune in radio listening which is in itself not high def anyway. Class D has its place imo.

[@RCutOffakavEM]

AB sounds more open, less compressed bigger

[@wilsont1010]

Is it a typical problem with Class D amp that smooth vocal can be distorted by a drum beat?

[@Drekielvsk]

The treble from class D sounds more immersive for me idk

[@johndyson4109]

I like class H myself.. Class H provides the best of both worlds..

[@83RED_]

To my ears, class D has strange representation on high frequencies. sounded muddier. something after 15kHz, kinda aliasing subtle, but noticeable. But you can only hear if do a very quick A/B comparison less then one second during changes avoiding letting your ear to adapt

[@DaGoose]

That’s common in class D amplifiers due to them having low pass filters on their outputs. it’s usually a design flaw with the low pass filter rather than the class D amp itself.

[@eprpop]

I bet you can't hear more than 10khz....

[@Cenkolino]

@@DaGoose Its by design. You can trick the masses with that distorted shit as long as its cheap and they get duped into thinking that a Class D 15 Watt AMP is all you will ever need. Bullshit!

[@MuhammadKareem1]

Is AB sound Louder ,Open and Fresh and the D is Low soundless and faded ?

[@paulcheeba]

The transients on the D were faster and sharper. But if I was listening at home and not on ATC's I'd prefer the AB to relax too.

[@KevinMcCann-c2y]

Great video to get people to really think about what type of sound speaks to them. To be fair however the circuit topology and quality of parts used in their construction are vastly different, thus the old adage comparing apples and oranges. Again great way to get everyone involved (digging deeper) in making the right choice for them. Be careful as you could be responsible for creating the addiction we audiophiles suffer from for a life time :}

[@basukisugito3275]

Many of class D amps you can hear a low noise when no signal input "or no sound input", like a listen to radio when you have no radio signal. Sound quality class AB amps always win among budget amps.

[@flaviomaia5377]

Tpa3116d2 is better, and tpa3255 is even better.

[@sarisarientertainment7721]

class AB sounds cleaner, maybe it's better to use it in the midhigh. But class D is more efficient power, it is better to use it in low or subwoofer 😊

[@benjaminfranklin414]

Not to say which one sounds better, here, Class D seems to have a bit more clarity on different instruments.

[@DaGoose]

Most Class D amps have weaker high frequency response than Class AB and other linear amps. This creates a dampening effect on some instruments.

[@benjaminfranklin414]

@@DaGoose Can you please share the URL on which time slices of this vid, you hear the dampening effects between AB vs D on the same track?

[@oskarsfreimanis8192]

Thanks for video. It would be nice to find out the heating of bouth amplifiers. What is temperature difference?

[@DaGoose]

Class D amplifiers always run cooler over the Class AB counterparts

[@oraz.]

The class ab sounded like it extended higher.

[@YNUS1]

Вы смотрели ролик в котором сравниваются средний по качеству усилитель АБ класса с усилителем Д класса низкого качества. Конечно тут лучше будет выглядеть усилитель класса АБ. Сравнение не справедливое.

[@manusudha4269]

Class AB has a fuller sound and smoother In fact a few hours ago i was testing class AB and class D myself ..

[@Ezees23]

Class AB crushes the Class D amp, IMHO. This when listening through my HEK Stealths.....

[@neogeo106]

Great video! Thanks!

[@kasperschmidt5665]

The Class ab had less noise and more pronounced/clear bass.

[@mikebiron7339]

Although not a fair test (my desktop speakers are powered by class D amplifier), and KZbin audio compression, I did hear a clear difference between them. Class A absolutely won in my opinion. Better clarity, stronger mid range, higher highs too. Class D was subtle and not exciting. Although the class D did sound good, the difference was huge. I prefer class A for everything, but it's getting harder and harder to find good quality units for car, house, Bluetooth speakers, etc....

