Class A amp vs Class D amp


I have B&W 802s for fronts and HTM1 fronts and SCMs for rears. I like listening to stereo and watching movies. I recently visited a high end stereo establisment and came up with two options and am trying to make an educated and wise decision. It comes down to should I spend more on the audio side and have less for the visual side or vice versa. I looked at class D Rotel RB 1091 500watt monos as three seperates to power the front and a 2channel RB 1092 500 watt to power the rears in a 5.1 system. I also looked at the Classe 5 x 200 amp which is Class A. The Classe is approximately $8,000 and the Rotel $5200. The matching processor for the Rotel top of the line RSP 1098 is $2600 and the bottom of the line Classe SSP 300 is 4500. First of all is there roughly a $5000 difference in sound quality that justifies the more expensive system. I listened to both at seperate establishments and they both sounded good, with certainly the classe seemingly superior. The question is it in total $5000 superior? Secondly do you sink $4500 into a processor that has no HDMI connects and will likely be obsolete soon, if not now. I also listened to the anthem P5 and was not significantly impressed.
ghaas
Classe A amps require a tremendous amount of electricity to run. Depending on where you live because they throw off so much heat, they can take the place of a space heater.

Most multichannel music or movie sound tracks are not properly recorded to be faithful to the event. To me this is most distracting. Invest your money in a quality 2 channel system with good subs. Set it up correctly and you will fill your room with sound.

Check out PS Audio for 2 or multichannel
Obviously, only you can decide whether the improvement in sound is worth the $5000. If you have to ask the question, perhaps that's an indication that it isn't.

I don't think that the expensive processors are worth it, partly because, as you mentioned, they become obsolete quickly. And I agree that HDMI inputs should be mandatory on anything that you're considering.

Perhaps you would do best with the Classe amp and a less expensive processor (Rotel or Outlaw, say)?

Michael
Just a technicality but the Classe is not a true Class A running amp. It is Class B. They can make it sound like it is Class A but it isn't - it would have to be 10x bigger size if it was.

Only you can decide if the extra $5000 is worth it. But if you're asking here, then you probably don't think so.

Processors and software are changing all the time. I wouldn't invest a huge amount of money in one. I would get nice amps and speakers and a cheaper pro. Those are my 2 cents.

Arthur