High End Amp Price Collapse musings


If Class D amplification becomes accepted by audiophiles there should be a glut of high end amps (Krell, Levinson, Pass etc) becoming available on the used market at prices a fraction of what they are now.

Think CRT TV when the flat panels began emerging.I think Ill hold off on a new/used amp purchase for a little while. Maybe I will bet a Boulder.

Has any one else considered this?

energeezer
Unless you have personally heard the newest Nuforce/Nuprime amps, such as Reference 20 mono amps which come at Class D in a different, proprietary way not using the modules that others use, you have not heard what Class D type amps can currently offer.

"I agree vinyl is very alive"

Seriously? How many people outside of (some of) the folks who post here do you think are spinning a turntable? Look around and see how the next generation of young folks are consuming their music. Buying CDs, vinyl - don't think so. Audiophile will keep doing what they're doing now and everybody else will go for cheaper, lighter - read more portable, and more energy efficient- read class D, stuff. I'm not holding my breathe to grab a Pass XA60.8 at fire sale prices anytime soon. I just wish.

It's all about what you are familiar with. If you never heard a good class A amp, or heard a not so good class A amp, a class D can be impressive. I had a Pioneer Elite receiver about 12 years ago and it sounded great. However, I purchased an older B&K st140 and there seems to be a deep soundstage where instruments are at various places. Whereas the Pioneer sounded as if every instrument was lined up front and center ( if that makes sense). Now I have not heard a recent class d amp
There will always be high-priced amps.  Even if Class D eventually takes over, there will be high-priced Class D amps.  
The Aragon is a very impressive amp at its price point.  Loved it with Quad 988's