"This Latest Digital Amp Is Great "

"Exemplary restraint". Agreed.

Mind you, having built many of these new "digital" amps, the ones based on a certain platform are more load dependent than I would like. I would caution anyone who is disappointed by them to give them another listen on a totally different system.

In addition, their sound is, well...........different. Certain aspects that we have come to expect may sound too different for some tastes. To be honest, I do not have an explanation, only conjecture as to why.

Well, Vince........

I have built amps using several of the new self-oscillating amps modules. I have also heard some of the competing brands using the same modules.

Maybe because I have spent 20+ years trying to build conventional amps, that I am more tuned to the differences between them. I built open-loop designs, and they are perhaps more prone to revealing minute changes in power supply design.

As for the Class D ones........

They seem less prone to power supply changes. While the guys who design the modules are all convinced that theirs is better than the next guys, my beta testers say something else.

Yes, they can tell A (module) is different than B (module). Although, press them to say which they prefer, and they all come up blank.

For conventional amps, it is usually easy: "This one has more bottom end and dynamics. I want this one." You do not hear that much difference between the various Class D modules in that regard, so it makes it harder for them to chose.

If I am not mistaken.........you probably have speakers with a very low impedance. Could be that what you use mates up
better than with other amps that you have tried.

Personally, I am not fond of a certain brand into low-Z loads. There is too much interaction between the load and the output LPF. There are other brands that claim to have solved this problem. Ask me in about a month or two: I should know by then.

I think that the "digital" amp revolution.......if you can call it that......is here to stay. Especially for 5(+) channel systems, where escessive heat, weight, and space are too much of a hassle for the owner.

Sure, I would like to sell everyone here one of our amps. But I know that they are not for everyone. They do "sound" different. Doesn't mean better or worse, just different.

As for the flavor of the month:

You bet. This month, one brand will be the one that gets all the buzz in the press. Then someone else comes out with a new module, and we will play musical chairs, following each new amp peddler that shoves one in their products. Sure, a few die-hards wills stick to their guns, claiming that theirs is still the best............they were the first, so they will always be the benchmark, etc., etc., blah, blah.

We have all heard this song before, just with different lyrics.

I thought that I did mention that I was a manufacturer. Maybe not in this thread. Sorry for the confusion. I am mainly here to answer questions, as my products have been mentioned by others, and it resulted in confusion since I was not the one who brought them up. When your phone rings, and people tell me that someone is talking about our amps, it only made sense to see what was going on. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here. Although, the exposure doesn't hurt.

I would prefer to answer questions that are technical in nature, but not specifically about our products. No sense in helping the competition. Most of us are regular guys, trying hard to make a living by making good sounding gear, that is affordable and a welcome addition to one's system. Small manufacturers have a hard enough time as it is, without the need to slit each other's throat.

But back to "digital amp" modules............

I can not see many of the "big boys" jumping on them with zeal. They have spent the last 20 or so years telling us that they have all the answers. How are they going to justify that they may have been wrong? So, that leaves the small fish to lead the way.

The problem that I foresee......and that is the crux of the thread, I believe.........is the fact that the technology is moving quite rapidly in this area, and this month's icon will be next month's trash. Personally, I do not want to seem to be "married" to one particular brand of module. We all know that it will be out of favor soon, and anyone trying to sell amps with them will be beating their heads against the wall. (I went through this back in the late 80s everytime a new CD player became the new rage. I would get stuck with last month's hot ticket, and could not give them away.)

So keeping that in mind, I am sure that many of you will understand why I am usually reluctant to get into details of our products. My goal is to make a good sounding amp, regardless of what mystery module is hidden under the hood.

From a consumer standpoint, are you satisfied that you have purchased a quality unit, or do you fret that it might be out of favor soon? Yes, I realise that the market frquently has a "designer jeans" mentality. But if you worry too much about the flavor of the month, are you ever really going to be happy?

As for "mine is better than yours........"

Let's face it: most of the amps use the same parts. How much different can they be? Sure, there are differences, but trust me........there isn't all that much you can do to make them sound radically different from the next guy's. Subtle differences does exist, mainly in how they will respond to a wide range of different systems.

As I have mentioned before (no, not in this thread!), I think that anyone can buy any of the new "digital amps", and if the sound meets their approval, you can feel assured that it will sound good for many more years. Your decision on which one is best really becomes a matter of who you feel more comfortable doing business with.

And yes.......as I have said......not everyone likes the sound. Simple as that. Just don't ask why, because I don't have all the answers.

Vince:

Would you care to elaborate on "hounding"? Not sure that I get your drift.