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Amplification: what are the biggest advances of the last 40 years?

As an audiophile most of my adult life but without any engineering expertise, I wonder how amplification has advanced since I started in this hobby as a high school student in the eighties?

Specifically, what has advanced the state of the art and what, specifically, make newer products sound "better" than older ones?

Is it that circuit design has advanced so much?  Or is the bigger difference parts quality and the technology leading to these better parts?

And please, none of the banal "it all matters" comments.  What I'm asking: which of the above matters the most?


bobbydd

Showing 2 responses by bobbydd

bobbydd OP
99 posts
 
One reason I'm asking:

During a recent visit at my local dealer, I inquired as to why the new amplifier we were listening to was so expensive?

The reply was something to the effect that "well, the technology and parts quality of these newer generation " units are far beyond what was possible a few decades ago.  Also, that circuit design has advanced tremendously as a function of technology.

So I'm wondering how much any of these explanations are valid?
bobbydd OP
99 posts
 
Some audiophile friends and sales people are of the opinion that "older amplifiers are outdated' and therefore cannot compete with the better new high end amps".

Personally, I'm skeptical of such statements, hence my original post.

Is it true that the best newer amps always sound better than the best older units?  

Does either technology, better parts, or improved circuitry and engineering make such progress inevitable?

I have not personally compared many units of different vintages in my system to answer that question.  Maybe some here have?




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