High End Amp Price Collapse musings

@johnk Has a point. It's not about the technology, it is about what the market will bear.

@audiofreak32
This is kind of my point. If you insist that a PASS is the very best (which you may) then no matter how good another amp sounds, if it is different, it won't be "as good" to you. So this "when will amp X ever be as good or better than amp Y" is kind of a setup.

From my perspective, having heard a nice, full Pass set-up, I cannot justify the spend vs. my Class D amps based on sound quality alone. Nor do I have the room or electricity budget! :)

My point is, Class D is very very good. Anyone waiting for Class D to reach "high end" is just not being objective. It has been there for years. If you want it to sound like your peculiar flavor of amp, well that's another thing. Yes, I have my own particular peculiarities too! :) I'm just saying, the wait for excellent Class D has been over for a while, but I must resign myself that my B&O powered amps will never sound like a pair of Conrad Johnson Premier 8, which you should all bow and worship... (hahahaha, j/k, but it IS my fave all time).

In any event, always make yourself happy with the money you spend.

Best,


E

I think the 'perfect' amp should 'sound' like an exact performance of what is being amplified with zero distortion.  Class D is getting there.  How far has class A really evolved over the past 20 years?  A lot of people posting here claim their 20 year old amps sound better than anything Class D - most still haven't indicated what make/model 'inferior' Class D amps they have recently listened to as comparison - which makes their claims irrelevant.   Further, if a company has a 'signature' sound to their amp/equipment then inherently it is not a correct reproduction of the source no matter how good it sounds.    Put a perfect amp on a good source (which includes preamplification) with good speakers and imaging and sound-stage are going to take care of themselves.  Maybe reviewers will eventually stop using adjectives like 'warm', 'cold', 'fast', 'thin' when reviewing amplifiers - those adjectives could be then used towards source material 

@jimman2

Well, there’s a good argument to have. In the end, we don’t spend money to make oscilloscopes or microphones happy, it is all about what moves us to connect with and replay music, by ourselves or with those we love.

I think there is room for perfection as well as colorful re-production in that.


Best,

E

The thread has lost its focus on the original proposal, which is that IF class D becomes accepted by audiophiles there may be a glut of expensive "Big Iron" on the market at fire sale prices. Many have simply commented that that the IF will not happen because of quality differences between Class A, AB and D, real or perceived.

I would propose that the IF has actually begun to happen as more high end companies release their improved class D designs. I myself am entering into the research phase for new amplification for my 20 year old class massive class A/AB amplified 2 channel set up. One of the products I'm interested in is the BHK Signature 300 Monoblocs from PS Audio, a hybrid tube input/Mosfet output stage design of Bascom King.  At $15k MSRP they are expensive, but far from outlandishly so compared to many other products out there. That is low end Pass and medium end ARC, for example.  But Paul McGowan and his team are releasing a class D mono block that lists for 1/5th the price which naturally piques my curiosity. While I hope that the cheaper amps will not outperform or even remotely equal the sonics of their more expensive brethren, the question will most certainly be how musically satisfying are they for 1/5th the price.  If the answer is anything north of 80%, or simply fine nuance differences, I would have to seriously think about it before pulling the trigger on the 300s. Obviously since I am even considering the 300s I can afford them, but that is certainly not the case for many audiophiles.  $15k amps probably reside in $50k systems realistically.  But in a $20k system, which probably represents a lot of audiophiles, $3k amps would allow more opportunity to upgrade speakers, or add a music server or analog rig, etc. This will be good for high end manufacturers and I hope to see the technology continue to improve.

Agreed! I am listening to a Lyngdorf 2400 that is Class D and simply outstanding! Easily makes it obvious I can sell off those back breaking  70 pound amps of my past. This amp is simply outstanding!