Class D amplifiers. What's the future look like?

The whole idea that quality is measured in pounds…is ponderously asinine.

I just turned 70 and have vowed never to by audio w equipment I can’t easily lift. I can say that because I’ve been very happy with Be Canto monoblocks for many years (ref 300s and now ref 500s.) No going back to the heavy and hot power amps I used before. 

That's a great looking thing, especially with tubes. I wish my next amp would look similar.

Where is his very precise review of these new mono blocks against all the LATEST class D or otherwise,,,,,done directly in his listening room, RIGHT NOW. NOT there....not there at all. How does the Atmas-sphere compare to a Benchmark amp, to a VTV high powered Purifi or Orhard with all my mods, or to the AGD amps or to Pass amps or to super tube amps in that price range, etc.? How are we to know anything about how it really is and compares with anything already available? All reviews need to be against a known reference in the same system at the same time or it is totally meaningless. The reviewer does not even mention any other amps nor the amps that he currently owns. This review is typical of reviews these days.....completely meaningless.

Agreed. HiFi+ and TAS reviews (among others) are utter garbage because they almost never compare the review sample directly to any competitive product and often don’t even disclose the relevant component in their reference system. As such, their reviews are basically useless and IMHO serve as nothing more than a product advertisement. My theory on this is twofold:

1) Not comparing a review sample directly to a competitive product almost completely absolves the reviewer of any accountability or being pinned down on any assertions he/she makes — they just wax poetic about whatever they “think” or “feel” at the time.  The mags that don’t do comparisons parrot the same line that “it’s unlikely anyone has that specific comparison piece in their system.” Hogwash!!! The fact is humans are very good at relative comparisons and much worse at judging individual things in a vacuum. Relative comparisons are almost always the most important and useful part of any thorough review.

2) It allows the reviewer, and thus the magazine, to spit out “reviews” at a much faster rate as making actual equipment comparisons significantly increases the time to write a review.

When I wrote reviews for Soundstage! a product comparison section was mandatory, and if a reviewer didn’t have or couldn’t get a comparable piece to do a relevant comparison to the product under review they didn’t get to do the review. Period. That, IMO, is the right and only way to do a thorough and meaningful review. Sorry for the sidetrack, but I thought @ricevs hit on a very salient point that warranted some emphasis.

Ralph mentioned musical instrument amps. I have a 700 watt class d quilter for bass, and it does the job. I think digital for guitar is very much a debate. I think for clean sounds class d is great. The nuance of an overdriven marshall is the sort of thing folks are not quite there on—but as with all things digital—the technology improves over time. Many bar-playing musicians say the guitar amp emulation is not 100% but its close enough to use on stage and not hump heavy amps around.

As to audiophile, my assessment of Ralph over 40 years is that when he says his amp sounds great, I believe him. Over the years many golden ear types thought his amps sounded good, so he must have a good ear or have access to one.Switching technology is a different paradigm altogether, and its not hard to imagine tubes and linear transistors becoming extremely niche. I wish the best for ARC, and I hope they have this sort of thing in development.