Speakers vs. Amplifier (Poll Included)

[transcap]

whistle or humm or both at the same time while tapping your toe?

 

[Djcoolray]

I learned a long time ago, have to have a great strong amp to make speakers sing. Then it’s easier to modify speakers than it is to mod an amp.

 

[BilboBaggins]

I’m a firm believer in synergy between the speakers and the amplification. If either is off, it will never sound to its potential. Looking at it any other way for me is illogical. So I didn’t vote.

 

[BilboBaggins]

A few years ago, I put together a little system for a buddy of mine. He trusted my ears to pick for him, because his ears were shot from enjoying the ESS AMT 1 speakers I had sold him years ago (another story that is quite funny) a bit too much! The system I put together quite impressed me, and I still hear from him and he tells me how much he loves his system. I found him a Realistic STA (metal black faced) receiver with a smaller footprint but a good 30 or 40 watts aside, and matched them with a pair of entry level speakers from the 90s and they sounded great together! And they looked great! So his girlfriend is happy, so he’s happy! Synergy was there! You can argue about one or another, but it is how they work together that gives the best results.

 

[imral3]

 

[Harvestor]

This
View attachment 1525979

With these
View attachment 1525980

Isn't going to sound like anything other than ass lol.

ROTFLMAO. .
True.

 

[4-2-7]

I don't know what to say

Hey folks that's a first

 

[Guido57]

"The answer is too big for the context of the question".
Robert Persig, with apologies if I didn't get exactly right.

 

[Route 66]

I'd go with decent speakers and either trade in or sell the poor amp for a good one.

 

[mashaffer]

On average mediocre amplifiers are less of a detriment than mediocre speakers but there is the matter of degree. Generally I would opt for better (but efficient) speakers and upgrade the amp later unless the amp was total trash.

 

[motorstereo]

I've had decent luck using a $20 t amp on my khorns on occasion and the sound is actually surprisingly good with good dynamics and output. With that in mind I'd have to say great speakers and a turd of an amp will get the job done better than the other way around.

 

[Will S.]

A crappy amp, especially if driven into distortion, can damage good speakers. Bad speakers are less likely to damage a decent amp. So get the decent amp and upgrade to better speakers when you can.

 

[motorstereo]

A crappy amp, especially if driven into distortion, can damage good speakers. Bad speakers are less likely to damage a decent amp. So get the decent amp and upgrade to better speakers when you can.

Set amps have some of the worst specs going. But there are some that swear by those 1-5 wpc and 1% distortion on the right speakers. Crappy amps by specs alone and great speakers happen all the time and can and do sound quite good together with no need to upgrade either.

 

[dogscanskate]

I've had the displeasure of listening to a bad amp (not broken, just bad) connected to a good pair of speakers, it can't get worse than that. I also own a Marantz 2220B that I picked up at a garage sale, it works but man does it ever sound awful.I'd rather smell sh*t for 2 hours than listen to that turd connected to the best speakers on earth for 2 minutes !

The question is logical because some people actually own such systems but they don't seem to know or care about that. The poor guy with the awful amp left our store without buying a set of speakers, thank God. Can you guess what most people would have said about his system? Yeah, lousy speakers!

 

[sqlsavior]

I'll take the decent amp. I can build decent speakers.

 

[datafone]

Neither choices in the poll work for me, a system as I see it is a complete circuit, it is either good or not, for that listener.

 

[Grenadeslio]

Better speakers will ultimately reveal just how bad the amplifier is where a better amp will elevate bad speakers.

 

[motorstereo]

Better speakers will ultimately reveal just how bad the amplifier is where a better amp will elevate bad speakers.

Perhaps head over to most any tube forum and mention to the set owners that they really should upgrade their flea powered distortion laden amps they're using on their Tannoys, Avantgarde, or Klipsch speakers

 

[jrtrent]

Would you rather have a system with decent speakers and a poor amplifier, or a system with poor speakers and a decent amplifier?

Linn's hifi hierarchy puts the order of importance as source first, then amplifier, and finally speakers, so a quality amplifier is more important than quality speakers. I've found this to be true with my own purchases, and when I worked part-time at a hifi shop, I saw numerous customers who were looking to buy new speakers only to find that their own speakers could perform very nicely when driven by a better quality amplifier.

 

[432HzBob]

Nobody's taking my Panasonic thruster speakers and Emerson all in one stereo!!