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Whether it's as good or better than a well designed tube amp depends mostly on the speakers it's driving IMO.
I have yet to hear a hypex module that gets all the tonal harmonics right
Class D seems very sensitive to caps, cables, etc... basically needs lots of tweaking to get good sound.
Tube amps do "tonal harmonics". Ncores just amplify the signal.
Yes however do we want coloration or accuracy? For years I used all tubed systems. From Audio Research to CJ lastly SET custom Cyber 211s with NOS GE, RCA and United 211 tubes. Sounded great until we tried a hybrid class "D" amps in direct comparison. Yes the all tubed system was cozy and colored. Colored in a natural way but veiled and dark in direct comparison. One size does not fit all. Realism, slam, presence in spades. Tonally correct with all the harmonics in tact. The concept of the Rouge is interesting especially for the right price. $15,000 and $12,000 for hypex modules is a bit of a stretch. Good to see one priced within reach.charles
Sounds boring to me. I'd rather like what I'm hearing than know it's the 'true' nature of the input signal...whatever that means.
I greatly prefer just the amplified signal to a bunch of added flavor
It's not true now, and it has never been true than tube amplification = distortion and added "flavor". No more than stereotypes of any other topology. It's in the implementation...
The problem with valves is that you usually have much less gain in your typical valve amp than in a semiconductor amp, and that seriously restricts the amount of feedback you can apply to reduce distortion.
Using feedback to lower distortion in a amplifier is not a desirable solution.
There are great amps that use feedback, there are great amps that use none. There are great amps that use tubes, there are great amps that use none. There are great SET amps, there are great push-pull amps. There are great Class D amps. All comes down to your speakers, your associated components, your preferences and your budget.