CLASS D IS IN SESSION!

摘要

Elementary amp-think: Very high-end audio systems use Class A amplifiers, which offer the best fidelity but generate the most heat and consume the most power. Class B amps, in comparison, serve up lower fidelity but are more efficient. Class A/B is a compromise between the two. Its fidelity is better than B but not as good as A, and A/B amplifiers generate more heat than Class B amps. This is all pretty bad news (and old news) for installed audio. Here, power efficiency and low heat release can be far more critical than they are in home audio or even in a studio. And low-fi signals can degenerate quickly into audible mud up in the balcony, as this writer can attest from a couple of recent concerts where we were late ticket-buyers.