Peter, thank you for sharing your experience. It's an extraordinary build and something to keep in our minds. However, what I'm wondering is, the reason for such design is for the quality of amplified signal, right? In that case the question becomes, how far should the amplifier design go when the speaker produces much more distortion than average build amplifier? In other words, is it worth the effort when such fine amplified signal gets "trashed" by the speaker itself?
Now, if the prime objective for such build was something other than the sound quality, then yes, I think it's worth the effort. What say you?
Peter, thank you for sharing your experience. It's an extraordinary build and something to keep in our minds. However, what I'm wondering is, the reason for such design is for the quality of amplified signal, right? In that case the question becomes, how far should the amplifier design go when the speaker produces much more distortion than average build amplifier? In other words, is it worth the effort when such fine amplified signal gets "trashed" by the speaker itself?
Now, if the prime objective for such build was something other than the sound quality, then yes, I think it's worth the effort. What say you?
Thank you for your good words.
I think that some experienced guys who are well involved into building high quality amplifiers, can well imagine what I have been through in order to accomplish this project. The effort, pain and courage to finish it successfully could well be described as 'immense'.
Speakers do indeed produce high distortion compared to the one of the amplifiers, but experience has told me that the speaker AND the amplifier seen as a whole, account at least to the 80% of the sound we perceive. Plug on this amp a moderate speaker and you will listen good, plug a good speaker and you will listen very good, plug a very good speaker and you will listen extraordinarily good. You can't avoid the influence of the speaker but the critical role belongs to the OUTPUT STAGE. This is what I have gained from my experience building amps.
The objective of this amp was to give something unique in terms of performance AND aesthetics, both at the same time. I am the designer and manufacturer so I am not responsible to make the criticism. The end result is here, available to anybody who would like to experience something that probably has never been made so far.
I have been offered to manufacture this amplifier. It is obvious that its cost is outrageous, could be described as sky-high, but again this is in relation to the financial means of the owner. I am not selling the amplifier for my profit, was just asked to make something very good and of course this covers all financial aspects, parts cost, labour cost etc.
I am not selling this kind of amplifiers nor I have the intention to do it in the near future. I am designing and manufacturing amplifiers only on a custom order basis for some few people who want (and of course have the financial means) to acquire something that qualifies as exotic, both in terms of performance and aesthetics. Everything is done in full communication with the owner. I only deal with those who do not like (serious) compromises but prefer to enjoy their lives spending their free time together with their family or good friends listening to music.
Power supply caps are not part of the signal.
You may consider the cathode capacitor as part of the signal but this is another sory, some agree and some others disagree on this.
I have trouble reconciling this statement with the fact that power supply capacitors are part of the network of components that supply energy to every stage of the amplifier. This is especially troubling when I grant your statement to be true and make the logical move from there to wondering why the capacitors are there at all if they are not part of signal amplification.
True... but why bring this up? The "signal path" used as a term, in most circles, does not include the power supply, even though the power supply is what generates the output. Just like when someone says "family" it may not include a long lost half brother regardless of immediate blood relations.
When someone says "no capacitors in the signal path..." most of us know what he means, even though technically this may be impossible to accomplish.
Room acoustics account for the majority of sound quality we perceive, followed by speakers. And then distant 3rd is the components (amp, preamp and source). In most cases such as contemporary transistor P-P amp and preamps, their affect is so small as to be indistinguishable in double blind test when level matched. That's probably why we have SET fans.
Yes, speakers do matter a lot.
It turned out to be very exotic.
I didn't mean to criticize, I admire the amount of work involved with this amplifier and I know he meant "no coupling caps". BUT saying there are no capacitors in the signal path is simply not true.
The tubes draw pulses of current from the last capacitor in the power supply chain. These pulses are modulated by the signal. So, that cap is very much in the signal path and its influence on the sound is sensible!
Note: CCSs *do* isolate the the tube from the power supply, but it's not the case here.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.