List of amps with a high damping factor

Noisypot

Member
Does anyone have a list of older amps that had low distortion and a high damping factor of 200 or more ? Doesn't need to be super high wattage. 60 wpc would be enough. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there where any integrated amps like that, just power amps right ? I have a second question .....oops that's three questions: If you're using an integrated amp as a preamp does it add much distortion to the sound ? In my case a Pioneer SA-7100 that's all tuned up. Thanks for your time, Alan :)
 
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Crown models fit the bill. They had one amp rated at 40,000!

It is quite easy to achieve a high DF - just add boatloads of corrective feedback which will compromise the musicality. Which is why I avoid such.
 
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I have 2 MC 207's with a DF around 150 and a 206 with about the same. They replaced Crown DC-300 A's, 150A's and P2SA with some where between 400 and 1000., Which replaced MC 2100 and 2200's with a factor less than 20. The early Macs were to mushy, the Crowns little to hard. The Current Macs are about right. As I tri-amp my speakers without passive crossovers you can really hear the change.
 
I have 2 MC 207's with a DF around 150 and a 206 with about the same. Which replaced MC 2100 and 2200's with a factor less than 20.
The difference is the former doesn't use autoformers. The current 611s and 452s which do are rated at ">40".

Some speakers benefit while others don't. Typically it is those with complex crossovers and large woofers that do. My stats don't. Maggies don't. Roger Russell's statement speaker, the IDS-25 doesn't. Note the linear impedance curve.
 
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It is quite easy to achieve a high DF - just add boatloads of corrective feedback which will compromise the musicality. Which is why I avoid such.

Exactly. Yet another 'audio stats race' where it pays to look at the flip side of the coin.

The Law of Diminishing Returns is stalking all of us, everywhere, all the time
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Not sure if fully accurate.. and if it still holds true but all tube amps have excellent damping factors by design.

As for the integrated used as a preamp, I believe as long as the staging circuitry is clean.. there should not be any issues introduced :dunno:
 
Exactly. Yet another 'audio stats race' where it pays to look at the flip side of the coin.

The Law of Diminishing Returns is stalking all of us, everywhere, all the time
index.php
Absolutely. Source impedance does affect the frequency response of many speakers. John Atkinson notes that with every amplifier review. But extreme values are simply not necessary.
 
Not sure if fully accurate.. and if it still holds true but all tube amps have excellent damping factors by design.
Actually, they tend to have low values. The use of minimal corrective feedback (a good thing!) and transformer coupling creates higher source impedance and thus lower DF. Just like zero feedback solid state designs from companies like Ayre and darTZeel.

Mind you, I use VTL tube amps in the music system and would not have it any differently. It's just low DF designs (especially SETs) don't work optimally with some dynamic speakers that need more control for linear operation.
 
Is damping factor a key concern? Someone mentioned my LS50’s and KA-8100 and that the damping factor was too low (50 on the Kenwood). Does this compromise the sound significantly?

Interested to know the impact of DF on the system setup. Sorry not meaning to threadjack.
 
Is damping factor a key concern? Someone mentioned my LS50’s and KA-8100 and that the damping factor was too low (50 on the Kenwood). Does this compromise the sound significantly?
It could potentially in terms of frequency response given the roller coaster ride of its impedance curve. In addition to Floyd Toole's view from 1975, Nelson Pass has more recently voiced the opinion that anything past 50 has little audible effect.

You should be good.
 
Damping factor helps reduce unwanted cone excursion, kind of a brake since the mass of a bass drive that is in movement tends to want to keep moving, you know those laws of physics. And yeah most tube amps have much lower DF than SS amps, and some have zero negative feedback, which is why some people prefer tube amps, it tends to add a few db's in the lower bass regions.

I have seen some old tube amps that have adjustable feed back, or damping factor, one in particular is the old Fishers.
 
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