Of course it has arrived and not a minute too soon. If this is not announced they won't be able to sell any new boxes. They're going to have to start sending out to some interested parties a test amp so that they can be sampled and thus the good word can be spread. This time they mean it, get ready folks to finally toss out your class A and Class AB amps.
Class D Amplification Announcement
After 60 some odd years of disappointment, Class D has finally arrived. As per The Absolute Sound’s Jonathan Valin, the Borrenson-designed Aavik P-580 amp “is the first Class D amplifier I can recommend without the usual reservations. …the P-580 does not have the usual digital-like upper-mid/lower-treble glare or brick wall-like top-octave cut-off that Class D amps of the past have evinced.”
Past designers of Class D and audiophiles, rejoice; Michael Borrenson has finally realized the potential of Class D.
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@phd Ha! You're feeding into the hype! Class A and Class AB will never be obsolete in the second-hand market. Sometimes I wonder if it's not wiser to score a Denon/Yamaha/Pioneer/Onkyo/NAD amp for $100 on the used market and pair that with sufficiently good speakers and call it a day. I might be diverting the conversation towards budget gear and vintage gear. But I would love a comparison between a vintage A/B amp and a cheap China amp using class D. To me the high end is clouded in a veneer of romanticism and craftsmanship. For example people who buy expensive tube amplifiers are not interested in getting the best performance metrics. They're looking for a unique experience. This may explain why some audiophiles have several different amps/speakers/turntables and DACs for different experiences. It's just nice to switch it up. |
I'll only say that if I was searching in the sub $3K integrated category I haven't heard anything that touches the new Technics g700m2. You can drop it into a reference system and call it whatever class of amp you want. I played with the NAD M33 for a while, found it sterile, and moved on. I've also got stuff from Gold Note, Naim, McGary, Backert Labs and Linear Tube Audio in the house and the Technics is no joke on a par. Is presentation different? Sure. But I'll be damned if it isn't difficult to pick a winner. |
@mervo "The LAPC and JENO circuits are real tech." YES! I was playing with the LAPC last night. It's pretty impressive. |
@badgerdms agree on the NAD stuff being sterile. I have had a couple and ended up either selling them or sending them to University with one of my kids. The Cambridge EVO series peaks my interest but at that price I can get the Simaudio ACE and have a nice kit for the garage.
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