High End Amp Price Collapse musings

dave b - I noticed that Bluesound is a sister company of NAD.  I put the Auralic Vega in my system with the NAD M22 yesterday- the sound I'm hearing is quite alarming (in a good way).  The Auralic needs another 80 hours of break in to boot.  Quietest amp I've ever had too.  Other than the D-Class amps and the Adcom I mentioned in my previous posts I also had used a very well regarded ATI Class A amp. It got mostly rave ratings except in the portability category (86 pounds!).  I recently visited their page and guess what - they are now making and lauding Class D amplification.  

PAul at PS Audio invested years trying to make a world class amp from class D - even creating custom input module but abandoned it for AB of the BHK amps which sounded far superior.  

I'd like to mention too that I use Class D amplification in my vehicle system (Alpine) and the sound is far superior to that of the McIntosh amplifier I used about ten years ago.  I use it with an Alpine sound processor, 2 pairs of component speakers (Diamond Hex and Focal) and I get a lot of "wow"'s when people hear my system, which is relatively inexpensive.  I admit the Alpine sound processor makes a big difference and I didn't have it my system with my Mac.    The McIntosh was loud and clear but had nowhere near the detail and clarity of the Alpine.  

I'm 55, so I've had a front row seat to the birth of high end audio and it's many transformations.  Old tech is not necessarily better or worse than any other tech, rather, it's performance is dependent on it's execution.  Once in awhile we are given a glimpse of what is possible.  Digital amplification can and will supplant old technology because it can eliminate the inherent flaws in it's design.  Limitations can be removed by simplifying the reproduction chain, adding full digital control of the source material without damaging the signal!  Preamplification can be reduced to software...that's absolutely inspired and purist in design.  The future is here and the potential is boundless...conventional tech is comparable to the Victrola!  

I only meant that when a consumer technology is going thru its vibrant growth phase, the accelerated pace of development and innovation is accompanied with accelerated depreciation curves as consumers want to ride the front of the wave. 

Ii really don't care how anyone spends their money, and I've spent my share chasing the edge.