Old Amp vs. New Amp

petrela,

     I think you need to make a distinction between the older tube and class A amps and the older class A/B amps.     

     Good quality older tube and class A amps would likely offer the best bargains.  These amps offer great sound quality at reduced prices as long as you're aware that some of them may require extra expenses to keep them functioning at optimum levels.

     The performance of good quality older class A/B amps, however, are equaled or bettered by numerous modern amps using newer technology.  In my experience, there are absolutely no advantages to be gained by using class A/B amps rather than good class D amps.  
     
      Older class A/B amps can be bought at lower prices but the true bargains are the numerous reasonably priced class D amps that currently outperform them on all important audio criteria while also being a fraction of the size and weight, more efficient and cooler running.

     I honestly cannot think of a single advantage you would gain by buying an older class A/B amp.  Unless your budget is $10k or more, I believe you'd be better served eliminating all class A/B amps, older and current models, from consideration.

Just my opinion based on experience,
   Tim

" Thanks for your input.  Honestly I am a little skeptical about class D.  I don't really have a reason to be though."  

   
   petrela,

     Very normal and healthy to be skeptical.  I was initially skeptical, too.  

      About 3 yrs ago, my older class A/B Aragon 4004 MKII died of old age due to leaking caps in the power supply.  I didn't want to spend $1,000 to repair an almost 20 yr old amp so I bought a classDaudio SDS-440CS amp for $630.   I thought this would be a temporary solution until I bought another good quality class A/B amp for considerably more money.  I figured there was little risk since it came with a money back guarantee for 3 weeks.

     I was still skeptical when I was inserting this little amp into my system.  I thought: How could an amp that was 1/3rd the size, weight and price of my former Aragon match its performance? But this amp outperformed my old amp in every quality most of us care about; better bass control and response, much lower noise floor, better dynamics,more detailed while having a similar sound staging and smooth mid-range and treble response that never approached harshness.  It was the best amp I ever used in my system up to that point.

     I've noticed frequent skeptical posts from audio forum members about class D amps but rarely are they from actual users and it's typically fairly obvious from their comments that they've never even auditioned a good class D amp in their own system or any other system.

      Regardless,  I definitely think you'd be happy with an older tube or class A amp and possibly even with one that predominately operated in class A if you're willing to pay a steep price.
                    
Hope this helped you,
     Tim

" I had never heard of Classdaudio.  I just looked at their website.

Certainly something to consider."

     petrela,

      The good news is that classDaudio is only one of many companies offering very good class D amps.  My initial very good experience with a class D amp impressed me so much that I did a lot of internet research about the history of class D amps, from the 1st proposal in 1958 and the 1st commercially available amp in 1964 to the best current examples of class D using power modules from companies like Hypex and Anaview/Abletec. 

       But this fascination with class D only inspired me to want to try some of the latest examples in my own system. Fortunately, my limited budget also limited my subsequent class D amp purchases to the more reasonably priced versions.  

       My 2nd class D amp was an Emerald Physics EP-102 stereo amp (bought on sale for $600) and my last amp purchase was a pair of D-Sonic M3-600-M mono-blocks (just under $2,000/pr.).  

     All 3 of my class D amps share some similar sonic qualities: very good bass control and response, very low noise floors, powerful dynamics,exceptionally neutral, high levels of detail, solid and stable sound staging and smooth mid-range and treble response that never seems too bright. 

     From reports  from numerous class D amp owners using a wide variety of good class D amp brands and models on this and other audio forums,  they typically mention the same  sonic qualities that I mentioned above.  However, I still try to resist claiming all good class D amps sound the same because I've only personally listened to a small sample of them.

     If you'd like to explore some other good class D amps, I'd suggest a google search of 'class D home audio amps'.

      Tim