[@frankfarago2825]

There are Classd-A amps. Class-B amps. And Class AB amps. Are you sure you are talking about Class-A amps and not about Class-AB amps?

[@NoneYaBiz200]

Biggest problem with class d amps is that they limit current so the music is not able to flow making it sound compressed

[@Edward135i]

I like the sound of the class D better, I listened to this through my Denon AVR x4700h receiver that uses a class A/B Amplifier with Klipsch KL-650 THX speakers running in stereo mode.

[@sanskar_vines8049]

on building high quality portable speaker with good sound what amp you will suggest ? ab or d?

[@kalangototal]

If you want quality and high fidelity audio, you have to choose AB amplifiers. The AB class is a combination of A class and B class, without the worse part. A class, have high fidelity of audio, but comsumpting more energy. B class, have more eficiency of energy, but have distorcion and lack on (mid) audio. Class D is not bad at all, but in some details, the audio loss. Its main advantage is the smallest space and low energy consumption.

[@jenshoefer7944]

​@@kalangototalab for portable? What? Want carry a heavy battery and heatsink? Class D all the way of course!

[@kalangototal]

@@jenshoefer7944 Each amplifier has its moment, there are reduced versions of them, the class AB, unfortunately requires more energy and a heat sink. In this case, class D is more advantageous here, but it depends on the project. But there are portable versions of class ABs for specific projects, it depends on what type of portable the person wants, even in small sound devices, an AB is still viable. Low power, low thermal dissipation general purpose transistors can be used. everything will depend on the project. If the person wants a reduced portable, the D in this case will be ideal. I ended up not being specific.

[@jenshoefer7944]

@@kalangototal what is a reduced portable? And why D for "reduced" portable? I think it's time for all those guys living in the past century to acknowledge that d class gained massively and when it comes to portable concepts or "true to source" d class is the choice. But well, some people always have difficulties with progressive developments

[@kalangototal]

@@jenshoefer7944 My dear colleague knows everything, before the D class, there were only the A and B classes, and then the AB class was introduced, there are some AB classes that are portable, and they are still in production. But given the advantage in relation to energy consumption, Class Ds are ideal for these projects. The same thing, if you stop to compare on the scale of "progressive development" Video and mainstream sites still use Tapes and HDs, which for many, would also be considered technically as "that technology companies for you, would also have difficulties with progressive development". I'm just saying as a source of curiosity, that yes, there are reduced versions of the Class AB for portables, but the Class D does have its advantages. But to emphasize... each amplifier will have its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of project. I also don't deny that there are excellent Class Ds on the market, but they are very expensive (and not for portables, but full end audio systems). Can you understand what I mean, or can't your ego understand?

[@sajyho1988]

A test with a scope and THD measurement could be a good one

[@hunkydorian]

Nobody cares about THD any more. My amplifier has a high THD and it sounds wonderful.

[@Mangputt]

Do you mind if share the "Coarse" schematic of AB Amp?

[@DaGoose]

github.com/DaGooseYT/dagoosebox

[@mmer1207]

D amps I guess can be good for Auto mobile Application but at Home I still Prefer old school AB and a Vinyl Player, Any of you share teh same? Take care and keep well and healthy!

[@davestevens4193]

I don't think you are going to learn much from a couple of low end amps. The flagship Marantz PM-10 is class D and retails for $9K. Iron fist in a velvet glove.

[@patricedupuis6108]

The AB amp sounds more organic to my ears.

[@lazzer408]

You're slurring so quickly i couldn't make out the part number of the IC. What is it?

[@DaGoose]

STA540

[@deedolan399]

Intelligent. Thanks for the information sir.

[@brentmydland5176]

Do you have your pcb available? Or kits?

[@DaGoose]

PCB gerber and BoM can be found at github.com/DaGooseYT/dagoosebox I don’t sell any prebuilt PCBs or kits though.

[@tharii314]

Jeez, the Class D one is just noticeably hissy!

