That raises two questions:
Is the GT800 using a switching power supply?
Is there a discernible difference for amplifying guitar?
Curious now...
I can't say that for sure. In my opinion, the greatest "bang for your buck" in the fidelity department with guitar amplification will be a smooth and uncolored midrange (say 500-5kHz). Artifacts in other frequency ranges are probably easier to tame (low-passing out a ratty top end, correcting a mid-bass hump, etc.) or even to simply work with while designing patches.
Sonically theres no difference between a torroidal transformer and a switch mode PSU, as long as the SM is designed correctly. Power is power - simple, as long as its there when needed.
People get confused with the Digital tag. There is a hugh difference between digital amplification (that Class D amps get tagged with) and digital PSUs (that switch mode PSUs get tagged with). Basically as long as the amplification device is running in class A/B you woint here a difference what the PSU is.
Unfortunately MOST Class D amps (and class G come to that) have switch mode PSUs, and MOST Class A/B amps are torroidal - hence the confuson. the Matrix however, is class A/B and used a Switch mode PSU.
There's no confusion here. You may be right that there is no audible difference when a SM PSU is designed
correctly and implemented into a class A/B design - but I'm not impressed with the technology yet. They are prone to excessive noise and even at switching frequencies of 1 MHz, I believe it is the dead time that introduces extra harmonic distortion into the signal. I haven't had the opportunity to compare my DCM1000 to a DCM1000L (would love to do so), but my expectation is that the DCM1000 will handily beat it in noise floor and sound quality, at the expense of a 500% increase or so in weight. I'll admit here that I am not an electrical engineer, but I am an engineer and audio enthusiast with a lay understanding of amplifier design and performance.
With acknowledgement that these results are nearly a decade old, some summaries of linear vs. switching-mode power amplifiers, tested by Genelec:
http://www.genelec.com/documents/publications/aes112th.pdf
I can't comment on the Matrix at all, and I assume for the price tag that it is a good amplifier with quality components and a switch-mode PSU that is power-factor corrected, well-shielded, etc. It may very well be on par with linear amplifiers taking into account improvements in SM PSU technology, but I haven't seen any solid measurements or listening tests (recorded music is best) to confirm this.
Well, theoretically yes, they are the same, but in reality there is a bit of difference in how they behave. An SMPS can regulate its supply voltage at nominal no matter what the load. A linear power supply's voltage will dip when load gets heavy because it has no feedback loop like the SMPS. The voltage dip is equivalent to the "sag" parameter in your Axe-Fx. It equals increased THD as the output signal clips due to the supply rails dipping.
Hence the overbuilt transformers and excess power ratings sought after by those who want high fidelity at high volumes.
I haven't made the decision yet, but have been tempted by the Carvin DCM2000L. I suspect that for my application the thing will have enough headroom that I won't experience clipping of any kind. I'm happy with my sound, but wouldn't mind the reduced weight and heat of this amp vs. the Mesa 2:90 I have now. I have as much romance with tubes as the next guy, except when I'm carrying them or buying replacements.
What is your speaker impedance configuration (e.g. 2x 8ohms)? For most purposes, the DCM2000L is quite likely overkill. I have 700W bridged into 8 ohms with the DCM1000, or I can do 1000W bridged into 4 ohms or 225x2 at 8 ohms. Any of those numbers makes a LOT of stage volume with plenty of headroom left.
I've been yelled at by venue sound guys with that very same 700W into one Atomic cab for having too much stage noise.
It is in the 'ideal' neighborhood because it does not react under the fingers like a hifi, linear power amp.
It seems to 'bounce' and compress with pick pressure like a tube amp. In my early experiments with
the Axe, I once tried it thru a $3000 audiophile solid state power amp. It sounded unbearably stiff
and hard. The Matrix reacts better to guitar-y frequencies than any S/S amp I've yet heard.
I'd certainly like to try one of these out, but aren't you admitting that it "does something" that a reference model amplifier does not, ergo, it has introduced some type of non-linearity that you find pleasing in concert with the Axe-Fx modeling? I'm not saying that's
not a good thing. I'm just trying to be clear.
BTW, are you running firmware 11.0 yet? I wonder if the new improvements in non-linear component behavior that Cliff has modeled might deliver more "mojo" through said "stiff" hi-fi amp for you.
I'd love to try one of these Matrix amps in my hi-fi at home - the Carvin DCM1000 doesn't hold a candle to my trusty Rotel class A/B stereo amp, but it's not terrible.
