GaN Class D amps are already outdated, it's time for GaN on Diamond!

Interesting.  Seems to be a ways from commercialization though...

@jaymark You are most likely correct. I thought it was interesting that the semiconductor industry has been playing around with synthetic precious gems since the late 1950’s. There was a recent article about HP using silicon on sapphire technology for floppy disk controllers, with a ridiculously low chip yield of 9% (i.e. 91% of the chips didn’t pass basic quality testing).

Guys it’s been around for years.  Checkout WolfSpeed / Cree. 

There is so much more in design then one component in the design 

one great part can help but it is the sum of the whole ,

the quality too of the other parts used ,let’s  see how it goes.

many have used theGan transistor as a marketing ploy

give it a fancy case and chsrge $20-$30 k for mono blocks 

I won’t say the names but several smaller companies used to be within reason 

now they think they are gold . I look much more for quality at a fair price 

the fancy machined case doesnot justify these  over priced items IMO.

The ONLY ADVANTAGE to a synthetic diamond base is heat transfer. But Class D already has that mastered. So where does this get you?? NOWHERE!! Class D audio amplification is NOT the purpose for a diamond substrate!! This is just so incredibly idiotic st SO MANY LEVELS!!!

@wolfie62 - so what is your preference when it comes to amplification? 

What happens when readers only see the headline and not the contents??

🤣

I got the new mcintosh class d just because it has the classic needles on meter with the blue hue.it might be a fancy case it's 2k more than my d sonic.it has 4 hype modules with mcintosh front end tweek.i don't even know if mcintosh outsourced it.mc1502.denon,marantz ,parasound and others have gotten on board so they don't lose Markey share and compition is a good thing .I like my ps audio 1200 too.i have a mix of class a,ab ,d,h and so on its like tube rolling.some of the chili tube stuff is ok but I like to buy american.enjoy the music stay healthy.

Chili should be chili got to love ai

Chifi

@mark200mph  - Now I'm curious, what do you have that is Class H?  How do you like it?

So the emotiva xpr 1 shiftr to class h in300wpc to to2 k wpc some of the old carver i think is class h like . Look at the specs on the emotiva xpr 1 it's as good as my michi m8 mono blocks

Yep, Carver definitely had some early class H designs. Some of them would go up in smoke too. Much later he realized his switching speed was too fast, and he’d end up in what we call a "race condition." Meaning, you have two circuits racing to be first, and sometimes it was a close tie and zap, short. :)

Of course, race conditions happen in software as well.

I believe in Carver's case it was a matter of one circuit not shutting off fast enough, sometimes.  IN that case you'd have two different voltage rails essentially short to each other, and hilarity ensued.

Have several carver amps including tubes all on surge protectors hope that keeps the house from going up.i like the 760x the specs on those are good but that was some of his last ones. They don't have grounds on the plug have read some shocking  experience as well

@wolfie62 

+1

My Aavik Amp uses the PASCAL Module...The best.

Its all about the overall design, and transistor technology moves forward, so non gan get better as well. But if a diamond ganfet costs $5,000, surely someone will hear a difference and have to have it. ;) Was not the crown K series class H? Cant find it with google, but I have a vague recollection…

Nothing in Hi Fi is outdated that sounds good. When the KT 150 tube came out it didn't make the 300B or the KT 88 or 845 tubes outdated..It just sounded different.

@koh_i_noor 

I like how you write (pun intended). 

 

But if a diamond ganfet costs $5,000, surely someone will hear a difference and have to have it. ;)

There is a journal named "Small." Now my non-existent almighty soul can rest in peace...