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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.
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miveraaudio
111 posts
 
You know it takes more than just saying bs to make it true. What you’re saying is a feeble attempt to fool folks who don’t understand the data to believe what you say is true. However most people who are into audio understand subjective feedback. And the subjective feedback of today’s class D compared to today’s class a, a/b and tubes, tells us that today’s class D is hands down superior.

When both the objective data and subjective client feedback is superior, this means the product is hands down superior. Bar none. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
With any amplifier its all about the distortion: what it makes and what it doesn't make.

The ear converts all forms of distortion into tonality unless the amp is outright clipping.

A THD of 0.002% won't do you a lot of good if its all higher ordered harmonics. The reason is that the ear uses the higher ordered harmonics to sense sound pressure; if the amp is making higher ordered harmonics it will sound brighter and harsher than real life.


Negative feedback is well-known to generate higher ordered harmonics while otherwise suppressing distortion. The process is known as bifurcation. See Norman Crowhurst; this fact has been known for well over 60 years.


Class D amps are fundamentally different from regular analog amps (even though they too are analog) in that they rely on switching. This means that the amp has propagation delay instead of the usual phase shift. under such conditions if feedback is applied, there will be distortion added.


IMO/IME, you are better off not using feedback on a class D amp. They already have a low output impedance so even inexpensive output transistors will allow the amp to behave as a voltage source. Without feedback, the main sources of distortion are the encoding scheme and dead time; if proper care is applied in this department the amp may not have particularly low distortion, but it can sound relaxed and detailed similar to a good quality tube amp because the distortion present isn't of a kind to which the ear is particularly sensitive.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Class D reads like interesting. Sadly for Class D affectionados I would never buy one. Who cares? (other than me why? not your problem.) yes, go on, say I am x, y, or z, problem for 'failing' to realize just how amazing, wonderful, and amazing, did I mention amazing and wonderful?  Class D amplifiers are. Why isn't it sad all those other kind of amplifier makers just do not understand, and foolishly continue to build amplifier that are not Class D? what a pity.I hope all you Class D amp lovers can forgive us for failing to recognize genius.
clearthink
672 posts
 
miveraaudio"You know it takes more than just saying bs to make it true."

But you are not talking about "Truth" hear you are talking about your own set of "facts" based on your fervent belief, faith, and conviction and some hear do not embrace your "Bible" and understand, recognize, and acknowledge that you're brand of religion is not something acceptable to them and this freedom of thought is something which seems to confound, trouble, and disturb you. 
mr_m
1,087 posts
 
Elizabeth,
Maybe, just for kicks, you should try a high powered Class D amp on your Maggies and see what happens. You don't seem to care for class D, but you don't say why. That info might be personal to you, but was just curious about your reasoning.
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