How do Digital Amps Mfrs. compare in sound?

I've had the Continuum 500 for about nine months now and would have no reservations recommending to any music lover, driving almost any speaker.

Dave

What model is the amp only equivalent of the Continuum 500?

Mapman, at this time there is no amp only version of the JRDG Continuum integrated amps. Dave perhaps can tell us if the linestage section can be bypassed. . . perhaps via the theater bypass input and unity gain? G.

None of the Rowland amps are comparable? That's surprising.

If can be bypassed, fine, but I would not see the point in paying for a high end integrated and only using the amp section.

My local dealer only carries the 102 and its the more powerful, high current class Ds, that compete against large class a/b monster sized amps, that are of interest to me personally.

I have the PSAudio GCC250, also an ICE based product. The difference here is the 'gain cell' inputs, the claim being it is now a variable gain amplifier, not fixed gain with an attenuated input. My Magnepan 1.6s seem perfectly happy. I believe the ASP modules have an ON-BOARD PS...a fairly small and efficient SMPS.

All amps run off rectified AC with the exception of stuff like the Emitter and some preamps, which are powered by banks of batteries. The purity of pure battery power is tough to argue with.

I work for International Rectifier and we make a class 'd' entry, of which I have a reference board which I intend to make the core of a 2nd system. Power supply issues will be obviated by use of....you guessed it.....4x12 batteries on EACH rail. That yields +-50v or so. The amp is asking for +-55v maximum, so I should be safe. If, driving normal, mid sensitivity speakers, I use an average of 12 watts, that is a play time of 6 or 8 hours, using 10amp hour batteries.