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Digital, Low Mass, ClassD, Less expensive, Let it happen!

Well here we are! Not that you can't go back and buy boat anchors, but now we know sound is better with low mass designs. Digital source? Yep, the tide has turned. ClassD amplification is also here to stay. Lower mass speakers, on their way back too. The audiophile hobby is getting less expensive and better sounding.

I guess we can debate this, but it's happening anyway. The hobby is simply growing up and becoming more aware of how to get great sound, and get it smart. There has been a lot of myths passed down when we only had paperback magazines, mostly for marketing, but the internet has finally caught up with audio reality. Instead of $20,000.00 components we have $20,000.00 whole systems (including all the trimming). Shoot, there are $5,000.00 systems that excel. The Trade Shows are changing, the market is changing and we are changing. Want to stay old school? No problem, there will always be old school and plenty of used gear (at least for our lifetimes). There will also be smaller niche companies that spring up to tempt us.

The hobby is entering a new era for the extreme listener. It will be a hobby of doing and exploring Electrical, Mechanical and Acoustical as equals. Components will be much smaller and more flexible, and more time will be spent on playing our whole music collection, and not just a few recordings. Many HEA debates will be making their way to the archives as the hobby grows closer to mainstream. Mainstream as in higher quality audiophile mainstream.

Are you ready? I sure am!

Michael Green


http://www.michaelgreenaudio.net/

michaelgreenaudio
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio OP
1,019 posts
 

Hi Simon

Excellent post! Many, if not most, audiophiles have moved away from faceplate worship after exploring for ourselves.

HEA magazines and reviewers milked the pricy faceplate revolving door game for all it was worth and now it's virtually over. The more threads expose the innovation the easier it will be for both headphone and in-room listeners to move into the now. That's not to say other eras in the hobby and lifestyle was not fun, it simply means there's more available to us now.

mg

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erik_squires
16,839 posts
 
I'm going to say that class D is pretty much for those who just don't know better.

That is the most contrived list of supporting evidence I've ever heard!! Hahahahahah.

I'm going to go with my ears instead, thank you for playing.
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio OP
1,019 posts
 

Hi Erik

Yep, some folks here can be funny (desperate for relevance it seems) while sitting in their sinking boat, trying to find the increasing holes to plug.

Your statement..."I'm going to go with my ears instead, thank you for playing" ….I'm sure burns a hole in their souls, but it doesn't get anymore truthful and simplistic as that.

It's not even an issue that we as audiophiles don't enjoy and respect eras past. I'm pretty sure all of us have had a blast exploring different design types and the designers who sport them. It's part of what gave HEA it's charm, especially before the price hikes. But, I also think most of us knew the day would come that amplifiers would become more practical and better sounding. At least this is what I always thought.

It's kind of what we have been saying since the late 70's "audio is not complicated, people are". Audio is one of those technologies that was destined to be over built and then reverse course when it went too far in the boat anchor direction. HEA took overbuild to the extreme and took part of a listening generation with it. But, that was never going to last. Amplifiers are a tool, much like crossovers are. However watch what happens to speaker designing as the class D amps take over.

mg

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