Ok, it makes sense. But a well designed "class D" well built with good components and enough margin for stress should in theory have a good service life.
Yep, agree. "Durable goods" produced today are "better" but less "durable".
That does seem to be the case -- with "the inexorable march of technology" used to justify the built-in obsolence. And, heck, the IoT lets the manufacturer "obsolete" a product from a distance.
What a glorious age in which we live.
Sorry, I guess I'll go outside now and shake my cane at those darned kids messin' up the lawn again!
They don't strike me as particularly phallic nor brutal*. I actually think they're rather beautiful, and there's no doubt that they were carefully and lovingly restored.That picture must be an example of what the wife of a member called “phallic brutalism”.
I don't really get where you're coming from. This feels like a very subjective and biased claim to say that things are "less durable". Anything from materials to manufacturing quality, time and costs has improved so much you get way better quality for your money than back then for the same product. Inflation adjusted of course.
This is just my impression though.
For many things yes but "tubes" for instance were better quality (not necessarily sonically) 50 years ago than current production tubesI don't really get where you're coming from. This feels like a very subjective and biased claim to say that things are "less durable". Anything from materials to manufacturing quality, time and costs has improved so much you get way better quality for your money than back then for the same product. Inflation adjusted of course.
This is just my impression though.
I'm in the market for my first serious gear so took the time to go through this thread of great interest as seems the AB vs D is a well balanced debate at this point in time. Can I take at summarising this?
Assuming looking to buy some new gear, not to replace perfectly working or easily repairable existing equipment, the point of differentation seem to converge on three main points from the discussion within this thread, and some searching in other pastures.
- Electrical consumption, which extends to financial cost and social responsibility factors around how that power was generated
- Emotive or intrinsic associating with a certain type of technology or form factor and how that brings joy to you in this hobby
- Life of product ownership experience and costs, primarily replacement and repairability frequency and ease
A fortune cookie!Class D users listen sound, class A users listen music.
Although the £50 amplifiers on eBay all seem to be Class D, so I'd say that the very budget end is all Class D, it's the middle to upper level that is still largely AB, with tiny numbers in Class A, and of those, I think hardly any are real Class A, i.e. stay in Class A at all power levels, never mind load levels.I feel like class D has made big technological strides but that hasn’t all filtered down to the budget tier yet, so there are certain budgets <$300 where class AB makes more sense.
For class D to really take over, we need Bruno Putzeys to make 50 watt per channel stereo module which can be used in $100 devices which are still dominated by TPA and IcePower modules.
I think this has more to do with why new Class AB is being made. Doubtful anyone is suggesting people should discard their AB amps.
Now do this test with an expensive OTL tube amplifier and a real reactive speaker impedance.This. data shows a high end Class D performing Well with a purly Restive load.
Now do this test with you average cheap class d an an real reactive speaker impedance.
OTL tube amps are a niche product that have been around for 80 years and never had stellar performance in this regard. Your point?Now do this test with an expensive OTL tube amplifier and a real reactive speaker impedance.
Class A users listen to the salesman’s wallet.Class D users listen sound, class A users listen music.
OTL tube amps are a niche product that have been around for 80 years and never had stellar performance in this regard. Your point?