2. tech-talk
  3. 140750-110926

Digital, Low Mass, ClassD, Less expensive, Let it happen!

Well here we are! Not that you can't go back and buy boat anchors, but now we know sound is better with low mass designs. Digital source? Yep, the tide has turned. ClassD amplification is also here to stay. Lower mass speakers, on their way back too. The audiophile hobby is getting less expensive and better sounding.

I guess we can debate this, but it's happening anyway. The hobby is simply growing up and becoming more aware of how to get great sound, and get it smart. There has been a lot of myths passed down when we only had paperback magazines, mostly for marketing, but the internet has finally caught up with audio reality. Instead of $20,000.00 components we have $20,000.00 whole systems (including all the trimming). Shoot, there are $5,000.00 systems that excel. The Trade Shows are changing, the market is changing and we are changing. Want to stay old school? No problem, there will always be old school and plenty of used gear (at least for our lifetimes). There will also be smaller niche companies that spring up to tempt us.

The hobby is entering a new era for the extreme listener. It will be a hobby of doing and exploring Electrical, Mechanical and Acoustical as equals. Components will be much smaller and more flexible, and more time will be spent on playing our whole music collection, and not just a few recordings. Many HEA debates will be making their way to the archives as the hobby grows closer to mainstream. Mainstream as in higher quality audiophile mainstream.

Are you ready? I sure am!

Michael Green


http://www.michaelgreenaudio.net/

128x128michaelgreenaudio
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
In 1974 the FMI 80 was a very good low-priced speaker, better than many much more expensive models from other companies.
I went from Altec horns to FMI 80s (Fulton was here in Minnesota). Eventually I had a set of Js and then Premiers, before going in a different direction.

But that set of 80s I had are still alive- doing background music duty at a coffee shop in NE Minneapolis.

In the 90s we sought out some SET amps, since they were a sort of rising star back then, to see if there was anything we needed to be worried about. There wasn't. Class D- same thing, until just very recently. I've been of the opinion that class D was the rising star in amplification for some time, but that they just weren't fully realized.
All technologies follow a price/performance curve, with lots of investment initially with little performance gain. As the technology gets sorted out, big gains are made with little money so the tech improves rapidly during that time. When its mature, only small gains are made and with significant investment.

IMO only, we are somewhere in the middle to top of that curve; I don't think that class D technology is all that mature yet. The reason is that relatively small players like Merrill are able to make contributions that advance the art. Heck, we've even been able to do that. So I have to assume its still got a ways to go. At any rate, recent Class D amps are sounding a lot better than even just 5 years ago.
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
@stevecham 

Everybody though big class AB amps would just own the whole world in the 60's and 70's. And there are plenty of them to be sure. And if you try really hard and employ enough tricks you can get a class AB amp to sound as good as a simple class A amp, but even high bias class AB amps make more low level distortion than a good old fashioned class A amp. And class D has really only proven itself as good as a typical class AB amp. 
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio OP
643 posts
 

Kosst, I have a question for you.

How many of Nelson's amps have you owned? Many of us here are Nelson Pass fans (me included). I've owned quite a few of his designs and when reading your responses I ask myself how much experience does Kosst actually have with the equipment he makes comments about, like others here have questioned you.

I have had success with A AB and D, mainly because I've learned what they do through listening.

thanks

Michael

orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

teo_audio said it all for me. I don't listen with my conscious mind, it's too easily deceived; I listen with my "subconscious inner mind" that hears into the depths of the music, it can discern which reproduction is the best.

As an example; way back when people listened to the radio for music, it sounded good because they were listening to fine tube amps; especially on floor models; music lovers knew the newer SS radios didn't sound as good, but almost overnight, that's all that was available.

I put SS and Class D in the same category, although to be honest, I've never heard Class D.
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

In regard to interconnects, way back when people discovered they mattered, I bought good shielded wire in bulk and made my own. This was wire that was used for TV stations, so you know it was the highest of quality.

Word got around about my high quality interconnects, and what a difference they made. I only made them for my friends and whoever they sent my way; no, I was not interested in a new business, just doing favors for other audiophiles.

One day I went to place an order, and discovered that wire was no longer available for the public, you had to be commercial in order to purchase it. No wire, no more interconnects.


More to discover