GaN-based Class D power amps

though not relevant for HEA applications.

Think your wrong there, we need to look beyond the forest to see the trees.
The whole advancement of "affordable" hi-end GaN based technology Class-D amps making an impact, hinges on who will start making the "component level" GaN semiconductors.
So yes Analog devices and Texas Instruments making them is relevant to this thread, as if no BIG semiconductor manufacturers pick it up, you won’t have affordable GaN based Class-D amp to purchase, they’ll all be $10K+

Cheers George

As more class D audio amp manufacturers enter this market space, competition will drive down prices. The GaN-FET is a minor cost component to the overall design. End of chain designers acquire license to use the GaN-FET when they buy the GaN-FET’s from a GaN-FET manufacturer, to the extent that patents covering the GaN-FET are still in force. Those who buy their GaN-FET devices as part of somebody else’s GaN-FET modules are going to pay the middleman/patent holders of that module tech. So pick your poison: buy from an independent designer who develops his/her own circuits or go buy from an outfit who builds amps with another’s module-assemblies.

Sorry George,
you are the not really correct on this matter.
RF GaN business is totally different and requires different type of transistor design than the one needed in power management. Among other things, RF GaN transistors are Depletion mode type, so they are normally "ON", not a good start for any power converter circuit. So they are not applicable/usable in Audio (and in all other power) applications.

As more class D audio amp manufacturers enter this market space, competition will drive down prices.

The only way this can happen, is if the major semi conductor manufacturers get the licence to make the GaN devices, this is what happened to Mosfets years ago, at first they were very expensive then prices came down when more were being made by different manufacturers.

RF GaN business is totally different and requires different type of transistor design than the one needed in power management.

I know this, but it’s the GaN technology that’s being used, and they will hopefully start manufacturing audio output GaN transistor as well.

And your in the box seat for now AG with your $15k amp, as a low volume manufacturer is in the prime seat at the moment if GaN transistor don’t go big time quantity manufacturing. Because if companies like Sangway can get hold of them for a dollar each bought in the in the thousands, then they make complete $100 modules with it, well you know what happens!

Cheers George

George,
it seems to me there is a big confusion about supply chain cost, and even more about why HiEnd audio is more expensive than consumer products.
The design Idea of AGD amps (by the way 200W on 4ohm, so I would like to have the header of this blog corrected eventually), was not simply the utilization of the GaN as power semiconductor for the power stage, which is actually a specific innovation per se.
The product has also unique features about the industrial design, materials, finishing, shape proportion and the way it is presented overall, including, last but not least, the non trivial idea (easy to imagine a bit more challenging to make it as industrial product), of integrating the power stage in a glass tube.
So there are many peculiarities that make this product quite unique among all kind power amps in the market, and certainly, unique among the one using GaN.
Moreover, you underestimate the issue of distribution costs, and dealer margins that unfortunately, have a serious impact to the overall economics.
But instead of making a case with a long list of negative things and hoping or wishing for a brutal mass market distruction of values, intelletual property, patent infringments and so on, why don’t you spend the time to try and listen the sound of these new products?
Then you would be able to make a more serious case, expecially if in the process, you discover their true value.
Hope to see you at Axpona and possibly in Munich
Best
AG