[@MickyMouseLimited]

It would of made even bigger difference if you had used an actual toroidal transformer with leaner power supply for the class ab amplifier.

[@MickyMouseLimited]

Good point. I will test the theory. I have both so we will see what sounds better.

[@karlschauff7989]

Or an actual hifi class d amp like the Purifi Eigentakt or Hypex Nilai, or one of the many big name amplifier manufacturers using those amplifier modules, like NAD or PS audio.

[@umut-27]

Thank you Bro👍

[@everetthudson4741]

Duck Duck DaGoose Good info sir!!

[@artofthereal]

Please chapter the video for easier comparisons.

[@TekCroach]

Frankly, I couldn't find much difference. I think people are having mass hysteria when they talk about sounds. Presence of some low level noise is not perceptible unless you "meditate" on it. Psychoacoustically, most people are merely subjective when offering their opinions. I don't think a faint white noise would make a fuss.

[@yamaoctave3928]

Class D doesn't have that low-end finesse of class AB.

[@adrianoamatucci989]

Il suono dipende quasi esclusivamente dagli altoparlanti. Ho una coppia di AR M1 pilotate da un poccolo amplificatore in classe D. Forse è stato un caso, forse sono fortunato ma un suono così pulito e presente non lo avevo ancora provato. Saluti da Roma.

[@ZuNunchaku]

any video class AB vs class T?

[@abreyu]

class T is a commercial name for class D...

[@DevBone42]

Volume match for a more accurate comparison!

[@frankfarago2825]

Superb video. Well, I like Class H and Class G amps a hair better, but D (PWM) and AB are the most prevalent today. Of these two, AB beats the pants off of Class D. Class D is so bad, many folks are returning their Gen. 4 KRK Rokits because of the crazy-high self noise / hiss. So KRK brought back their Class AB amped monitors, calls them "Classics" and voilá -- problem solved. Don't bother with any Class D. Just get anything with AB while you still can.

[@hernanr4348]

exact! for "modern" music that is all electronic maybe the class d will do it better since it sounds "robotic" but for real music class ab or a. ;)

[@Cenkolino]

Pure Class A has till the best sound. Checkout the Dartzeel stuff, for example. The best AMPs in the world. Guess what their design is? Yup, Purely Class A. Nobody who does critical listening would even think about Class D garbage.

[@karlschauff7989]

You realize that NAD is getting rave reviews by Stereophile for the class D amps, right? They're using high end amplifier modules from Purifi. Hypex is another amplifier module designer that makes some really highly praised class d stuff. There's a youtube channel called Alpha Audio that has done a lot of A/B comparisons of these class d amps against fantastic Nelson Pass amplifiers and the results are very very surprising.

[@dongwarrenmusic]

Class D is more hiss but no hum, Class AB is less hiss but has a hum. I think Class D is more ok for me, just do some proper filtering.

[@sunnysree]

Super information

[@umut-27]

class d for subwoofer A/B class should be used for midrange speakers👍

[@jtkrpm1]

Like the difference between cd and mp3

[@chelle315]

I always thought class D ampswere better for systems with subwoofers.

[@jcvcomfg1]

ab sounds better , d is distorted

[@weareelectricgi]

class D sounds crystal clear

[@faisalmystic2827]

Unfair comparison...... Tda7294 100watt vs unkown class d possibly 2x40 watt tpa3116 You should have

[@DaGoose]

the output power has nothing to do with the comparison that was made in this video. those are not the parts either.

[@pabitraproblemandsolution4833]

Class T amplifiers are not that good because of the low voltage. If you give too much, it will go bad easily। tpa3110 😂 LA4440 BEST

[@MikeleKonstantyFiedorowiczIV]

D is great for phone as a bluetooth

[@umut-27]

Class A and Class AB amplifier + Aux connection ❤👌 ( Bluetooth is a bad audio quality )🤢🤮

[@showtime302]

Ab for mids ands highs D for the lows

[@erickcudal]

Class d is wins clears sound and smoth because the power filtering the sound

[@johndyson4109]

The 3 first choices are basically GARBAGE to a CLASS H amp. Class a, ab, d are all swell but made by MATTEL!! Where's the class H sound test!?

