High End Amp Price Collapse musings

dcbingaman- If you like the Audi 2L turbo 4 in the A4, you'd LOVE how it moves my wife's lighter A3.  Not much turbo lag and has nearly the low end torque of a V-8.  I'd really like to drive one of the super/turbo-charged Volvo's. 

Agreed streaming and subscription services is indeed the future. For me now. Love Tidal with Roon.

Swampwalker - I drove an A3 Quatro - what a great car !!  My son loves his A4 also, but what he really wants is a TT.  

Another sweet set-up is the turbo 4 Porsche just introduced in their 718 Boxster / Cayman twins.  It doesn't sound as good as the old flat 6, but it's lighter and has tons more torque at low rpm...it also makes the car fly.  Highly recommended.

Good Class D have already been available, but aren't in favor, and adoption seems like it will take many years.  You will be waiting a long time for upgrade!

I have 3 Crown I-Tech 5000 HD stereo Class I amps driving JBL M2 Reference Monitors and a JBL Sub18.  The speakers are active with the dsp controlled crossover in the amps sending 2250 watts into each horn loaded compression driver tweeter and 2250 watts into each 15" bass driver cut off at 80hz.   The sub is served with a bridged Crown offering 4000watts. Obviously, these wattages are impractical for class A or tube amps.

 The system is somewhat unusual in its power, active crossover, horn tweeter, and in having an 18" sub supplement 15" drivers in the main speakers.  However, the result is a system with extreme reserve.  The most demanding music passages are handled with grace and incredible impact. No strain.  Everything is heard.  Also, it seems I am able to get significant dynamic range at 65-70 spl without having to crank the volume up any higher, and running the risk of overloading the room.   And this is the point, that there is, perhaps, what might be a trade off between this extreme reserve capability, and the refinement one might otherwise have with Class A amplification.

Incidentally, Harman is the parent company of both Crown and Levinson, and both amps share the very same Class I topography, except that one costs 6 times as much.