That's a great looking thing, especially with tubes. I wish my next amp would look similar.
Class D amplifiers. What's the future look like?
I have a number of amplifiers: Luxman C900U, Bryston 4BSST2, Audio Research VSI 60 Integrated, NAD C298 and some other less noteworthy units. As I swap them in and out of my main system, I've come to the conclusion my very modest NAD C298 is about all I really need. Granted if I had extremely hard to drive speakers, I might be better with the Bryston or Luxman, but driving my Harbeth 40.2 speakers, the NAD is just fine.
I thought a while ago that class D would quickly overtake amplifier design type mainly due to profit margin which I think would be much greater than A/B and tube. I'm not saying the other design styles would go away, just that D would be the most common style.
Clearly my prediction is not panning out, at least in the mid and high-end audio world and I'm wondering why? It seems companies such as Bryston, Luxman, McIntosh, Hegel and so many others are sticking by A/B. I'm no "golden ears" guy, but is the perceived sound issue(weather real or imaginary) still holding D back? Maybe my assumption of profit margin is not correct? Maybe the amplifier manufacturers are experimenting with D, but keeping tight lipped until release? Perhaps brand loyalists don't want change similar to what happened with "new coke". What else am I missing?
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Agreed. HiFi+ and TAS reviews (among others) are utter garbage because they almost never compare the review sample directly to any competitive product and often don’t even disclose the relevant component in their reference system. As such, their reviews are basically useless and IMHO serve as nothing more than a product advertisement. My theory on this is twofold: 1) Not comparing a review sample directly to a competitive product almost completely absolves the reviewer of any accountability or being pinned down on any assertions he/she makes — they just wax poetic about whatever they “think” or “feel” at the time. The mags that don’t do comparisons parrot the same line that “it’s unlikely anyone has that specific comparison piece in their system.” Hogwash!!! The fact is humans are very good at relative comparisons and much worse at judging individual things in a vacuum. Relative comparisons are almost always the most important and useful part of any thorough review. 2) It allows the reviewer, and thus the magazine, to spit out “reviews” at a much faster rate as making actual equipment comparisons significantly increases the time to write a review. When I wrote reviews for Soundstage! a product comparison section was mandatory, and if a reviewer didn’t have or couldn’t get a comparable piece to do a relevant comparison to the product under review they didn’t get to do the review. Period. That, IMO, is the right and only way to do a thorough and meaningful review. Sorry for the sidetrack, but I thought @ricevs hit on a very salient point that warranted some emphasis. |
Ralph mentioned musical instrument amps. I have a 700 watt class d quilter for bass, and it does the job. I think digital for guitar is very much a debate. I think for clean sounds class d is great. The nuance of an overdriven marshall is the sort of thing folks are not quite there on—but as with all things digital—the technology improves over time. Many bar-playing musicians say the guitar amp emulation is not 100% but its close enough to use on stage and not hump heavy amps around. As to audiophile, my assessment of Ralph over 40 years is that when he says his amp sounds great, I believe him. Over the years many golden ear types thought his amps sounded good, so he must have a good ear or have access to one.Switching technology is a different paradigm altogether, and its not hard to imagine tubes and linear transistors becoming extremely niche. I wish the best for ARC, and I hope they have this sort of thing in development. |
That's it...I just got meself a brilliant business idea. My Class D-iddly amp company will, hereby, be known as "Exo-sphere", i.e., what you hear from my amp will launch you all the way past the atmosphere into the exosphere itself. You will be a lick away from feeling the eternally blakkkk background of space when you listen to my D-iddly amp. I am gonna buy some kits from aliexpress for a 150 bucks with shipping. I will sprinkle some sodium chloride inside the chassis, light some incense and do a shamanistic dance with it. Thereafter, I will gorilla glue a fake gold label called "Exosphere" on it. Price = 5700 USD, Exosphere profit per unit = 5550 USD Thereafter, i will create a hidey account and play the pied piper for my product for a few months. I will pretend that i'm a completely ecstatic customer overjoyed with a Exosphere Class D-iddly amp. I will also pay a couple of other forum pied pipers to sing eternal ecstatic prose about my D-iddly amp. As all you boys hand me your hard earned cash and empty your retirement accounts, I will laugh all the way to the bank and cash the checks selling Exosphere amps for 5700 a pop. When i see my cousin/my brotha from anotha motha (you know who) snickering away, cashing his checks at the bank, we will hug, hold hands, laugh together and get sloshed at the bar next door to the bank....Oh yeah...baby....Oh yeah...early retirement, here i come....
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