Which Class D Amplifier? PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrill or other???

It will be several years before this GaN class D audio amplifier IP technology becomes truly affordable. Several key patents have over a decade of life left on them. More competitors with GaN-based products entering the marketplace will be the best way to drive prices down. 

It will be several years before this GaN class D audio amplifier IP technology becomes truly affordable.

I don’t believe so, EPC have already sold these to several Class-D manufacturers direct, and Digikey are already selling it, it doesn’t take much, just demand for a major semiconductor manufacturer to step in and purchase the right to make them for the masses, it’s like the Power Mosfet all over again, which they developed, and became the norm in no time at all.

https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/ganfet-gallium-nitride/53212

Or you can buy the complete Evaluation Board and put it in a box.
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?%20WT.z_cid=sp_917_0110_buynow&site=us&lang=en&mpart...

Cheers George

The very latest Nord Acoustic class D with REV D buffer boards and the choice of op amps depending on your favoured sound are a bargain. They sound absolutely amazing you can not go wrong, it will be years before the GaN class D audio IP technology truly becomes affordable.

It’s my understanding that there are currently 2 leading producers of high-speed GaN power transistors, EPC and GaN Systems.
Does anyone know if there are differences between the two of them and whether GaN Systems has a proprietary patent on their GaN FET transistor, too?

Are there other producers of currently available GaN transistors with unique patents?

Are there other producers of currently available high-speed GaN FET drivers besides Peregrine and their PE29102 driver?

I’m just trying to better understand the companies and products involved in these emerging markets.

Thanks,
Tim

Any good credible reviews out there yet where the author compared the sound of a leading GaN Class D amp to others?  Stereophile?  That would help take the GaN argument from a theoretical one to something verified.   The measurements would be interesting as well.