Hi Dusty
I am at a crossroad: mulling between a class A/AB mono amplifier or biting the bullet and embracing new technology in class D with CIAudio's D200 Monos. Several principles are fundamental in the decision process: (1) Long-term value (2) Reliability (3) Relevance. Let me expand on each of these: buying an amplifier should be a long-term investment decision. Unlike some, I do not intend to buy/sell whenever a new offing comes along that promises sonic nirvana. This is stressful and financially imprudent. I would like to make ONE decision that will provide many years of musical enjoyment and satisfaction. This brings me to the second point, reliability. With new technology and a new product it is understandable that consumers like myself will be wary and anxious about how the perfomrance will be like in the years to come. Will it be generally fuss-free or will it be require time and money to put right every now and then. To use an analogy, I once owned a SAAB car that had great driveability factor but was seriously let down by technical reliability issues that expended much time and money to get it running. I have heard a few instances of customers returning units because it broke down (not sure of the cause). This is of course hearsay and as I said, I don't know if it was due to normal use or abuse. Thirdly, I want an amplifier to be relevant for the years to come. I know this is a tall order and most manufacturers cannot assure this given technological progress and R & D development. At the same time, and without naming any particular brands, I would feel quite uncomfortable buying and amplifier today only to know that there was another version or revision or offing that comes along tomorrow! Some manufacturers pay great attention to existing users and allow an upgrade process that will bring what they bought as close to relevance as possible. Such an assurance adds great value to a product! Will there be a D400/600/800 or Reference version or whatever terminology a manufacturer uses to sell the product. I am sure this phenomena is all too familiar in the PC market but one would not expect such hype with high-end audio gear. I hope you will be able to allay my anxieties as I seem to be gravitating ever closer to a fairly long-term investment decision soon.
Many thanks,
Dennis
