Can anyone explain the classes there are for amplifiers?

Question

what do they mean??

what class is the best???

Answer 1

They are simply different designs and components used in making an amplifier.

Sparky is right about the different class but I want to point out one fact.  That is that class D amps are starting to become more common for more then just sub amps now.  The technology has improved enough where the distortion that used to be present before is not as it used to be.  Eclipse actually uses class D amps for 4-channel and 2-channel applications and they sound great.  

Since class D is much more efficient many companies will start making more of these amps instead of the usual class a or a/b amps.

Here is a link to more information about the different amp classes.  It gets pretty technical but it does a good job at explaining the difference between the amp classes.

http://www.bcae1.com/ampclass.htm

Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

No class is better than another. The choice depends on how the amp is to be used.

Class A/B amps are not efficient and require electrical upgrades with high power (1000 watts RMS total or higher) but the clarity is what pays off in the end for truly high end audio.

Class D amps are very efficient but have higher distortion levels. This isn't an issue though as you won't notice distortion with the lower frequencies.