Is class D Hi-Fi?

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antonio66
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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by antonio66 »

You should have asked the designer of this, https://www.jeffrowlandgroup.com/model-925/ , Mr Rowland seems to know what he's doing with Class D.

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Lindsayt
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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Lindsayt »

antonio66 wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:19 am You should have asked the designer of this, https://www.jeffrowlandgroup.com/model-925/ , Mr Rowland seems to know what he's doing with Class D.
More like seems to know how to hire an advertising copywriter. And seems to know what Veblen Goods are.

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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by valvesRus »

Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:55 am
antonio66 wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:19 am You should have asked the designer of this, https://www.jeffrowlandgroup.com/model-925/ , Mr Rowland seems to know what he's doing with Class D.
And seems to know what Veblen Goods are.
Is that meant to be a criticism ?

If so, why ?

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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Geoff.R.G »

antonio66 wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:19 am You should have asked the designer of this, https://www.jeffrowlandgroup.com/model-925/ , Mr Rowland seems to know what he's doing with Class D.
Based on the content of the linked page I must have forgotten a lot about Power Factor or there is a lot of sales talk in there. A resistive load has a power factor of 1, a reactive load has a power factor of COS𝚽 where 𝚽 is the phase angle difference between voltage and current. Power factor can be "corrected" by adding the opposite reactance i.e. for a transformer add capacitance. Trying to correct power factor to 1 runs the risk of creating a resonant circuit. If you can achieve a power factor of 0.93 (incorrectly termed 93% in the specification) you certainly don't need to "actively" correct it any more.

What on earth is anyone going to do with 430W in a domestic environment except perhaps achieve Charlie Croker's requirement to "blow the doors off".

Given that the supposed advantages of class D are reduced weight and cost this amp seems to have failed in both respects $58.000 each! I can get the best seats in the house at a lot of concerts for that money.

More to the point, I failed to find a review and what matters is what it sounds like not the marketing hype.

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Lindsayt
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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Lindsayt »

valvesRus wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:39 am
Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:55 am
antonio66 wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:19 am You should have asked the designer of this, https://www.jeffrowlandgroup.com/model-925/ , Mr Rowland seems to know what he's doing with Class D.
And seems to know what Veblen Goods are.
Is that meant to be a criticism ?

If so, why ?
$58,000 Rowland Model 925 amplifier? Let's put it to the test. Let's bake it off against - for example £2250 NVA M600's.

My prediction is that the NVA wiil sound better. What's your prediction?

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Neonknight
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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Neonknight »

Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:43 pm
valvesRus wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:39 am
Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:55 am

And seems to know what Veblen Goods are.
Is that meant to be a criticism ?

If so, why ?
$58,000 Rowland Model 925 amplifier? Let's put it to the test. Let's bake it off against - for example £2250 NVA M600's.

My prediction is that the NVA wiil sound better. What's your prediction?
Fascinating. How will you propose obtaining this Rowland amplifier for the bake off? Making a prediction of outcome is going to be hard to authenticate if there is no viable plan in place for sourcing the competitor amplifier.

As a side note, about 10 years ago I bought a Rowland Model 5 amplifier, it was probably the first legendary amp Jeff Rowland built. A monster capable of driving 1 ohm loads. In the ensuing years the pricing for Jeff Rowland Design Group, which is different from the companies original name, has climbed through the stratosphere. I got no idea how many pieces they sell, but its brutal in terms of price. I would never defend its cost structure and say its viable, it really makes no sense to me. But that first Rowland Model 5 I had sounded very nice, I would certainly be open to owning one again.

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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Geoff.R.G »

Neonknight wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:24 pm
Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:43 pm
valvesRus wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:39 am

Is that meant to be a criticism ?

If so, why ?
$58,000 Rowland Model 925 amplifier? Let's put it to the test. Let's bake it off against - for example £2250 NVA M600's.

My prediction is that the NVA wiil sound better. What's your prediction?
Fascinating. How will you propose obtaining this Rowland amplifier for the bake off? Making a prediction of outcome is going to be hard to authenticate if there is no viable plan in place for sourcing the competitor amplifier.
That may actually explain why I couldn't find a review.

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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by valvesRus »

Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:43 pm
valvesRus wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:39 am
Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:55 am

And seems to know what Veblen Goods are.
Is that meant to be a criticism ?

If so, why ?
$58,000 Rowland Model 925 amplifier? Let's put it to the test. Let's bake it off against - for example £2250 NVA M600's.

My prediction is that the NVA wiil sound better. What's your prediction?
My prediction is that the sort of person who would consider buying the Model 925 would not be interested in an NVA amplifier.

The decision would undoubtedly involve more than sound quality.

I can't comment on the sound quality aspect myself as I have not had the opportunity to listen to either amplifier.

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Colin Wonfor
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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Colin Wonfor »

NO it is digital lies. And I have made a few most sound crap on good kit, BUT ideal for driving motors in cars and electric bikes.,
These users thanked the author Colin Wonfor for the post (total 2):
karatestu (Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:47 pm) • Lindsayt (Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:56 pm)
It can be done so imagine it.

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Lindsayt
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Re: Is class D Hi-Fi?

Unread post by Lindsayt »

valvesRus wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:11 pm
Lindsayt wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:43 pm
valvesRus wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:39 am

Is that meant to be a criticism ?

If so, why ?
$58,000 Rowland Model 925 amplifier? Let's put it to the test. Let's bake it off against - for example £2250 NVA M600's.

My prediction is that the NVA wiil sound better. What's your prediction?
My prediction is that the sort of person who would consider buying the Model 925 would not be interested in an NVA amplifier.

The decision would undoubtedly involve more than sound quality.

I can't comment on the sound quality aspect myself as I have not had the opportunity to listen to either amplifier.
And that therefore makes the Rowland the very epitomy of a Veblen Product.

And therefore the Rowland 925 should NOT be used as an example of competence by Rowland in terms of the sound quality.
But it would be fair to hold it up as an example of competence in Veblen marketing.

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