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Class D is affordable and sounds as good or better the SS/Valve why buy anything else ?

I have spent a fair amount of my hard earned money on big ticket brand new SS and VT/Valve amplifiers over the years without hesitation, with state of the art 2019 class D amplifiers becoming cheaper and sounding better, i wouldn't join in again.

For older technology amplifiers SS VT/Valve to compete with State of the art class D, Their prices are going up and up.

One example is Pilium Audio from Greece or Bulgaria their Divine Line the prices are all over £100,000 for their pre amps and power amps, I know the UK importer he said they sound OK,

Another example FM Acoustics again up to and over £100,000 for pre and power amps. i have owned FM Acoustics pre and power again their OK,

I am not saying they do not sound good, i am saying why spend this much when state of the art class D probably sounds as good now and can only improve with the GaN capacitors and is nearly up to 100 times cheaper.

Is there still a market for multi thousand £$s SS or VT/Valve amplifiers ?

When class D finally overtakes SS VT/Valves what will people do with their multi thousand £$ amplifiers, keep them knowing there is something better ? Or will we see the market flood with exotic used amplifiers ?

Digital technology is rapidly growing pace and becoming cheaper, with GaN capacitors being introduced the sound is going to get better and better and will slowly or quickly become even more affordable.

If you had 50,000 to spend on an Amplifier, would you buy a high ticket SS amplifier and hope for the best ?

Would you stay safe and go with high ticket valve amp, class D can never match good valves right ?

Or would you sit tight and see how the GaN capacitors can further improve the performance of state of the art class D ?

Please feel free to join in, everybody is welcome, i think its a very delicate/touchy discussion for some people with big bucks invested in older type amplifiers.
townshend-audio
brewmasterdon
7 posts
 

I feel these words from Mivera are so on point that people should read them again, and the fact that audiophiles can purchase these for so little is just a bonus!!

It all depends on what you consider the role of an amplifier should be in a system. To faithfully amplify the signal it’s fed, or to add euphonic coloration, and amplify the signal it’s fed. If you enjoy the sound of your source gear as it is, then all you should want is an amplifier that faithfully amplifies the signal it’s fed. If you don’t like the sound of your source gear as it is, then you may want to add some colorations to mask the undesirable sound. Today’s best class D amps are not designed to add euphoric colorations. So to really appreciate them, you have to like the sound of your source gear.

But the problem comes because so many audiophiles have no idea how their source gear sounds. Because they have only ever listened to it through a coloured amp. So when an uncoloured amp replaces the coloured amp in their system, and they hear for the first time the actual sound of their source gear, some may not like what they hear. But do you think the blame ever goes to the source gear? Very rarely. The amps end up taking the blame for the shortcomings of the source.


Cheers,

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
4,637 posts
 
I have owned some nice Class A amps from Parasound, Pass Labs and others. I also like hybrid amps from Monarchy, Blue Circle and Aesthetix. The best audio amplifier solution I have owned however is a digital one box wonder from Lyngdorf. Built in Class D amp, dac, room correction and preamp. While I continue to enjoy building tube amps they sound no better overall than the Lyngdorf.

Digital powered dacs and Class D amps can certainly compete with anything made yesterday or today. These represent the future of audio and will continue to bring innovation and better sound. Very exciting really.

I will always love tubes and am currently building another tube amp, however my main rig will always have the Lyngdorf or some other version of it in the future.

My experience with Class D as designed and implemented by Lyngdorf has been very positive.
helomech
766 posts
 
It all depends on what you consider the role of an amplifier should be in a system. To faithfully amplify the signal it’s fed, or to add euphonic coloration, and amplify the signal it’s fed. If you enjoy the sound of your source gear as it is, then all you should want is an amplifier that faithfully amplifies the signal it’s fed. If you don’t like the sound of your source gear as it is, then you may want to add some colorations to mask the undesirable sound. Today’s best class D amps are not designed to add euphoric colorations. So to really appreciate them, you have to like the sound of your source gear.

But the problem comes because so many audiophiles have no idea how their source gear sounds. Because they have only ever listened to it through a coloured amp. So when an uncoloured amp replaces the coloured amp in their system, and they hear for the first time the actual sound of their source gear, some may not like what they hear. But do you think the blame ever goes to the source gear? Very rarely. The amps end up taking the blame for the shortcomings of the source.
There are many non-colored class AB amps that measure as flat as any class D amp. So then what's the benefit of the class D topology? Answer: efficiency, that is all.
townshend-audio's avatar
townshend-audio OP
49 posts
 
The benefit of class D is better sound quality now and the penitential with GaN Devices to get even better,
To state the benefit of class D is just efficiency makes you sound stupid.

miveraaudio
111 posts
 
@sthlm78:

Sure you could use a tube input stage. Or a coloured SS input stage like some use. 

@helomech:

I think the fact that for around $1K can get you the level of sound that's only possible from $20K+ class A or A/B amps, also gives them an advantage. Unless cost, weight, and size is no object for you. In that case buy a Soulution 501 and call it a day. 
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