I think that other than refinements in circuits the biggest improvement is the GaN transistor and the new amps implementing them.
Amplification: what are the biggest advances of the last 40 years?
As an audiophile most of my adult life but without any engineering expertise, I wonder how amplification has advanced since I started in this hobby as a high school student in the eighties?
Specifically, what has advanced the state of the art and what, specifically, make newer products sound "better" than older ones?
Is it that circuit design has advanced so much? Or is the bigger difference parts quality and the technology leading to these better parts?
And please, none of the banal "it all matters" comments. What I'm asking: which of the above matters the most?
Specifically, what has advanced the state of the art and what, specifically, make newer products sound "better" than older ones?
Is it that circuit design has advanced so much? Or is the bigger difference parts quality and the technology leading to these better parts?
And please, none of the banal "it all matters" comments. What I'm asking: which of the above matters the most?
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- 50 posts total
Only if used to it's fullest, as Technics did in their SE-R1 (maybe in their new SU-R100) with 3 x higher switching frequency (1.5mhz) and 3 x higher output filter for it, so this sort of 10khz square wave oscillation (upper shot) doesn't come of the speaker outputs (gets reduced by 3 x). Lower shot has Stereophile special external test gear filtering, so it doesn't look bad for the magazine shots to the public. https://ibb.co/N2HBQH4 Cheers George |
They are close but still does not surpass the best of linear Class-A or A/B designs YET! I DID SAY YET!!! (before you Class-D junkie’s get your knickers in a knot) That will come maybe after they take to what Technics did, 3 x higher switching frequency 1.5mhz with the SE-R1 (my last post), one of two of Class-D’s Achilles Heels, too low a "switching frequency" and subsequent low order "output filtering" to get rid of it. Which still leaves large remnants of it (photo) in the upper mid//high frequency audio band when using around 600-700khz switching frequency as most do today. The other Achilles Heel is current delivery into very low bass impedances of today many top very hard to drive speakers (which the "better" linear Class-A A/B amps do standing on their heads). To be able to "almost keep doubling it’s wattage" from 8ohm to 4ohm to 2ohm with independent testing, they never give the 2ohm wattage of class-D when comparing the 8 then 4ohm Cheers George |
- 50 posts total