The End Of Big Iron?

Class D amps are taking over for traditional big heavy Class A/B amps.

I think some go up to 1000 watts into 8 ohm, but I find 500 w/ch Class D to never break a sweat in my application.

That's still way more juice than most people would have ever been able to apply practically prior.

"Nowadays, many speaker manufacturers have moved away from very inefficient acoustic suspension designs and are using more efficient bass reflex variants and even some really efficient horn-loaded configurations."

Maybe, but most "quality" speakers you see these days are small to fit mot peoples lifestyles better and go for an extended low end to boot, which means they are inherently inefficient and benefit from watts and current.

Flip side is many with these speakers don't realize the shortcomings they may be living with in lieu of 250w/ch or more often needed to realize full potential and/or they don't care all that much even if they do.

Class D is basically high efficiency amp technology that is newer than traditional Class A or B, but has come into its own these days when power and current is still needed but not the size, bulk, and cost.

I love my Class D amps and will likely never look back from here. That includes tube amps as well.

BCgator,

I am always looking at what I would buy next for whatever reason. I always find so many great options that I think will sound really good that it makes it hard to decide. In the end, I find I save money as a result of indecision.

if the stuff I have were not doing well for whatever reason, then that adds a sense of urgency. If it ain't broke, I tend to not fix it. But it is also fun sometimes just to play and try different things.

Higher efficiency class d amps up the ante in terms of power available when needed. Very "green" as well.

lass g is older technology. I had a hitachi sr 804 once. Nice piece but pretty average sound.

Class. D is much more sophisticated modern technology that makes sense to me. When I read about class g it does not sound like such a great idea anymore.

I'd be more interested in tube amps if class d did not turn out to float my boat so well. Class d offers some good attributes of both ss and tube sound.

Two extreme ways to go these days it seems to me. More efficient amps to get the most out of popular smaller less efficient speakers or power hungry low output tube amps with very large efficient speakers. At least if we are talking full range in larger rooms.

"A simple and inexpensive means of dealing with hot amplifiers, tube or solid state, is to install ceiling ventilation with ductwork to move the warmed air out of the building. "

Installing new duct work is simple?

I guess its all relative.