stunna... First, let me apologize, I could have worded that better. That being said, "anus" is one of my defining characteristics.
One thing I will often do, even at the risk of hurting someone's feelings is "call them" when a generalization is being flung about - I don't like generalizations.
There is FAR too much information available for anybody with internet access to spew those!
Secondly, I wasn't using expensive brand names to tout the superiority of today's Class D technology, I was using expensive names, because thay got that expensive way BECAUSE OF HOW THEY SOUND. I know there are more expensive names than Spectron, but I did qualify that claim with a "watt-for-watt" clause. If Class D sounds THAT good, so as to drive such names as Bang/Olufsen (their invention, so it stands to reason...) and Spectron and Rowland and Eclipse and Alpine (in their high-end lines, at least) to use ICEPower exclusively, then it must be pretty good (and in my experience, it IS that good).
Also, PROPERLY implemented Class D is not less expensive than Class A/B, it is in fact significantly MORE expensive. Compliance really has nothing to do with it, rather it is simply another step in the technology, much like SATA drives in computing: it's just the next step. Faster, but not (necessarily) less expensive. I'll grant you, it does GET to that point, but initially, it isn't.
Here's a link to the build of my system, almost two years ago... I only include this information so you can see that I am completely SERIOUS about sound quality, and I don't EVER joke about it! It's really just a "point of view starter". :P If you don't want to read the whole thing, here's a quick copy of my review of the Alpine PDX4.150:
haemphyst wrote:
Oh... My... God...
These PDX amps are INCREDIBLE. I haven't put them in the car yet, but I needed to see what I was in for. I pulled one out to my living room, with my 100A power supply, and proceeded to run one of the 4.150s through it's paces.
Bridged mode: What can I say? Powerful, musical, dynamic. I was able to wrinkle my 52 inch ribbons full length, with "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid soundtrack (don't knock it, it's an AWESOME reference recording) which I have discovered though previous experimenting happens at approximately 280 to 300 watts. My usual amplification for the ribbons is an NAD 216THX, rated at 220 watts per channel into the 4 ohm resistive load presented by the ribbons, and it can't wrinkle 'em. I heard no sense of strain, just music. My ears couldn't take any more, and I heard no clipping or excessive distortion. What distortion I DID hear was probably from my CERTAINLY non-optimal room, and all of it's terrible reflections, and/or my ears complaining.
Stereo mode: Even better. I know... but it WAS! I ran all 4 drivers in the system off that amp in 4 channel mode, using the built-in crossover. The highs were even smoother... The mids were even MORE liquid. MILES ahead of the NADs. The bass... oh, the BASS! I didn't try that (running bass) in bridged mode, but in stereo, it was deep, controlled, accurate bass... FAR better control (even with 1/3 the power) than the Adcom GFA565 powering the woofer section right now. I have never HEARD those systems sound that good, LITERALLY!!! All I could say was "WOW! I mean WOW!" Are the SURE that it's only 150W x 4? The sound was FAR more powerful than I would have imagined, especially from such (relatively) modest power output, and even MORE amazing was the fact that it did all this with my painfully inefficient ribbons!
The crossover and pre-amp section are very clean, and perfectly serviceable... They do an admirable job at their jobs. The crossover has a WIDE range of settings, I want to say it's 30 Hz to 400(?)Hz. PLENTY of range for most systems. Anybody contemplating full-range digital owes it to themselves to get a look at these amplifiers! Alpine and B&O have teamed up in an over-the-top fashion, and hit it out of the park!
Damn, Bob! You gotta dump the JL stuff in your car and get the PDX's going in there! No messin' around here... I'm completely serious man! |
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So, really... Just please accept my apology?
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."