Anyone kinda like those Japanese "statement" amps? (and here's a new Technics)

Actually, it's the preferred and most effective way to provide amplication for subwoofers. Just ask Richard Lord of REL...

 

Ok, sure. It still blows chunks.

 

That may prove challenging since he passed away on July this year.

 

I have the Yamaha AS1100 in black with dark brown wood panels. Absolutely beautiful. And sounds amazing. Id love to change the colours of the leds. But to scared to open it up...

 

No, I don't like them. Some of them look VERY impressive. And a look at their VERY complicated schematics makes me wonder why they have so many components in there. Isn't circuit simplicity better for good sound?

So, I have a pair of very expensive Luxman amp and preamp from the past, the M-o5 and C-05. They look beautiful in the classic Luxman champagne. They are big and heavy. They have scaled down features (like no tine controls). But they just don't sound like anything special, to my ear. Made in USA or Made in UK appeal to me, sonically, much more.

 

Why is that?

 

Why have to design some extra feature (LAPC) to address a common Class D problem? Why not just go Class A/B, I mean it's a 70wpc integrated amp. Wonder what it's current capacity is?

 

Are these manufacturers using class D because it’s cheaper, increasing profit margins? Just wondering because the sound seems polorizing among Audiophiles.

 

Gorgeous.

 

Profit is ten tenths of business

 

I think I'm going to reserve my opinion of Class D until I hear some Bel Canto's, Technic's new stuff and maybe even some of the Pioneer Class D3 stuff.

 

Yes, they're cheap in multiple ways, one being they don't require any significant cooling provision. Some can manage impressive feats of detail, which to some audiophiles, is all that matters.

 

And not only subwoofers. Back in 2012 I was looking for a new A/V receiver on the 1500/2000 € range, and as I am/was a Marantz guy, it has to be a Marantz like ALL the amps and A/V receivers I've had before.
A friend of mine who works on the Hi Fi section on a department store talked to me about that new THX Pioneer Class D A/V receiver. I inmediately said "not interested".
He insisted me to go to the store and bring in some of my own music. After Listening some Van Halen, some Star Wars,the E.T. soundtrack and The Film Music Of Jerry Goldsmith, these two on SACD, I was impressed. My next question was how long did I have to wait for one to arrive, my friend said to me "we have two in stock". Needless to say I'm extremely happy with my Pioneer SC LX-76 both with multichannel movie tracks and with music. When listening to vinyl I engage the "Analog Direct" that doesn't digitize incoming analog signals at all. I think the magic on this A/V receiver is on its Class D amplification.

 

You don’t have to limit it to those! I would challenge anyone that had some prejudice against Class D to listen to the new Peachtree Nova amps. But you don’t even have to go that far. Try NAD’s tiny little D3020. I’ve owned many great amps from the likes of Parasound, Rogue, ARC, and many others and the little NAD or Nova150 have absolutely nothing to apologize for

 

FWIW I think the new Technics pays a nice homage to the classic Japanese power amps circa 1979.my favorite was the JVC M-L10, but the Technics SE-A5 is what comes to mind with the new integrated. I think there might even be some comparison between the auto biasing Class A used by Technics, JVC, and some others (which I thought was amazing) and top notch class D today. Both were state of the art at the time offering several advantages to traditional Class AB though very different approaches.

 

When it comes to Japanese "statement amps" I've been very fond of the Technical Brain



and Wavac amps...but they sure are expensive.



Amazing, though, each in their own way...

 

Onkyo had a monster amp with gigantic meters decades ago, I forget the model number, a Grand Integra, but they made some pretty cool stuff back in the day.

 

You mean this?

 

That's the guy!

Thanks.....wow, what a hulk.

 

And a Mitsubishi LT-5V on the wall

 

As did Marantz

 

and Denon (and pretty much everyone in the business.....)

 

Even Sony!

 

With all the new retro equipment being built along with a renewed interest in vinyl, I wonder is having a "real" 2 channel stereo will come back into fashion in the general population.