Why doesnt *everyone* make 'high current' amps ?
- Thread starter estreeter
- Start date
That's kind of you to say, but I do sometimes think that my amps are the thing that's holding my system back....of course that's probably just the audiophile neurosis talking. :scratch2:
What do you feel its missing, soundwise?
1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
Where do you guys see the High Current in this one?Looks plain integrated to me.
Um, that big copper colored thing in the lower right.
Although not guaranteed, a toroidal transformer is usually a good indicator of a highly capable power supply - i.e. high current.
Um, that big copper colored thing in the lower right.
Although not guaranteed, a toroidal transformer is usually a good indicator of a highly capable power supply - i.e. high current.
Doesn't look to be more than 300VA. :nerd:
Overall, I would say that my system sounds sterile, it lacks the organic sound that should be present on good recordings. I'd love to hear what a low-powered SET would sound like in my system, but my speakers wouldn't play nice with that type of amp.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
based on your signature line, you've got lots of potential root causes for 'sterile sound' :-(
Borrow a tube preamp, see how it goes. :wave:
estreeter
Super Member
This is the inside view of the aforementioned HK990 - 24kgs and reportedly a real 'joy' to get out of the box
That's from, arguably, the most detailed 3-part dissection of an amplifier you will read anywhere - Secrets of Home Theater let Dr David Rich loose on the HK and he clearly relished the opportunity. Hopefully HK fixed the equalisation software - in every other respect it seems to be a well-engineered amp and is currently selling for well below the initial launch price.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/integrated-amplifiers/integrated-amplifiers-reviews.html
That's from, arguably, the most detailed 3-part dissection of an amplifier you will read anywhere - Secrets of Home Theater let Dr David Rich loose on the HK and he clearly relished the opportunity. Hopefully HK fixed the equalisation software - in every other respect it seems to be a well-engineered amp and is currently selling for well below the initial launch price.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/integrated-amplifiers/integrated-amplifiers-reviews.html
PickyEars81
Super Member
Or, if you can swing one used, a CJ. Very fine, smooth sounding amps, IMO.
Ability to deliver current requires a very low output impedance. For a direct-coupled amp, damping factor = Load impedance / output impedance, so yeah, they are related.
As far as being able to drive a 2 ohm load, hard, all day, few amps can do this. If we define 'all day' as 12 hours, I'd bet that even the amp in Post #12 is going to have an issue or two. But few amps need to be capable of this. The amp can't force current into the load that isn't needed...the load is the determining factor. If you know that your speaker is going to provide an unfriendly environment for an amp, then you'll look for one with a hefty power supply, and multiple output devices for each channel to share the supplied current, as well as large heatsinks and/or forced cooling. And that should be enough, since we don't run our amps into 2 ohm loads, hard, all day.
As far as being able to drive a 2 ohm load, hard, all day, few amps can do this. If we define 'all day' as 12 hours, I'd bet that even the amp in Post #12 is going to have an issue or two. But few amps need to be capable of this. The amp can't force current into the load that isn't needed...the load is the determining factor. If you know that your speaker is going to provide an unfriendly environment for an amp, then you'll look for one with a hefty power supply, and multiple output devices for each channel to share the supplied current, as well as large heatsinks and/or forced cooling. And that should be enough, since we don't run our amps into 2 ohm loads, hard, all day.
JimPA
Distinguished Member
Parasound does state that some of their amps are ultra high current.
http://www.parasound.com/pdfs/vintage/hca3500om.pdf
http://www.parasound.com/pdfs/vintage/hca3500om.pdf
What I find most ridiculous are companies that produce literature that list current specs that may be possible under some very weird test conditions for a few milliseconds, but is impossible to achieve under any real world conditions.
H/K is probably the worst offender of that, but even my B&K amp listed +/-75 amps and there is no way possible for that to ever happen. Even if it could somehow, it won't ever in real world use so it's a stupid spec. It's marketing though, and apparently it helps sell products because the spec looks impressive.
H/K is probably the worst offender of that, but even my B&K amp listed +/-75 amps and there is no way possible for that to ever happen. Even if it could somehow, it won't ever in real world use so it's a stupid spec. It's marketing though, and apparently it helps sell products because the spec looks impressive.
Exactly. I don't even own any speakers rated below 6 ohms. Both of my DCM's are rated at 8 ohms, my JBL L80t's are 8 ohms, I'm actually not sure what my Philips driver "mystery towers" are now that I think about, but none of my amps had any issue with them, my Pioneer BS22's are 6 ohms.
I think every speaker I've had, and many are now gone, where 8 ohms. I did have a pair of Cerwin Vega VS-120's that were rated at 4 ohms, but even the Yamaha receiver I drove them with at the time didn't have any issue with them.
Short of some of the more exotic, high end speakers, most typical consumer speakers can be driven by most consumer amplifiers/receivers so even if an amp CAN deal with low impedance, most don't ever have to.
Even Magnepans that are 4 ohms are a fairly easy load to drive.
I guess having an amp that can drive loads below 4 ohms is better than not having one...just in case, but generally speaking, it isn't really needed.