<font color='#000000'>Are the new receivers like Sony's STR-DA9000ES going to use digital amplification? Sony refers to Direct Drive Digital Amplifiers in the press release for its new flagship, this seems to match how Zetex refers to its new Acoustar ZXCW series digital amplifer chips. Still the new Sony looks rather large for something that uses all digital amplification.
I also noticed that Yamaha has a new MX-DI all digital stereo amplifier on the way, this one seems (not sure) to use the Sharp 1-bit amplifer running at 2.8Mhz, but Mr. Voigt over at classd.org is not impressed with this chip.
On the other hand pictures of the MX-DI indicate that it does use a switchmode power supply, the unit is nice and small, yet powerful. It's looks about the same size and shape of a Linn Klimax amplifier which also uses switchmode power.
I think that between these two technologies there's a lot to look forward to in future. According to classd.org and specs available on the Mueta solution, they seem to have nailed the performance issues for digital amplification, I would like to hear comments.
Also what does this mean for all the latest and greatest differential and parallel DAC setups in the new sources and receivers? Digital amps can be driven directly from a digital bit stream like ICEpower's PEDEC based solution (the digital input version of the modules used in Jeff Rowland 302s and Accoustic Reality amps). Will it be necessary to spend the money on great DACs or will source components just become transports?
Should we be considering only the receivers containing S/PDIF, AES/EBU or HDMI interfaces in future (not saying we do away with analog)?
I'm interestd to hear from others about how these technologies will alter their receiver buying decisions and whether the technologies have legs.</font>
