DEBATE: Analog vs Digital - Class D vs Old School Amps

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Originally Posted by TOLMACH

I can easily hear differences between amps. Lots of nice and relatively expensive amps have their unique @sound style@. I totally love hybrid amps (with tube pre amp and AB amp) for full range purposes (butler, eos mozart/verdi, poweramper xp, etc.).

Re D vs AB/B topology. I have liimited exposure to D amps, but the mass market models like Alpine pdx sound worse in mid and high ranges than decent AB/B amps. No experience with expensive ones.

My 0.02

There's several good reasons why you can hear the differences between amplifiers. You noticed my missive on the difference between amplifiers? I took out all the easily distinguishing variables that have absolutely nothing to do with pure signal amplification. You DON'T need a crossover, equalization, or other processing for amplifying the signal. Take those variables out and run the output of any amplifier side by side in a double blind listening test...you won't be able to hear the difference 10 out of 10 times, heck, even a majority of the time. You'd simply be guessing leaning on luck to give you the right answer.

That being said...with all the mitigating factors added in...sure! You can hear the difference between amplifiers. I can as well. I still submit that the hearing difference has more to do with amplitude differences than with the other factors I mentioned.