Are future improvements in Amp/PreAmps slowing to a crawl?

Kosst

The point of this thread was to discuss Nelson’s statement that amps are a solved problem, that there is no technically perfect amp, and that they are, for all intents and purposes, art.

I understand that it is his viewpoint or opinion but it is not factual.
His mission or target or goal (according to the article) is to make an amp with a particular "sound" or signature.

Pass:

There are few things I enjoy so much as to contemplate the specific (and complex) characteristics of the many transistors (or tubes) and how they might fit into an amplifier to deliver a sound which has a particular signature.

Rather than go through all the devices as if they were shades of paint on a mixing palette - I prefer to make an amp with "no sound".  By default in order to have a "sound" the amplifier modifies the pure input signal to include a form of distortion or corruption based on the devices used. It is not necessarily bad thing but I don't want to hear the parts - the only thing I want to hear is the music.

As far as bold statements - I am trying to be polite. I have a policy of not criticizing or speaking ill of other designers. Mr. Pass by his own words is not seeking the perfect amp. I am.

I could give you a few bold statements of fact but it generally won't sit well with some individuals that post or read this thread. It would be good news for some and bad news for others.

I think the engineering science to design and produce a straight wire with gain reached sonic perfection in the 1980's. The next advance was in improved manufacturing technology that made such amplifiers considerably cheaper (unless you wanted the mystique of audiophile stuff that ironically was often far worse). Right now, and I suspect even more so in the future, the technological drive will come from the need to be more energy efficient. In Europe, mandatory standards of energy efficiency are tightened for more and more products. For example, our recent vacuum cleaner that comforms to new EU standards uses only half of what the previous premium model did, and is far quieter and lighter to carry (and it sucks dirt rather better). The same is happening everywhere, and the only reason that e.g. class A amplifiers have not yet been outlawed is that there are probably too few of them around. But new TVs have to meet pretty stringent legislation. I suspect this is a large part of what is driving class D developement.

willemj

I think the engineering science to design and produce a straight wire with gain reached sonic perfection in the 1980's.

I would agree with this except I would say it reached its sonic "limits" in the 1980's. It never reached perfection. The need to be energy efficient is a noble cause as well however I think that removing distortion found its limit when it was clear that lower THD measurements, while impressive to those buying by specs only, proved to be seemingly unrelated to the actual sound of a system. Tube gear (with admittedly higher THD) still dominated the high end market.  Even today the tube gear still enjoys a comfortable percentage of the high end market. Many SS designers would be happy if they can get their gear to sound like tubes.