Pioneer stereo master 11 tube receiver models

Dollar for dollar and pound for pound, D3 can potentially drive more demanding loads, expanding the range of speakers you might consider using in your system. And thatвЂ™s where D3 shines, as I discovered when reviewing the SC-61вЂ™s big brother, the SC-68. Assuming equivalent power-supply capacity, its efficiency also has the potential to improve sound quality, specifically in bass output and wider dynamics. When idling, they use very little power-but when the all-channel action-flick effects kick in, or a symphonic score sends the guy at the tympani into a percussive frenzy, a well-designed Class D amp can handle the intensified load with relative ease (assuming an appropriate choice of speakers).Д®nergy efficiency isnвЂ™t the only attraction of D3. Instead, their output stages are only energized when the signal so demands. ThatвЂ™s because they donвЂ™t keep their output stages biased on when there is no signal, as Class A and AB amps do. What does Class D matter? Until now, its main attraction has been energy efficiency: Class D amplifiers dissipate less energy in the form of heat. But seeing the technology come this far in the offerings of a major brand is a bit of an eyebrow raiser. And with rare exceptions, Class AB still rules in the audio/video receivers of most other manufacturers-largely because most of them havenвЂ™t invested as much in Class D as Pioneer. Pioneer still uses only conventional Class AB amps in its lower-priced plain-old-Pioneer line. ThatвЂ™s a far cry from the $7,000 Pioneer charged for its first-ever Class D model five years ago. With the SC-61, reviewed here, the latest version of the technology-which Pioneer calls D3-has come down in price to as little as $1,100. But I can see it shimmering on the horizon.Д¬lass D has been steadily infiltrating PioneerвЂ™s upper-crust Elite line since 2008 and now accounts for five of the lineвЂ™s seven models. That day hasnвЂ™t come yet and probably wonвЂ™t in the next few years. Someday I will be able to review a Class D receiver without mentioning this up-and-coming amplifier technology in the lead.

Price: $1,100 At A Glance: 125 x 7 watts DВі power

Pioneer stereo master 11 tube receiver models