WAM Census 2021 Results - Time listening, your HiFi Journey and the average Wammer...

JANDL100

Wammer
Wammer Plus
Dec 5, 2006
20,125
7,864
208
Forest of Dean, Glos
AKA
Jerry
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Yup, that's the nature of averages - it's highly unlikely on a fairly small sample that anyone would hit the average mark in all ways. 

Excellent topic, though  :^ - it should be re-run every year or so, I think, to see whether and how things change. 

 

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,521
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Yup, that's the nature of averages - it's highly unlikely on a fairly small sample that anyone would hit the average mark in all ways. 

Excellent topic, though  :^ - it should be re-run every year or so, I think, to see whether and how things change. 
Yes but I bet some get pretty close, I'm not sure on some ages so difficult to say who. Then again I don't know who completed the survey.

 

DomT

Food and coffee and rock n roll
Wammer Plus
Jul 23, 2019
10,315
9,583
198
Village near Nottingham.
AKA
Dom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The great thing about this forum is that there is a breadth of experience and preferences and there is no group-think……. well except when it comes to the Bluesound Node 😜

 
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Tony_J

Gone fishin'
Staff member
Mar 4, 2013
19,635
2
18,394
208
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The great thing about this forum is that there is a breadth of experience and preferences and there is no group-think……. well except when it comes to the Bluesound Node 😜
...and cables... :cafe:

 
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hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,371
1,182
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Well, that's not me - I'm not Mr Average 
It could be that no individual is Mr Average but that doesn't mean it's wrong to calculate Mr Average's profile!

I am aware of the advances in technology but I've moved on from class A/B and passive speakers to active.
But what technology is the amp in your active speaker?  It is still likely to be A or A/B or D, although I know of one that uses tube amps in their speakers!

 

tkimages

Wammer
Wammer
Jun 14, 2006
10,774
9,496
173
St Helens
AKA
Tillman
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
It could be that no individual is Mr Average but that doesn't mean it's wrong to calculate Mr Average's profile!

But what technology is the amp in your active speaker?  It is still likely to be A or A/B or D, although I know of one that uses tube amps in their speakers!
I didn't say it was wrong to determine Mr Average, I think it's a great thing to do with the data available and I applaud lostwin for finding the time and trouble to do the poll and work out and extrapolate the results.  I was just pointing out (in a jokey sort of way) that I did not fit the profile of the 'average wammer'.

Once again I simply pointed out that I had moved on from a 'separate amp (whatever class that may be) and passive speakers' to active speakers.

I was surprised how far away from the average result I was, in no way was I belittling the work done by lostwin 🙂

 

hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,371
1,182
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I didn't say it was wrong to determine Mr Average, I think it's a great thing to do with the data available and I applaud lostwin for finding the time and trouble to do the poll and work out and extrapolate the results.  I was just pointing out (in a jokey sort of way) that I did not fit the profile of the 'average wammer'.

Once again I simply pointed out that I had moved on from a 'separate amp (whatever class that may be) and passive speakers' to active speakers.

I was surprised how far away from the average result I was, in no way was I belittling the work done by lostwin 🙂
I was not intending to criticise and I agree with you for applauding lostwin to starting this poll.

My semi-active speakers (bass drivers only are powered) uses Class D and I've recently switched from valves for my system amplification to Class D after a 2-year period of home testing a dozen widely different ss amps.  I suspect (if audiophiles keep an open mind) that a follow-up survey in 5 years will show that 90% of us are using Class D.  For me it's a bit like film cameras and digital.  It took a decade plus for digital to come of age and to compete in picture quality terms with film, but who now uses film? 

 

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,521
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I was not intending to criticise and I agree with you for applauding lostwin to starting this poll.

My semi-active speakers (bass drivers only are powered) uses Class D and I've recently switched from valves for my system amplification to Class D after a 2-year period of home testing a dozen widely different ss amps.  I suspect (if audiophiles keep an open mind) that a follow-up survey in 5 years will show that 90% of us are using Class D.  For me it's a bit like film cameras and digital.  It took a decade plus for digital to come of age and to compete in picture quality terms with film, but who now uses film? 
I doubt it will be 90% class D in 5 years time, not everyone changes their every few years. 
Meridian seem to use class AB amps in TKimages speakers.

l know quite a few photographers who use film still. 

 
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MartinC

Wammer
Wammer
Jul 29, 2005
9,828
6,148
158
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
My semi-active speakers (bass drivers only are powered) uses Class D and I've recently switched from valves for my system amplification to Class D after a 2-year period of home testing a dozen widely different ss amps.  I suspect (if audiophiles keep an open mind) that a follow-up survey in 5 years will show that 90% of us are using Class D. 
I'm sure the proportion using Class D amps will continue to increase slowly but I'd be gob-smacked if it got anywhere close to 90% in 5 years time! My Class D power amp was released 20 years ago, so it's not like we're talking about some very recent innovation that has just burst on the scene to take over.

 
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callen24returns

Newbie
Wammer
Oct 11, 2021
212
171
63
Leicester
AKA
Chris
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I suspect the data suggests we are not the target audience of hifi dealers because most of us have already done our spending?

