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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#classb #classab #amplifier

-----Music Attribution-----
DaGoose intro music (0:21 - 0:33):
Song: Giraffe Squad - Wait For Me [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds.

Test music:

[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.

[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.

[dshnt]

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.

[howardskeivys]

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.

[ron]

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.

[chriscall]

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

[jasonmc.dougall]

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...

[rawux]

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.

[flaviomaia]

Tpa3116d2 is better, and tpa3255 is even better.

[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.

[siriosstar]

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 .

[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.

[juniorsilvabroadcast]

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

[veyjaendiape]

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

[wilsont]

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

[TheLazyYoutuber-ioqc]

What about how much electric both takes?

[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.

[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

[guillermomartin]

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.

[RCutOffakavEM]

AB sounds more open, less compressed bigger