I can't imagine wanting to own an amp that can't offer 25dB gain or more. Otherwise, you're stuck using it with 5V DAC's or a strong pre-amp. Really limits its use and especially as power is already limited to 50W at 8ohms.
There's where you need to understand how much gain you need. This is sensible. Given the power levels at issue, 1.5V would more than drive it into clipping on high gain of around 25dB. It's not an issue since power levels are so low.
I'll bet more than a few of us have spent $600 or more for an amplifier that when all was said and done only effectively put out 50 watts or less. And at the time we may have even thought that the amp delivered nirvana.
Doubt it, unless you're into tubes.
People here on this forum is of course who is being aimed at.
Bingo. I suspect it was a product designed to be measured and top the SINAD chart. THD wars, and all. It was not designed to sell in any sort of rational market since it doesn't fit any actual market need or niche. Passive nearfield monitors? Barely exist. Ultra-sensitive horns? Those guys won't buy this. So who does that leave? Distortion and noise (SINAD) junkies, many of whom will underpower a pair of speakers to get whatever this represents. But that
is a market, and I think you're right it hangs out here.
Now, if it didn't have a pair of power bricks, came in a fancy audiophile case, and cost twice as much, from a "branded" name, I could see it. then it would be cheap, even, for the performance, discounting factors like support and long-term reliability.
They would be silly to admit, that they are using a feed forward error correction.
You assume 1) the patent is even valid, and 2) that the patent covers every possible kind of feed forward correction. A lot of these "patented" technologies are little more than rehashing decades old, public domain idea, with a small twist irrelevant to performance that allows "Company X" to claim it is "patented technology." There are multiple ways to get distortion this low which are long out of patent. There's not exactly any magic sauce here, it's just unique sauce because
most audio companies have no clue how to use feedback and rely on decades old designs they don't want to redo.
When companies finally decide to apply the science that has been known for at least 25 years now, they can get it right. See, e.g., the Linn amps reviewed recently in Stereophile (
https://www.stereophile.com/content/linn-klimax-solo-800-monoblock-power-amplifier-more-measurements). Shocking performance for a high end manufacturer, and presumably not violating patents, either. When power and gain structure are considered, the Linn is a better amp than a Benchmark (albeit with an insane price). This is there, too, for a fraction of the price but with inadequate power for anything but the smallest of bookshelf speakers or those who always listen quietly. If they could put Linn power behind it and match Linn's measurements and sell it for a few grand? Wow, what an amp that would be. Then put a linear supply in it for reliability (and screw the SINAD) and pop some meters onto the faceplate... Now I'm in! At this point, though, you might just be able to use Hypex switching supplies without reliability concerns. If it pukes, they've presumably sold enough to be able to replace it down the road with available or compatible spares.
Whatever the case, the audio circuit engineering here is very good, even if I don't really understand what flea amp target market this is after. But I've never been in that target market, so perhaps that's the problem. They sell a lot of low powered amps, after all.
- SINAD is not everything, power counts!)
