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Amp/Preamp Asylum: RE: I see the distinction, but to get back to specifications ... by morricab Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here. |
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In Reply to: I see the distinction, but to get back to specifications ... posted by Feanor on June 26, 2012 at 06:04:09:
Well, I have never made any attempt to hide that these are criteria that I think are necessary to have a chance for really good sound. Again, I use it as a starting point for deciding to audition something or not and this comes from a lot of negative listening experiences for which I have then found measurements of the device in question. Since there is quite a bit of literature out there with measurements (thanks to Stereophile and Soundstage) and I have heard a lot of amps both really good and really bad I began to connect the dots to see where it led.
If the results had led me to a conclusion that the absolute level of distortion was important but harmonics not and that a rising distortion with frequency results in good sound and that a flat distortion with power increase is best then I would obviously posted different criteria. Alas, the devices that provided the best sound could be argued often to have the worst meausrements from an absolute distortion perspective. Why? I think it is because our hearing is not an oscilloscope or even FFT plot and that the way distortion is perceived is complex.
Nevertheless, it seems that if the distortion is predominantly low order and in a distinct decreasing pattern and that distortion is constant regardless of frequency then there is a good chance it will sound at least good. Once I decided this (and this was actually observed by the French reviewer Jean Hiraga 25 years ago or so) from looking at LOTS of curves of amps I knew pretty well, I think started to look at how they were designed.
Tube, transistor, Class A or AB, hybrid, no feedback, no global feedback, big power supplies etc. That is where my criteria and the kind of amp that makes them comes from. The Monarchy SM70 is unlikely to meet all of these criteria but the SE160 and SE250 appear to meet most of the criteria and sound darn good. The SM70 sounds, ok, especially for the price.
Regardless of what you say about how you like your class D I haven't found one yet that sounds to my liking and I have owned 3 different ones and listened to at least a dozen others. I find them to sound quite unnatural from the mids up and the measurements show that they have problems up there. If they sounded really good I think I would have to find out what made them sound that way but so far its consistent with my hearing and measurement observations. I don't expect them to sound good now when I look at a new ones measurements and see the same old same old from the numbers.
I recently heard the newest Nuforce reference monos on a pair of highly revealing Piega planar/hybrid speakers (2nd to top model) and using a top of the line Moon cd player and the top Pass preamp. The sound was terrible. Simply terrible. The amp made the speaker sound completely disintegrated between the planar and the bass drivers and the mid/highs were thin pinched and forward. No tone in the strings of violins and everything a bit steely. Not nice. The Piegas gave the amps nowhere to hide.
My friends also like Monarchy Audio products. Two of them now have the Monarchy Audio NM24 (I have the original M24) DAC with DIP. It has gone toe-to-toe with the Resolution Audio Cantata and done quite well and sounds substantially better to me than the DCS Elgar.
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Topic - My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 07:22:50 06/18/12 ( 154)
- What do you make of these frequency spectra? - Feanor 09:08:05 07/8/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Captain America 15:29:14 07/5/12 ( 5)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 23:23:07 07/5/12 ( 3)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - villastrangiato 04:29:08 07/6/12 ( 0)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Captain America 23:57:03 07/5/12 ( 1)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 14:48:47 07/6/12 ( 0)
No it's not just you... - villastrangiato 20:18:11 07/5/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - villastrangiato 08:50:32 06/27/12 ( 9)
