• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Don't all amplifiers sound the same..

judas priest said:
in my limited experience, i have found amplifiers that were operated within their capabilities sounded the same.

I agree with you that all amps should sound the same. If they don´t they are either not operating properly, or were purposely designed to sound "different". Their job is, after all, to amplify a signal, not change it.
Click to expand...

amen!!!!!
 
0e64e8e3d38debbb4bec042a936684da3c34b51de37929291b4290b38395bd6b.jpg
 
The ideal amp is straight wire with gain . If your amp is injecting that much difference , you got problems .
 
prolle said:
.. at equal volume, while both amps are operating within their capable dynamic range. Why should one competently designed amplifier sound different to the next?

I can understand that a low power amp, may clip when turned up too loud and perhaps not able to handle the transient dynamics of the particular track, but at normal listening levels, don't they all sound the same?

Have you been able to tell the difference between amps in a blind test? Or do you find amplifiers vary significantly? How much of this is marketing?
Click to expand...

One would think... but, assuming competent design, they don't, some sound better than others.. at the very least some sound differently... and I have no good explanation as to why. You can't tell it by the normally available specs.
 
To me they don't sound all the same, quite clearly.

- Many different designs
- Built to different costs - quality of parts varies
- deliberatly voiced differently ? this, I wonder, but I guess yes.

I don't see the problem of people asking the same questions over and over again. Those of us who are bored with a certain subject can just ignore those threads...

I also believe people hear differently, not due to the ears I think, but the brain after all is just such a complex organic machine...
 
prolle said:
.. at equal volume, while both amps are operating within their capable dynamic range. Why should one competently designed amplifier sound different to the next?

I can understand that a low power amp, may clip when turned up too loud and perhaps not able to handle the transient dynamics of the particular track, but at normal listening levels, don't they all sound the same?

Have you been able to tell the difference between amps in a blind test? Or do you find amplifiers vary significantly? How much of this is marketing?
Click to expand...

Define 'amplifier' in your question above. Power amp? Integrated amp? Valve (tube) amp? - I am not sure I really want an answer to that, I just want you to know what a can of worms you have opened.

petehall347 said:
is it ground-hog day ?
Click to expand...

It is now! - or was that yesterday?
 
Last edited:
answers, imo, are below:

prolle said:
.. at equal volume, while both amps are operating within their capable dynamic range. No. Why should one competently designed amplifier sound different to the next? I am not an designer, so I'll just say it is because they are not the same circuit, parts, layout, etc.

I can understand that a low power amp, may clip when turned up too loud and perhaps not able to handle the transient dynamics of the particular track, but at normal listening levels, don't they all sound the same? No.

Have you been able to tell the difference between amps in a blind test? N/A .Or do you find amplifiers vary significantly? Not nearly as significantly as preamps, but, yes. How much of this is marketing? How much of WHAT is marketing?
Click to expand...
 
I have found, over many years of listening, that amps do not all sound the same, though as noted above, the differences tend to be smaller than for other components. Rarely are all of the relevant parameters measured, much less specified by manufacturers.
 
prolle said:
Have you been able to tell the difference between amps in a blind test? Or do you find amplifiers vary significantly? How much of this is marketing?
Click to expand...


Yes, I have been able to tell amplifiers apart when blind tested. I have even taken part in properly conducted A,B,X testing and been able to tell them apart (I was not the only one though some of the panel could not). I have indeed found that some amplifiers vary significantly.
 
I believe a synergy exists between some speaker/amp combinations.

If all amps sounded the same, could such synergy be possible?
 
I'm not sure where this all amps sound the same concept came from, but it is not what I have found. This topic is a repeating one for sure. Different amplifier designs, power supply designs, component selection, manufacturing facilities, power outputs, budgets, etc. What would make them sound the same? Magic?
 
The answer is yes. All amps do sound the same, but only when turned off.

In all seriousness, this has been pretty well covered already, but I agree that while many sound good, they all have different properties to their sound, sometimes very slight, other times rather pronounced.

Some designs produce a colder, harsh sound while others have a smoother "warmer" sound to them. Some sound more beefy and "full" than others. But then, aside from design and build budget, maybe the best explanation is different amps are designed with different types of music in mind.
 
runnin' said:
Uh, no kidding, this is indeed an audio forum. When the slightly doltish guy in the room keeps bringing up the same topic again and again and again, don't be surprised if a few start avoiding him. It's simply human nature.
Click to expand...

Then do just that, avoid the conversation. I don't understand why so many here feel the need to criticize topics they are tired of discussing. I'm sure you will tell me why.

cubdog
 
add three or four hundred different circuit components and typologies together with different values and what could possibly make them sound DIFFERENT?
 
If all amplifiers had zero output impedance and all loudspeakers were pure resistive loads... naw, they still wouldn't all sound the same. Manufacturing variability in passive components (capacitors, chokes, resistors) will pretty much guarantee that, I would think.

(and, yeah, I -- like all of us -- should know better than to respond to a troll thread like this one, but sometimes my level of maturity trumps even that of one of the US candidates for a major elected office)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom