ICEpower Digital Switching Amps?

IC amps are here. Whether people like it or not, mosfets, jfets, etc. are obsolete. Tube pre-amps for those who wish to put bottles into the chain. Beta was a better format, but vhs won. DVD replaced vhs. 8-track, reel to reel, cassettes are all gone. There will be some Luddites, like vinyl junkies who seem to have forgotten all the shortcomings of the LP. When CDs first came out, some high end writer said they would trade 10% sound quality just so they won't have to get up and turn over the damn record. It is great that a powerful, clean amplifier far superior to most solid state amps can be had for a price most audiophiles can afford. IC amps are here, it's a whole new audio ballgame. Krell vs. Boulder vs. Rowland? SS vs. tubes? Who cares? It's like arguing who makes better film; Agfa, Kodak or Fuji.

I enjoy my friend's ICE Rowlands tremendously but I do feel there is some sonic sacrifice relative to the best tube amplification. He does use a very fine tube preamp, one of the best. Given the ease of maintenance of the ICE amps, I consider it a fair tradeoff.

Similar for cd vs LP. There is a layer of relaxation and natural presence that the best LP achieves that I've personally never heard cd even hint at. (SACD recorded via DSD, OTOH, does.) Whether this additional pleasure is worth the substantial overhead of LP is a personal call.

ARt

I just want to respond to the digital thing. First off, digital is not music. It is a description of music. Go back to the theory and prove me wrong.

Digital is not music. Grooves in a round sheet of vinyl is not music. It is a description of music. Prove me wrong.

Mmakshak, isn't that true for all musical reproduction mediums?