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How far have ss amps really come in the last twenty years?

I have owned and enjoyed my Jeff Rowland model 8 ( recently modded and upgraded by Jeff to the last version) for many years. I recently had the opportunity of comparing it ( after mods) to a few of the current ss models from Gamut, D'Agostino, YBA, Parasound, Sim audio, CH precision, Constellation,PS audio,Pass Labs  and Musical Fidelity. The results were very interesting, because to my ears and in the systems that we did the comparison, the Rowland held its own against all but the most expensive D'Ag and CH amps. Even those were only very slightly outclassing the Rowland in the areas of top end resolution...and a tad in the bottom end resolution. Now the thing is that the last revision to the Rowland 8 was designed by Jeff over ten years ago! 
So, my question for those more technically inclined than myself is...how far has the design of ss amps come in the last ten...or even twenty years? 
128x128daveyf
daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,866 posts
 
@stringreen That’s the thing, and my question, why hasn’t ss amp design progressed through the years? Although, it would appear that to some it has...yet my listening tests seemed to indicate that the improvements are very small.
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
@stringreen +1  Within the last year I sent my Steve McCormack modified DNA-1 back to him for a 20th anniversary upgrade.  Steve and the guys at SMc Audio really did an extensive refit on the amp.  Steve explained that he has had some deep pocket customers asking him to build them ne-plus ultra amps with absolutely first rate parts and circuit layout schemes.  He has taken much of what he learned from those experiences and trickled it down to his more monetarily modest upgrades.
As @stringreen mentioned, much of the improvements have been in improved parts quality.  I hope to listen to my current amp till time ends my listening altogether.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,866 posts
 
@hifiman5  Your point seems to be that the parts are definitely improved, but the overall circuit designs are about the same; which is why I was questioning those with more technical expertise as to why this seems to be the case. 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
There's three different aspects to this question: design, implementation, and results. From a design point of view there may be nothing better since the Distributed Node Amplifier. I don't know, it just seems that way.

In terms of how the exact details of how that or any other design is implemented, well that is a whole other story. Because as stringreen and others notice its not just the design but the parts that go into them. Then on top of that you have to factor in the way those parts are used. Not only where in a circuit but the physical circuit itself. People over time just get better at shielding, the physical location of a circuit, vibration control, all the little details. No doubt this has gotten better. 

And then, results. What I think you're asking- how much better do they sound today? To which I would ask: Do they?


three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
There's another aspect that comes into play which I think is perhaps the biggest advance - price for performance on an inflation-adjusted basis you get way more today.
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