I think he might need to work on his business model 😁
@soix FWIW Eric uses a set of DeVore Fidelity speakers in his system; the same that he used for the M-60 review. IIRC the o/96s.
Class D amplifiers. What's the future look like?
I have a number of amplifiers: Luxman C900U, Bryston 4BSST2, Audio Research VSI 60 Integrated, NAD C298 and some other less noteworthy units. As I swap them in and out of my main system, I've come to the conclusion my very modest NAD C298 is about all I really need. Granted if I had extremely hard to drive speakers, I might be better with the Bryston or Luxman, but driving my Harbeth 40.2 speakers, the NAD is just fine.
I thought a while ago that class D would quickly overtake amplifier design type mainly due to profit margin which I think would be much greater than A/B and tube. I'm not saying the other design styles would go away, just that D would be the most common style.
Clearly my prediction is not panning out, at least in the mid and high-end audio world and I'm wondering why? It seems companies such as Bryston, Luxman, McIntosh, Hegel and so many others are sticking by A/B. I'm no "golden ears" guy, but is the perceived sound issue(weather real or imaginary) still holding D back? Maybe my assumption of profit margin is not correct? Maybe the amplifier manufacturers are experimenting with D, but keeping tight lipped until release? Perhaps brand loyalists don't want change similar to what happened with "new coke". What else am I missing?
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Looks like I stirred a pot by posting the review..lol! I always taken reviews as a guideline to one’s subjective opinion of a component in their system and personal preferences. Nothing more, nothing less! To @soix point, a comparison with any competitive product would’ve provided a bit more clarity and better understanding on how review sample stacks up against the competition. At the end of the day, it is still an opinion. No two systems are alike, let alone the environment and how we perceive sound…it’s all very subjective and complexed to nth degree. @atmasphere class D mono’s been on my radar to audition in my system ever since they were announced. A crappy or over hyped review shouldn’t change anyone’s desire to audition or dump a component. A true test of a component is how it sounds (gels) within your system and to your ears. |
@lalitk You got that right. If the manufacturer’s, distributor’s, dealer’s or reviewer’s lips are moving, they are lying- we’ve lived with that fact for so many decades, most of us grew up with it. So the only way to know what works, even for the jaundiced ’measurement only’ guys is to take the device home and play it in their system. |
@atmasphere @lalitk Just to be clear, I found the review informative and loved how he compared the new amps to the M-60 and found the GaN amp to lack nothing compared to an excellent OTL amp (just as Ralph has maintained all along). That part meant a lot and spoke volumes to me. What would’ve made it much more meaningful and interesting would be comparisons to another GaN amp — hell any GaN amp — that would’ve made for a much more effective, informative, and useful review IMHO. But that’s too much to ask from rags like HiFi+ and TAS who’d rather not do all that extra work and expose themselves to any potential accountability — heaven forbid!!! I’m sure someone soon will write a truly rigorous review that I think a product at the level of Ralph’s GaN amp demands, and I very much look forward to reading that. |
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