Also I am somewhat unique, because of impairment I am in the sfa more than 10 hours a day, roughly 6 hours music, then 4 watching films, series on TV. So I guess few others have their set up playing 70hours a week 

 

tkimages

Wammer
Wammer
Jun 14, 2006
10,774
9,496
173
St Helens
AKA
Tillman
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I doubt it will be 90% class D in 5 years time, not everyone changes their every few years. 
Meridian seem to use class AB amps in TKimages speakers.

l know quite a few photographers who use film still. 
The soon to be released £75k DSP 8000XE speakers from Meridian now have a mix of class A/B and class D amps in them.

  • Amplifiers: Tweeter and Mid-range - each >150W into 4Ω, Class AB, Bass – six bridged pairs, each pair >240W into 4Ω, Class D
 
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hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,371
1,182
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I doubt it will be 90% class D in 5 years time, not everyone changes their every few years. 
Meridian seem to use class AB amps in TKimages speakers.

l know quite a few photographers who use film still. 
I probably should have said that it's likely 90% of new amp purchases will be Class D in 5 years time

My own speakers (Avantgarde) switched from AB to D with their last major update about 4 years ago

As a professional photographer myself, I was very disappointed when Kodak finally dropped Kodachrome. - far and away the finest slide film.  Very few pros now use film - certainly with smaller formats such as 35 mm or probably 6x6 too.

 
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hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,371
1,182
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I'm sure the proportion using Class D amps will continue to increase slowly but I'd be gob-smacked if it got anywhere close to 90% in 5 years time! My Class D power amp was released 20 years ago, so it's not like we're talking about some very recent innovation that has just burst on the scene to take over.
Class D is currently the most quickly developing technology in audio.  Previously it was DACs that were being developed when higher definition audio became available.  No other amp technology has significantly changed in decades, but Class D is now at least as good as any other type and will continue to improve, probably with more use of GaN.

I hesitate to say this, but if your Class D amp was released 20 years ago, it is seriously behind the times.  My old Tripath-based Class D is akin to a wind-up gramophone compared with my current Purifi-based one!

 

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,521
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I probably should have said that it's likely 90% of new amp purchases will be Class D in 5 years time

My own speakers (Avantgarde) switched from AB to D with their last major update about 4 years ago

As a professional photographer myself, I was very disappointed when Kodak finally dropped Kodachrome. - far and away the finest slide film.  Very few pros now use film - certainly with smaller formats such as 35 mm or probably 6x6 too.
Its possible but on WAM around 25% of the survey use tube amps. If I change amp next year I doubt I will buy D class.

 

hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,371
1,182
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Its possible but on WAM around 25% of the survey use tube amps. If I change amp next year I doubt I will buy D class.
I hear what you say and I agree there are those who will never change from valves, however good the alternatives.  If this poll took place 3 years ago, I would have added to the valve users' percentage.  I boldly decided to search for a solid state amp that equalled or bettered my 845 SET monos.  I bought or borrowed a dozen amps oc Class A, AB and D but settled on a D in the end.  Valve amps were finally sold last month!

 

MartinC

Wammer
Wammer
Jul 29, 2005
9,828
6,148
158
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I hesitate to say this, but if your Class D amp was released 20 years ago, it is seriously behind the times.  My old Tripath-based Class D is akin to a wind-up gramophone compared with my current Purifi-based one!
Interesting. What amp did you have out of interest?

I'm the second owner of mine but I bought it over 15 years ago now. When I bought it I did so because it impressed me more than converntional solid state amps of the time for similar money though. I don't believe there has been a vast improvement in more conventional designs since then so I'd be surprised if my amp didn't still stand up pretty well, but I haven't demoed any alternatives. 

That said, I'm not using my power amp currently due to a dead driver in my Shearwaters, and I suspect my next 'proper' speakers will be active like my current stand-ins (Edifier S3000 Pros).

 

hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,371
1,182
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Interesting. What amp did you have out of interest?
Red Wine Signature 30.  It was raved about at the time, but it didn't match my speakers, despite being returned to the US makers for gain adjustment, etc.  Before that I bought a Tripath module and added a 12 volt battery to power it.  These were early days for Class D and (like digital cameras) this technology has progressed rapidly from those early ones. 

 
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MartinC

Wammer
Wammer
Jul 29, 2005
9,828
6,148
158
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Red Wine Signature 30.  It was raved about at the time, but it didn't match my speakers, despite being returned to the US makers for gain adjustment, etc.  Before that I bought a Tripath module and added a 12 volt battery to power it.  These were early days for Class D and (like digital cameras) this technology has progressed rapidly from those early ones. 
That's not an amp I'd heard of before but it seems to be a very unsual design, being battery powered and only 30 W output (probably due to the battery power). For what it's worth my Bel Canto is a totally different beast, being mains powered and hugely more powerful at 360 W per channel (into 8 Ohms) in the mode I've used mine. (It was also quite a bit more expensive but cost doesn't guarantee quality of course!) 

I'm firmly of the persuasion that the room and speakers are vastly more important than amp choice by the way, provided the amp is capable enough to comfortably drive the chosen speakers to the desired volumes. 

 

ProfessorP3PP3R

ProfP
Wammer
Oct 15, 2020
115
98
48
Cheltenham
AKA
Zak
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Well that's pretty much me.... beside the fact I'm 38 years too senior. What a baby I am at 20! And I'd probably rate in my own personal system the vinyl and steaming side to be on par just difference characteristics, purely because I havent invested much into vinyl yet! 

 

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