Class D amplifiers have many virtues. They can be powerful, of small footprint, very efficient with low heat dissipation and made in bulk so per-unit cost is competitive. The point of bulk production is the fact that only a handful of OEM manufacturers cater to this market which makes up more than 80% of the appliances sector. Think of devices like car radios, televisions and such. Another portion of the OEM class D market is professional audio. Active speakers and PA systems all benefit from efficient high-power modules. Last but not least comes the high-end part of the business catering to the audiophile.

We have personally watched modules arriving at the Dutch Hypex facilities in bulk from production sites abroad to be quality checked. These were immense amounts of amplifier circuit boards. Faulty modules or modules out of spec simply get tossed for recycling. That’s more economical than repairing them.