The Future of Audio Amplification

This discussion regarding class D amps reminds me of all the people over the kast 30 years telling me that soccer was going to be the next big thing.

In my mind, serious SS amps as well as tube power will always have a major role in audiophile choices.

Class D will also have a pkace in the audio world, but I doubt in the front rank of desirable amps among the serious audiophiles.

For myself, tube pre amp and strong SS amp is the sweet spot.

I've tried two digital amps in my system over the past 6 months and didn't end up keeping either of them.  One was a SPEC from Japan and the other was the 2170.  I tried them both with Devore Nines and just wanted to love them.  I wanted the simplicity, the ease, the low heat and high power.  I just found them to lack synergy and fail to energize the speakers the way I like.  I've owned many other speakers in the past that didn't always sound different with a change of amps, or a shift from SS to tubes.  I find these speakers to be very revealing and honest to what you put in front of them.    

If one spends obscene amounts of money on a class A amp his or her ability to hear virtue in a class D, I think, is somewhat compromised. The OP said he hears something wonderful. I see no reason to rain on his or her parade. Enjoy the hell out of it, @distortions!

I build and sell class D amplifiers so I admit to being biased.

The transparency combined with the dynamic reserves and bass grip are gaining many converts in the audio world. I have customers selling mega-buck mega-amps to switch over.

The two best class D technologies available today require a custom designed input circuit. If you get this right, you rock.

Dennis
www.d-sonic.com

Efficient speakers with small single ended tube amps don't require much juice, and for my money sound more like music. Many with all SS gear leave it on all the time thus actually wasting juice, and I assume most tubers don't, unless by accident like when they pass out or die. I mentioned I have a Class D 350 watt Ampeg bass amp (of the Porta Flex amps, this is the smallest) screwed onto the top of a "Porta Flex" bass cab, and it's very cute...sounds fine, which leads me to suggest counting the tube amps available in any high end audio store, and then walk into a guitar store...notice anything? Dozens of tube amps from tiny to gigantic. Modeling amps, small SS practice amps...none sound like a classic tube guitar amp, and it's likely they never will. Why is that?