How far have ss amps really come in the last twenty years?


I have owned and enjoyed my Jeff Rowland model 8 ( recently modded and upgraded by Jeff to the last version) for many years. I recently had the opportunity of comparing it ( after mods) to a few of the current ss models from Gamut, D'Agostino, YBA, Parasound, Sim audio, CH precision, Constellation,PS audio,Pass Labs  and Musical Fidelity. The results were very interesting, because to my ears and in the systems that we did the comparison, the Rowland held its own against all but the most expensive D'Ag and CH amps. Even those were only very slightly outclassing the Rowland in the areas of top end resolution...and a tad in the bottom end resolution. Now the thing is that the last revision to the Rowland 8 was designed by Jeff over ten years ago! 
So, my question for those more technically inclined than myself is...how far has the design of ss amps come in the last ten...or even twenty years? 
128x128daveyf

Showing 3 responses by audition__audio

roberjerman,

Please give us a list of all of your equipment. Also your age would be nice. I am seeing a distinct pattern.
I think that the improvements in SS amps exceeds those made with tube amps. Years ago there werent many SS designs that I could enjoy. Now there are many, mostly from Europe and very expensive. 
I am not a fan of Harbeth speakers so it is not surprising that I wouldnt agree with his take on many things audio.