450 Pound Monobloc Amplifier

Tomtab,
You wrote"I don't care how good they sound" here's where I'd disagree. All that would matter to me is the sound (what else is more important).I believe quality transformers and linear power supplies are crucial and will produce superior sound compared to the newer light weight amplifiers. If I'm proven wrong then that's fine and represents progress(no problem admitting that). I've yet to be persuaded based on what I've heard so far.I prefer lower power simple circuit amplifiers built with premium transformers and very stiff power supplies, this means increased weight. The final verdict is sound quality, which ever technology sounds best is what I'll own.when the light weight amplifiers sound better to me than the traditional approach, I'll happily buy one.

03-17-13: Tomtab
"i was told many years ago in audio that if you bought by weight alone you could never go wrong.i guess im old school."

Tomtab,

I, too, would recommend you use your ears when choosing an amplifier, not heft.

I hope you're not using this old school method when choosing a wife or significant other. Choosing a mate by heft could result in poor choices.

Sorry Tomtab, but I couldn't resist, no offense intended.

your right charles, when the new class d amps sound better,i will buy one

are the class d amps able to drive difficult loads into say 2 ohms. the big monster amps can put out power into 8,4,2 omps without breaking a sweat. thats what im concerned about. sure, a efficent speaker into 8 ohms,no problem. but what about a speaker at 86db, 4 ohms or less. is a 15 pound amp going to have the stiff power supply to get the job done. my weight alone comment was that you were probably going to get a quality piece of gear if you ended up with a heavy piece. not that the heavest piece was the best. hey,come on. some guys like brawn over finesse.

"Hey Tim, I think you are right on the money. I believe with a decent amount of money thrown at R&D, the switching amp could be to linear amps what digital cameras did to film cameras."

Mitch,
Excellent analogy.

The R&D funding and progression of class D is happening right now. It started with the I.C.E. modules/amps, moved on to the Hypex modules/amps and the latest is the Abletec technology from Norway and Sweden. D-sonic is supposedly using this latest version in their top of the line monoblocs.

Major trends are probably identified more easily when looking retrospectively. It's much more difficult to distinquish between a major trend, as oppossed to a passing fad, when all of us are in the midst of the fast paced technology changes. My money is on later generations identifying class D as a major trend and paradigm shift in home audio. It's too good to be just a fad.

I recently 'put my money where my mouth is', replacing a 23 yr old Aragon 400 watt class A/B 65lb amp with a Class D Audio 440 watt SDS440CS amp that is 1/3rd the size and weight. My system, for both 2-channel and ht, has never sounded better. This amp has no problem driving my older magnepans and I've never heard them reproduce better bass. I do think, though, that pairing class D with tubes in the chain(preamp,DAC,phono stage, CDP) is important to acheiving the magic. Class D amps seem to be inherently very detailed and neutral, which is perfect for some but I prefer more warmth and dimension.

However, I just took a look at your very nice system. I would completely understand if you're not in a hurry to replace those Pass amps. Maybe you should wait until the next latest and greatest class D incarnations come out.

Thanks,
Tim