Is a GAn amp worth the switch?

I heard two HiFi Rose GaN integrated amps. They were not hard sounding, but had a hint of creaminess that I thought was very inviting to listen to.

GaN transistors are a technical advancement for sure.   However I suspect the application of the technology is not fully mature yet and will continue to improve overall.  So far what I have heard (Atmasphere and AGD) sounds very good but for a bit of a premium, which is reasonable.  I’m sure there are others as well and will be many more to come. 

When implemented correctly, they can sound as good as Class A, Class AB, SOME,,,NOT ALL Tube designs.

IMO/IME they can sound better than any tube design. For this reason I think tube power amplifiers are on borrowed time.

less then 25% of the actual cost goes into the build . I owned a Audio dealership 

and know from speaking with engineers ,I have seen Wild claims of 10 x mark up 

There are two ways of pricing high end audio products, just as there are two ways of pricing anything else, like cameras or bicycle parts. The first way is according to a formula, which allows the manufacturer to pay all the bills and still make a profit, making it worthwhile to do it again. Typically, depending on overhead, the formula is between 3 and 5x markup.

The second way is to charge what the market will bear, based on the market's perception of the value of the product (the perception of greater value based on price alone is known as the Veblen Effect). An example of this kind of markup in the bicycle world is Campagnolo.

Equipment based on a formula will often bat well above its price range. This is especially true in high end audio where pricing to what the market will bear is very common.

It’s only a different type of high speed transistor , GAN there is far more to it then that in the design ,it’s a good selling point ,plan on spending over $4k or more 

less then 25% of the actual cost goes into the build . I owned a Audio dealership 

and know from speaking with engineers ,I have seen Wild claims of 10 x mark up 

possibly with some brand Audio clables , but not normally with Electronics 

4-1 ratio is a average ,but not set in store.

I've been using an Orchard Audio Ultra Amplifier for going on 2 years now with no issues sonically or reliability wise. GaN FET is where things are going as traditional high power MosFet type device are becoming depleted with many companies no longer manufacturing certain part #'s anymore. 

When implemented correctly, they can sound as good as Class A, Class AB, SOME,,,NOT ALL Tube designs. The market is getting crowded as more high profile manufacturers are either looking or already developing/selling GaN FET Amplification.

As the other GaN FET forums here have outlined. Out of the box, they sound amazing. With some next level Audiophile tweaks (signal path Capacitors, signal path wiring, and even binding posts/XLR/RCA connections of a higher grade than the stock offerings. 

They can become something special at a huge weight savings. Switching or Traditional Power Supplies. One works just as good as the other. Pick you weight class !

I paired up a GaN 400 with a Rogue RP-1 preamp to very nice results. Didn't hear the usual class D issues (treble hardness, etc.). Switched the stock output tubes in the Rogue to Gold Lions and was rewarded with more detail and instrument separation and a smoother top end.

I just saw a review of the Freya S vs. Freya +. The S is supposed to have some hardness on the top, so it doesn't sound like a good match with the GAN400 that exhibits this trait too.

I am listening to the LRS+ and the PeachTree GAN400 as I type this. The GAN400 has a bit of hardness on the top that is not evident in a much more expensive amp I tried with LRS+. However, I can say that the PeachTree GAN1 is much better on the LRS+ and other speakers and almost rivals a system that cost 10x more. I only got to that conclusion after I got it modded for $500 by tweakaudio.com. You can only stream to it and the Bluesnode is a recommended streaming device for it. I have a better fibre streamer.

I owned the NOVA 150 for a few years and did not like it that much, but it made sense to use it until circumstances changed. The GAN1 and the GAN400 are much better than the NOVA 150. Though the weakness in the NOVA is the preamp part and not the amp (I tested this out).

I also owned the Freya+ and that tube warmth may work nicely with the slight harness of the GAN400. You have a 30-day home trial to test it out.