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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
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio OP
643 posts
 

Even more emails have headed my way since this thread has started which is making me wonder how many listeners have done away with the heavy high mass amps and moved to the newer approach, and what does this mean. It appears that Parts Express alone is selling more amplifiers than most of HEA amp sells combined here in the US. I'm also hearing reports that the Chinese amp market is off the charts and a big part of this is low mass as well.

What's even better news is the folks who once challenged me about sound quality, after putting the challenge of low mass vs high to the test themselves are coming to the conclusion that lower mass systems not only sound better but also play more recordings. "more music content"

mg

erik_squires
5,268 posts
 
It appears that Parts Express alone is selling more amplifiers than most of HEA amp sells combined here in the US.

Hey @michaelgreenaudio
Where do you see data to suggest this?

michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio OP
643 posts
 

Hi Erik

Conversations with insiders. People who know how many amps are really being sold by the HEA companies. There are basically two numbers that get shared. One is the actual number of sales and the other is the evangelistic projections given to the buying public (speaking about HEA here). HEA designers are not going to tell the potential buyer how little they are actually selling. I as well won’t name names, but will speak in more general terms. I also don’t care to make friends mad at me. Trust me though when I say HEA is in free fall.

As far as Parts Express it’s easy to see as they list their products according to buying bins. When they are selling quantities in bulk of 25-up you know they’re selling tons of these to they’re bulk buyers. Keep in mind Parts Express and other companies sell not only direct but also have many commercial accounts.

mg

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
That’s weird. There have been what, 50,000 fancy audiophile fuses sold in the past five years or so? One assumes those fancy fuses are not going into some hunk of junk amplifier. 
erik_squires
5,268 posts
 
Trust me though when I say HEA is in free fall.



I believe you. I just got off the phone with a secret source who makes speakers, and his sources are saying the same thing.

I’m just wondering how specific a number you are getting from Parts Express and the HEA land.

It feels like we are in the same sort of market as SUVs were in before the gas price crisis (2009?). Gas prices shot up, the market for SUVs crashed, and several big name car makers went into free-fall.

For HEA to survive, it needs a new paradigm, a new, more inclusive world that takes into account the flat or lowered buying power of the median worker, rising rent and health care costs. That’s our new economic reality.

We need more commuter vehicles to excite us, not exotic vehicles attainable only by a shrinking number of listeners.

I remember some one threw some shade at me by saying "I don’t see you spending a lot of money." Guilty! I am not going to. I also think I’m the best example of the middle class enthusiast. That is, I’m well read, informed, make above median income, and I’m worried about money, and not about to shell out megabucks, period, and I’m sure not going to shell out money to impress my (non-existent) friends.

Thrill me, dammit! I’m waiting to be thrilled.

Best,

E

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