@JyriK
First, I am not trashing vintage gear, I expect everyone to use the components that sounds best to them that they can afford. If you find the gear you use fits you then by all means keep on using it. If by "D box" you mean the newer class D amps based on the TPA2355 chips then this is what I am referring to. If you are referring to something else, then let me know.
The advancements I am referring to is in how the implementation of using the TPA 3255 chip is being utilized. This occurred around 2-3 years ago. I owned a few class D amps prior to this for very specific use cases like auditioning speakers I was interested in buying to insure all the drivers were functional. Or to use in the garage as a minimal system to have sound in an area. They were never something I would use in a substantial system.
In general, I like keeping up with new electronics coming to market whether it be sound, computers, TVs, etc. I started seeing a lot of reviews on the Fosi V3 that were positive. I found them interesting because it seemed that the reviewers were saying this class D TPA3255 based amp was something out of the ordinary. I filed this information away because I had zero desire to investigate further. Then around a year later Fosi released the ZA3 as a follow up to the V3. This one got my attention. It used the TPA3255 chip but had a feature set that I found very interesting. It had the ability to run in a stereo or mono configuration. A sub out connection that scaled volume with the ZA3's volume knob along with fully balanced XLR connections. A 12V trigger along with the ability to replace op-amps. All this at a price point of $130 with a 48V5A power brick. When I say "significant advancements" I am referring to the feature set and implementation of the TPA3255 chip and not brand new build components.
The ZA3 got excellent reviews from a wide variety of people. This piqued my interest to the point I bought one. At this time I was using the NAD 7100PE receiver as a daily driver. I thought the ZA3
might be useful in a desktop or other limited system. When it arrived, I decided to have it replace the 7100 to really test it out. This system uses a pair of JBL L5s that I find to be a very good speaker. I fed the ZA3 with a SMSL C100 DAC I had laying around. The ZA3 stayed there for three weeks because I had a hard time coming to grips with just how good it sounded. I was a diehard vintage fan and I thought that I would tire of the ZA3 after awhile but this never happened. The clarity, separation, imaging, soundstage, transparency, dynamics etc. was just clearly better to my ears. Then the complete silence when there was no sound was another pleasant surprise. I added another ZA3 to run dual mono amps along with a Fosi ZD3 DAC when it came out. My source over 95% of the time is a Windows computer connected to the DAC via USB. The ZD3 has a great feature set of fully balanced XLR outputs, ARC HDMI connection, ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M paired with XMOS XU316 USB processor, volume control with defeat, in/out 12V triggers and remote control for input switching and volume, among a few other features. The ZD3 comes at a price of $150 when on sale.
I have been using this basic system for over two years now (with the ZD3 a little less) and still love its output. I am not one to listen at high levels and around 85-90db is my absolute max and even then it is for transients in the music. When I say advancements it mostly means advancements in the implementation of existing technology. I am not an electrical wizard but it appears that these newer lower end amps, DACs, pre-amps etc., that mostly originate in China, have cracked a code to get much better performance from electronic components that have been around for a while. While at price points that haven't been seen before.
I am not a one-off regarding my recent experiences. Many here at AK, and elsewhere, have had very similar experiences where vintage components have been replaced with these newer budget friendly ones. I am not trying to convince people to dump their vintage gear. I am just telling my experiences and letting people know that there is another alternative to vintage that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to use. I spent more repairing my NAD 7400PE receiver than I have on my ZA3s, ZD3, op-amp upgrade, XLR cables, etc. As for longevity, I expect these new components to last a long time. I have fifteen year old class D amps that are still perfectly fine today and they aren't nearly as well built as my current components. Even if something breaks, buying a replacement is far less costly and easier than repairing a vintage component, if this is even possible or viable.
The competition in the lower end components these days is very stiff. New iterations of lower cost amps, DACs, pre-amps, CD transports and even turntables are coming out faster than I can keep up with them. All this is very good news to those that have limited budgets and/or don't want to, or can't, keep vintage gear running. IMO, we are living in a new golden age of audio where incredible sound quality is available to more people than ever before.
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