Do all amplifiers sound the same?

[Kiwi]

A dozen integrated amplifiers, or a dozen power amplifiers?

I think there's pretty much agreement across the board that pre-amplifiers most certainly do make a difference, sometimes dramatic. If you've owned a dozen different integrated amplifiers, then you've been listening to a dozen different pre-amps, too.

Exactly !
I have an old Technics Integrated 50WPC SU-V460in the shed , and a Yamaha AX700 110WPC. Both have CD direct switches and when in direct I cant tell the difference between them ,when driven at a moderate level. However when not by passing the Pre Amp stage there is a huge difference. The Yamaha seems to have a very transparent ( if thats the word) pre amp , where as the technics amp softens the output.

Dave

 

[Tullman]

Hi Ray,

I tend to agree that the components on either side of a power amplifier typically have a greater impact on the musical presentation than the amp itself. And yes, different amps do sound different. But what's funny is that many folks consider the amp to be the "heart" of an audio system, and therefore spend a disproportionate amount of their system budget on this component...

Cheers,
Brian

IMO, one should spend or rather find components that are equal in peformance. This makes for a better system.

 

[Fast_Eddie]

Hi Ed,

Having read your post, I'd like to send you a sympathy card. Can you please PM me your address?

Cheers,
Brian

Just send me some really high quality gear so I can study and learn

 

[Negotiableterms]

Transfer Function

A long time ago, Bob Carver did some challenges with one of the big audio magazines. He claimed that the sound of an amp was dertermined by something he called "Transfer Function", and further, he claimed that with minute adjustments to the components in his amps, he could make them sound like any other amp, by "matching" the Transfer Functions. I can't remember how he did in the challenge, but no one was claiming that all amps sounded alike, and I seem to recall that to work his magic, he was using some kind of test equipment. In other words, he was measuring something. In fact, I think he later came out with an amp deignated "***T" that mean its transfer function had been matched to that of some super-amp.

About the same time, I vaguely remember reading somewhere else that the function Carver was referring to was the frequency response of the amp, but as a 3D terrain type plot in which the vertical axis is voltage, and the two horizontal axes are impedence and frequency. The response curve of an amp is the meandering path through the terrain that follows the speaker's impedence curve.

Does anyone alse recall this and more details? :scratch2:

 

[gonzothegreat]

The Carver transfer function "challenge" was with Stereophile.

A discussion about ABXing with links to a Stereophile article on the subject.
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t24350.html

Here is an article from the BAS musing about ABX testing.
http://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/bas_speaker/wishful_thinking.htm