Do high dollar mono blocks truly improve the Sound Quality over the mid tier amps


I'm currently running a pair of Classe Delta Mono"s to drive my Wilson Alexx V's.  IMO they sound wonderful with plenty of power.  I've been considering upgrading these amps to the next price/quality level.  My biggest concern is whether I'll get the level of improvement in SQ that will move the needle.  I'd love to hear from folks who have made this move in their systems or heard comparisons at shows or dealers.  

128x128skinzy

With a focus on downsizing and having moved to Class D several years back, I have no practical interest in large heavy power guzzling amps anymore. That’s just me. To each their own. Especially when it comes to what look and sound happens to float one’s boat.

The other recent gamechanger for me is applying DSP for room correction, sound tweaking to personal preference, etc. I easily enjoy a lot of gear much more than I would be able to do otherwise were it not for DSP done well.

Practically, I am mostly off the equipment merry go round at this point. I still like trying new things, but it's now more because I just want to rather than that I need to.

I also agree that quality DSP is a game changer.  My Weiss Helios has many ultra high quality DSP features that are extremely useful.

The Class D's also offer a viable alternative as @audioman58 suggests.  Low energy consumption and light weight.features are very compelling. 

@skinzy Its not just low heat and light weight! Class D offers design criteria to the designer that also allow for some very nice distortion characteristics.

In case you are not aware of this fact, the difference you heard between amps when you upgraded was the difference in the distortion signature of those amps.

Class D offers a means to keep what distortion is made quite innocuous to the human ear. So if they are designed properly they can be very musical, erasing the advantages that class A or AB operation used to hold.

@skinzy

If you want to go crazy, a pair of darTZeell NHB-468s is for sale here on Audiogon for a "mere" $129K.

Michael Fremer of Stereophile did a review, matching them with his Wilson Alexx and apparently loved them. His article also discusses various monoblocks he has paired with this speakers.

I still favor quad amping with 4 Classe Deltas before I did this, though.