ICEpower Digital Switching Amps?

Mr. Bill,

Linn makes fan cooled AB amps. That is not what we are talking about. A far cry from it, I would say.

JR makes fine, very expensive, digital power supplied ICE amps. Before you can say they are the equal of the H2O, with it's big analog power supply, then you would have to hear both on the same system. I know of one fellow who has, and he owns H2O Signatures now.

And the Linn Klimax model amplifiers use switch mode supplies too and are very highly thought of - and to clear another inaccuracy the Rowlands don't use 'stock off the shelf' modules as has been implied before.

First off, I did register as a manufacturer. I appeared here as I received a number of e-mails and phone calls about my products, which were mentioned in another thread. I am mainly here to discuss amps in general, more than to promote myself or my products. If there is a search function, you can find the posts that I first appeared in. If not, look for the one about experiences with "digital switching amps".

As for power supplies.............

We have not found that there is a major difference between modules when powered by linear supplies vs. ones powered by the onboard SMPS on the ASP series. This is not to say that differences do not exist. But compared to the effect that suppies have on linear amps, they are less sensitive. See my comments in another thread about power supply caps. I have a huge collection of caps that should have worked, but sounded like dreck.

An amp is really nothing more than a modulated power supply. On switching amps, the switching stage acts more like a power supply than does the output stage of a Class AB amp, which pretty much acts as variable resistor stuck between the output and the supply. Therefore, the AB types are more sensitive to what happens ahead of the output stage.

I base my comments that switching amps sound more alike on these effects. You are of course free to be of a different opinion, but listening plus designing trumps listening only in my book.

OK?

Ar_t...You said "An amp is really nothing more than a modulated power supply". Very true. In fact, long before digital audio amps were invented the manufacturer of an IEEE controlled bench DC power supply demonstrated the slew rate of his product at trade fairs by playing music through it! I'm told it sounded pretty good.