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
Good question John. It has hurt and will continue to hurt vinyl. The latest hipster fad for turntables is a fad and will fade away. Steaming, Tidal, Roon, one box digital solutions etc... are absolutely eating away from vinyl, cds and the like. No doubt about it.

I am not saying folks are dumping their amps, though many of us have, but I am saying they will be replaced with these new generation of amps over the next 10-15 years. Except for the laggers as it is with all real innovation and change.

I am a tube amp lover and will always have one. I love building and modifying tube gear, but it is a hobby and interest of mine. In terms of sound my digital amp/pre/dac/room correction unit simply sounds better than my pride and joy tube amp build. I have more emotional investment in it, but I know it does not sound as good in terms of fidelity. 
"761 posts02-02-2017 8:39pmThe analogy is interesting because from the start hi definition flat panels were better than CRT scrrens, I don’t think the same is true and maybe never will be with regard to class a and ab amps v. Class d amp"

This is absolutely not true. The first generation of LCD flatscreens had horrible black levels and were 60hz ref rate making them poor on motion.
They were sharper and brighter but the contrast ratio was the fly in the ointment. I will concede that some of the early plasmas were close but still not better than mature CRT.


Some of you miss the point. The point is simple. As Class D advances it will eat into the high end class A market.  We have seen this already happening to a small degree. Some people on this thread indicate they already switched.
Once Class D is close enough in quality even some of the deep pocket Krell, Pass etc guys will switch.
Once that happens they will sell thier existing gear which will gradually bring the value of that existing gear down giving not so deep pockets the chance to own true high end as it exists today.
Question I guess would be why would the " not so deep pockets"  buy used "true high end as it exits today" if , as you presume, Class D of the future matches it? 
Ok, energeeser; let's consider it.
If the new technology does make the finest current amplifiers redundant.... 
The joy of those who enjoy these fine amplifiers today will not diminish in the future.
So why would prices plummet?
 Electrical current technology used in these presently modern amplifiers is akin to contemporary airplane construction. A body and 2 wings. Certainly there will be improvement in some details;but there is good knowledge of aerodynamics from the study of fish and birds.
Today's great conventional amplifier builders, like Spectral Audio for example, are and have been 
for some time creating amplifiers that are like sharks; very nicely evolved using refinements of well known scientific (or I should say 'nature's) principles based on "the basics"-- electricity,magnetism and heat--and their effects on "jiggling atoms" (per Dick Fynman;-thanks Dick). These fundamental properties are not changing;so, like your 1995 Roll Royce will get you from A to B very nicely,particularly compared to our modern lightweight mass market autos,
your high quality amplifier from 1995 will continue to provide very enjoyable musical pleasure.
And don't forget there will always be an endless number of people who can't quite afford today's finest; but will be delighted to obtain them used. 
This was stated rather elegantly by my dear Grandmother who always advised me to buy the best true quality I could afford. Her old adage was simple. "Buy cheap, buy dear." as you'll soon be replacing the cheap - at a higher cost..Twas ever thus.......