I've been into amps of late, buying and trying multiple Class AB amplifiers, new and old. I have a Schiit Vidar on the way right now and can hardly wait until it arrives. However, it's obvious that Super-Cheap-Fi is growing fast. Cheap audio gear from China seems to be everywhere and high-quality Class D 'module' amps are increasingly penetrating the market.
Module amps are showing up in premium machines from major makers (at high prices too), but they are also available on the cheap from places like Ghent Audio, Ali Express, etc. I'm making no declarations about any of this except to wonder how these developments aren't going to gut the larger makers and boutique makers alike. I also feel like a product from a major manufacturer seems cheapened to me when they start incorporating modules in them. I was looking at power amps from NAD last night and they are moving hard into Class D, but I would frankly be pissed to pay a premium for something like a C298 only to find it hosting Purifi module boards inside.
Here's the rub for me. If a potential buyer takes the time to peak under the hood of any of these premium module amps, they'll see that inside the pretty, and expensive, Class D cases from the 'name' manufacturers, there is LOTS of open space and pre-manufactured modules wired together by someone needing zero skill to do so. These amps are often mostly empty space inside.
Newer manufacturers like Audiophonics, XTZ, VTV, SMSL and Topping (and many others) are selling module amps with boards from nCore, Hypex, Purify and Infineon that require essentially zero technical skill or knowledge to assemble, at prices ranging from Fairlawn premium to dirt cheap. One can also buy preconfigured modules from places like Parts Express, plus pre-drilled cases (from sellers like Ghent) and build amps that are functionally identical to name brand machines. I've watched plenty of videos on YT of hobbyists putting together module amps in less than an hour. How can any maker possibly keep prices on such amplifiers at any sort of premium going forward?
Further, I've read that more and more aped (or perhaps grey market) cheap module boards are being hawked by sellers on Ali Express and the bay. Once these become ubiquitous, which will soon happen even with the best Purifi boards, it's hard not to see the market for 'premium' amplifiers collapse. We're talking about amps with tons of clean, high-performance power, running efficiently and remaining cool, in little black boxes that will soon cost a hundred or two, as far as the audio-hobbyist eye can see.
I'll admit my current bias, which is that while I'm happy that great gear can be had on the cheap, I have zero interest in little black Purifi or Hypex or Infineon boxes, whether from China or anywhere else. When I was new in the hobby I would have cheered on such downward pressure on HiFi. I no longer greet the 'little black box' with the same enthusiasm.
Great sound available on the cheap? Great, but also boring as hell for those interested in audio as a hobby.
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