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.
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latitk

Here is a list of class D with GaN Devices


The use of GaN-based power transistor tech is now emerging for Class D audio power amplifiers. Seems appropriate to devote a forum thread to this topic. At least 3 companies have commercial class D amps in their books:

Merrill Audio, with their model Element 118 ($36k per monoblock, 400 W into 8 ohms, 800W into 4 ohms), Element 116 ($22k per monoblock, 300 W into 8 ohms, 600W into 4 ohms) and Element 114 (coming soon).
https://merrillaudio.net

Review of Element 118 at this link:
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1018/Merrill_Audio_Element_118_Monoblock_Amplif...

ADG Productions, with their Vivace Class D amp ($15k per monoblock pair, 100W into 4 ohms). (The designer emailed me indicating he has another product in the pipeline.)
http://agdproduction.com
Review of the Vivace Class D moniblocks at this link (warning: link might not work (1/11/2019)):
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/agd-production-vivace-gantube-monoblock-ampli...

Technics SE-R1 Class D stereo amp ($17k per stereo amp, 150WPC into 8 ohms, 300WPC into 4 ohms)
Stereo Power Amplifier SE-R1 | Reference Class R1 Series | Technics US
Preliminary review of the Technics SE-R1 at this link:
Technics SE-R1 Digital Amplifier
Technics also has a lower priced GaN-based class D integrated amp in their catalog:
Grand Class Stereo Integrated Amplifier SU-G700 Hi-Fi Audio | Technics US
As stated above prices are high with state of the art Class D Amplifiers using GaN Devices but the hope is there for lower prices in the future,
My class D amplifiers are not using GaN Devices but their sound quality allowed me to sell on my higher priced SS and VT amplifiers, before the market becomes flooded.

Having read this entire thread I have to say that Class D super-fans do seem to have a bit of religious zealotry about them.    
chris Not a single solid state or class d amp has sounded anywhere close to my Rogue m180 dark mono blocks in my system, not even close.

Well, hopefully that means Rogue finally started using higher quality transformers. My M150s with cryoed tubes, run balanced through an all tube front end, lacked speed of the initial attack

As hs been mentioned several times, what’s in front of the class D amp/s is often suspect. Case in point:

I have an Oppo 105 that I was using with a quality WireWorld toslink int a Parasound P5 (several preamps ago). I upgraded the 105s input IEC and silver wire to the power supply and later I replaced the OEM power supply with a Linear Power Module, but was not happy with the sound, so I bought a Marantz HD CD 1 to use as a transport. When I finally replaced the toslink with a TOL WireWorld Coax the Marantz took a giant step forward, BUT....

I finally got around to hooking my Oppo 105 back up, this time with the Coax. The addition of the coax and a superior XLR between pre and my class D amps is hard to comprehend, unless you heard it, and even then ...

Unless people are willing to do what is necessary to ge the best from class D they will likely poo-poo it. That’s a shame

Hey, did you see Rogue has class D amp too? Maybe they'll let you demo one

Actually the Icepower 1200As has 0.002% THD+N @ 1w. Note the this is THD+N not just THD. This is like 10x better than the very best Pass Labs first watt class A amp. Which is designed to have the lowest 1st watt distortion of any class A amp. Actually Pass doesn’t even share THD+N. Only THD. Could be up to 100x lower THD.

The luddites really need to update their brains with todays tech. Bill Clinton is no longer president, and Class A is no longer king.


Edit: Just read the Pass labs F5 has 60uV noise @1w. The Icepower 1200AS has 30uV noise @ 1w. And you get 1250W! Not just a measly 40W