I can see why in class A and AB comparisons. What I often see is the comparisons between same class amps along with extraordinary claims of audible difference.
There are, there are many ways how to build an amp, and many components availeble to use in all kind of qualities. But it’s not so that the most expensive are the best. Telling that in a amp class all sound the same is ********. As much ******** as saying a top amp must cost a fortune...
There are some incompetently designed amps and some esoteric companies that do produce amps that don't meet the industry standard of hi-fi level but they are very small minority. Like I stated, "as long as they are not undersized for the task" and competently designed, they shouldn't make audible difference. By the way, competently designed amps aren't expensive.
If you know of mainstream brand amps of the same class making audible difference in level matched and bias controlled listening comparison, I'm interested in reading about it.
Ah, classic response by posters in audio business.
Those who post extraordinary claims of audible difference don't back it up with extraordinary evidence.
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I will fess up and admit my only interest in this hobby is ‘industrial archeology’. I certainly don’t expect to save a lot of money with DIY any more and I don’t see the point in spending huge bucks only to have the gear constantly revealing the inadequacies of the recording. i’d like to see the hi-fi market focus a little bit more on the end result than how good everything looks.
OK, so my Amp lost a channel. Buy or fix it?
What is with the Emotiva thing?? I am so far out of touch. My amp is a PS2, 200 watt/8ohm per side with Audio Research LS3B preamp, and Martin Logan speakers. I still have my Leach Low TIM for a spare. I need to be re-educated, right? What is with the pure Class A amps? Can I buy an amp for the cost of what I need to put into the PS2? I don't want to use the Leach because it isn't "pretty".(ask my wife).
What is with the Emotiva thing?? I am so far out of touch. My amp is a PS2, 200 watt/8ohm per side with Audio Research LS3B preamp, and Martin Logan speakers. I still have my Leach Low TIM for a spare. I need to be re-educated, right? What is with the pure Class A amps? Can I buy an amp for the cost of what I need to put into the PS2? I don't want to use the Leach because it isn't "pretty".(ask my wife).
If you have high sensitivity loudspeakers operated at milliwatt range, you are running your typical consumer HiFi AB class amp in a region, where the crossover distortion (although being really small relative to full power - and not noticeable at high power with average sensitivity loudspeaker) becomes a problem. I could show to anyone at my place. The speakers are Lowther in Hedlund horns.
1. Denon mini receiver works, but nothing special (probably some generic chip amp in there)
2. Denon PMA1500AE (says High current MOSFET on it) brings improved imaging and detail without a question - you can clearly hear it. I would think, although push pull, at low levels it is still in class A and both halves are open all the time. Or it is just properly made class AB amplifier. It is also very silent. It is a very good amplifier for the price! To use this amplifier was a revealing point to me.
3. Single ended class A tube amplifier (pentode EL84) - the sound becomes divine, pulls you into the music. I admit it might be due to increased harmonic distortion of low order (2nd dominating) which might make the sound less true to original but much more enjoyable.
4. SET amplifier (FU32 based) - this might be psychological, but the sound is even more enjoyable - I have not yet measured this one, it might be also that the speaker-amp interaction and non-perfections are masking some issues - but the speakers literarily disappear - I really need to get out of the sweet spot to identify that the speakers are actually on.
The difference can be clearly heard even when the source is a Chromecast audio streaming from Google Music or Spotify - so not even lossless CD quality!
My conclusion would be that there are sound differences between different amplifiers but when the design is properly made, one cannot say one type is inferior to other, to me that are just different flavors.
1. Denon mini receiver works, but nothing special (probably some generic chip amp in there)
2. Denon PMA1500AE (says High current MOSFET on it) brings improved imaging and detail without a question - you can clearly hear it. I would think, although push pull, at low levels it is still in class A and both halves are open all the time. Or it is just properly made class AB amplifier. It is also very silent. It is a very good amplifier for the price! To use this amplifier was a revealing point to me.
3. Single ended class A tube amplifier (pentode EL84) - the sound becomes divine, pulls you into the music. I admit it might be due to increased harmonic distortion of low order (2nd dominating) which might make the sound less true to original but much more enjoyable.
4. SET amplifier (FU32 based) - this might be psychological, but the sound is even more enjoyable - I have not yet measured this one, it might be also that the speaker-amp interaction and non-perfections are masking some issues - but the speakers literarily disappear - I really need to get out of the sweet spot to identify that the speakers are actually on.
The difference can be clearly heard even when the source is a Chromecast audio streaming from Google Music or Spotify - so not even lossless CD quality!
My conclusion would be that there are sound differences between different amplifiers but when the design is properly made, one cannot say one type is inferior to other, to me that are just different flavors.
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