[@Karmenko00]

Class AB is the Best

[@sunil_ultra]

Listening your video audio with a class d amplifier

[@theeprox]

I heard from the 1st go that thee Class D does not compete by a mile and it sounds terrible. Thank you

[@meyawabdulaziz3863]

AB all the way

[@luigisan6673]

Class d always win

[@dgib1694]

I cannot tell them apart here

[@nearchd504]

I have used about 3 types of class d amps based on ic and they had smd components, only tpa 3110 last long for 6 months, then I bought mosfet based class d amps with regular big components and it blew up, then second time I bought it, tested it and ran on recomended voltage, but after 10 min a diode lost its magic smoke, class d are not robust at all.

[@dilipn2761]

Ohh, that's very sad, in your opinion which board good class ab or a

[@nearchd504]

@@dilipn2761 I have 500w rms class ab 5 amplifier modules class ab type which have 5200/1943 , five pairs in output stage. They are 5 year old and still running strong.

[@Cenkolino]

@@dilipn2761 Class A, purely. Nothing sounds better than that. Yes, it needs lots of energy and produces lots of heat. But as an old german saying goes: "Von nichts kommt nichts!" = From nothing the only outcome is nothing.

[@donepearce]

the moment you said that the gains were set 1dB different I stopped listening.

[@jessebeatty9696]

Why

[@donepearce]

@@jessebeatty9696 Are you serious? 1dB difference in gain may or may not be discerned as a volume change, but the louder one will always be perceived as higher quality. This is psychoacoustics 101. This is why you gain match to 0.1dB maximum.

[@DaGoose]

the gains are locked, so that is not possible with these to tune the precise gain with these boards. besides, the gain tolerance for most amps is usually +/-1dB, so it’s possible there’s a 1-2dB difference between two amps anyways even if the gain is advertised as equal.

[@donepearce]

@@DaGoose You have to deal with that if you want to make comparisons. An external attenuator in the higher gain path may be necessary. But without deent equalisation any comparison is meaningless.

[@neiliewheeliebin]

I guess class D is only good for Subs, provided you get a good one

[@ChristianPinnock-r4s]

Yeah I have a 200w sony class d powered subwoofer but I think class ab is still the dominant king around here ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@kapitanden5040]

Old skool amp is da best

[@vicluu8026]

This video means nothing at all. There are so many design amongst class AB and many design amongst class D. I respect the creator of this video for his technical skill, but he only compares 1% of class AB population against 1% of class D population.

[@DaGoose]

What do want me to do? Grab every class AB and class D amps in existence just to compare them? Your demand is unrealistic. You’re right that designs are different but most of them are indistinguishable in terms of the listening experience. I don’t think you realize that both amps compared in this video represent typical “off the shelf” amps.

[@frankfarago2825]

Hey, Major Dumbo. OP compared one Class-D amp with a comparable size, price, and complexity Class AB amp. Dude, go and fly a kite.

[@fintansky9369]

@@frankfarago2825simp

[@ChristianPinnock-r4s]

Yeah it's like a Trump vs Biden war Biden is class Ab while Trump is class d

[@markmark8174]

The class D has a hiss

[@muhendisabi1697]

class d bright as it allways should be…

[@brunobassi2440]

AB

[@linandy1]

Yeah but your comparison is with super cheap junk.

[@DaGoose]

“cheap junk” lmao I bet you’ve never designed audio amplifiers before. Numerous consumer electronics in modern times use chipsets similar to these amps.

[@linandy1]

@@DaGoose yes, i do build and play with electronics. That is how i noticed the cheap chip amp. Ice power amplifier modules are much better sound quality.

[@autobotavengerfireballxl5339]

ab for the win i love them if it aint broke don't fix it