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A question for Mr. John Curl

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Hello. After having an extensive debate over the audibility of amplifiers on another messageboard, I was asked to come here and post my beliefs and have them critiqued. So, here I am! The poster on the other messageboard asked that I ask Mr. Curl about his experience with amplifier design and the audibility of its components.

So, I ask this, what about two properly designed amplifiers would make an audible difference in their reproduction of sound? Obviously several factors come up. At higher power levels, one amplifier is better designed so that it indeed can put out more power than another. Also, amplifiers of the tube class A variaty and transistor based amplifiers will sound differnt, but because the tube amplifier has more distortion, correct? But what of two amplifiers both within their linear operating range would cause them to sound different? I certainly am not saying that the waveform is not being altered by each amplifier differently, but the true question here is whether or not those changes are audible. Anyone with comments? In the past, I have found that the only people claiming that amplifiers within their linear operating ranges sounding the same are engineers - people who actually understand how the devices work. I have found those that say there are differences in amplifiers to be subjectivists, who have no engineering background and cannot explain logically the differences they are hearing. I hope that some of you who can hear a difference between amplifiers, and do infact have an engineering background could inform me as to why the amplifiers do sound different.

Thanks.


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Topic - A question for Mr. John Curl - Jerry Parker 08:13:41 08/04/02 (51)


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