- Moderate use of negative feedback - Feanor 05:45:40 07/1/12 ( 8)
- RE: Moderate use of negative feedback - morricab 01:01:53 07/3/12 ( 7)
- Pass makes a good case for ZERO negative feedback ... - Feanor 05:58:10 07/3/12 ( 6)
- RE: Pass makes a good case for ZERO negative feedback ... - morricab 01:13:22 07/4/12 ( 5)
- The basic issue is the audibility of distortion - Feanor 07:26:45 07/5/12 ( 4)
- RE: The basic issue is the audibility of distortion - morricab 14:14:05 07/5/12 ( 3)
- I guess I'm just deaf - Feanor 10:55:37 07/6/12 ( 2)
- RE: I guess I'm just deaf - morricab 15:07:49 07/6/12 ( 1)
- I'll reread Geddes, Cheever, et al. a few more times - Feanor 16:21:33 07/7/12 ( 0)
Biased or prejudiced towards an amp according to topology or devices used. - jihad 09:51:04 06/26/12 ( 1)
- RE: Biased or prejudiced towards an amp according to topology or devices used. - morricab 07:39:06 06/27/12 ( 0)
You missed a few good criterion. - jihad 05:55:23 06/25/12 ( 2)
- RE: You missed a few good criterion. - morricab 07:54:41 06/25/12 ( 0)
RE: You missed a few good criterion. - rick_m 07:07:45 06/25/12 ( 0)
You're saying we should look at SPECIFICATIONS ?!? - Feanor 07:54:38 06/23/12 ( 7)
- RE: You're saying we should look at SPECIFICATIONS ?!? - morricab 11:05:04 06/23/12 ( 6)
- Ok but it's a fine line between specifications and design description -nt - Feanor 17:55:44 06/23/12 ( 5)
- RE: Ok but it's a fine line between specifications and design description -nt - morricab 02:23:40 06/25/12 ( 4)
- I see the distinction, but to get back to specifications ... - Feanor 06:04:09 06/26/12 ( 3)
- RE: I see the distinction, but to get back to specifications ... - morricab 06/27/12 07:58:32 06/27/12 ( 2)
- Again, it comes around to perferences - Feanor 09:08:17 06/28/12 ( 1)
- RE: Again, it comes around to perferences - morricab 00:08:53 06/29/12 ( 0)
Given ant thought to auditioning the Sanders Magtech? nT - Vic D 09:59:38 06/21/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Bill the K 00:13:46 06/21/12 ( 12)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 04:13:33 06/21/12 ( 11)
- Interesting - Bill the K 05:27:10 06/21/12 ( 10)
- RE: Interesting - morricab 12:37:41 06/22/12 ( 9)
- RE: Interesting - Bill the K 20:26:10 06/22/12 ( 8)
- RE: Interesting - Disbeliever 23:32:05 06/22/12 ( 7)
- RE: Interesting - morricab 11:06:12 06/23/12 ( 6)
- RE: Interesting - Disbeliever 22:43:59 06/23/12 ( 5)
- RE: Interesting - morricab 02:25:12 06/25/12 ( 4)
- RE: Interesting - Disbeliever 05:22:19 06/25/12 ( 3)
- RE: Interesting - morricab 07:48:31 06/25/12 ( 2)
- RE: Interesting - Disbeliever 08:33:08 06/25/12 ( 1)
- RE: Interesting - morricab 05:35:37 06/26/12 ( 0)
Pass labs... - slapshot 13:47:19 06/19/12 ( 10)
- RE: Pass labs... - morricab 09:07:29 06/20/12 ( 8)
- Please use your deductive skills to analyze the Ayre MX-Rs - Pinkus 09:42:55 06/20/12 ( 7)
- RE: Please use your deductive skills to analyze the Ayre MX-Rs - morricab 04:05:27 06/22/12 ( 5)
- How does the old saying go? - Charles Hansen 21:24:31 06/22/12 ( 4)
- RE: How does the old saying go? - givemevinyl 01:12:23 06/23/12 ( 0)
- Glad to see you're finally using global feedback, Charles... - andy_c 21:50:33 06/22/12 ( 2)
- Exactly. - Charles Hansen 04:51:22 06/23/12 ( 1)
- RE: Exactly. - morricab 11:21:34 06/23/12 ( 0)
- RE: Please use your deductive skills to analyze the Ayre MX-Rs - morricab 14:50:26 06/20/12 ( 0)
Not very well, I predict - Pinkus 13:52:49 06/19/12 ( 0)
Why so restrictive? - Jon L 11:08:49 06/19/12 ( 8)
- RE: Why so restrictive? - morricab 12:36:15 06/19/12 ( 7)
- RE: Why so restrictive? - 3db 06:12:35 06/20/12 ( 6)
- RE: Why so restrictive? - morricab 08:35:45 06/20/12 ( 5)
- Care to identify? - woober goober 13:38:14 06/20/12 ( 4)
- Thanks for the extensive list! - woober goober 05:37:23 06/25/12 ( 0)
- RE: Care to identify? - morricab 12:52:26 06/22/12 ( 2)
- RE: Care to identify? Yet . . . - Hi-Fi Nut 08:32:23 06/24/12 ( 1)
- RE: Care to identify? Yet . . . - morricab 02:26:31 06/25/12 ( 0)
Sometimes when you buy laboratory grade equipment... - airtime 08:19:08 06/19/12 ( 0)
See: Halcro, by all measurements the perfect amplifier. - jihad 07:00:53 06/19/12 ( 2)
- Buyers didn't think so - Des 13:21:21 06/20/12 ( 1)
- RE: Buyers didn't think so - jihad 14:06:16 06/20/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Wojciech 21:23:33 06/18/12 ( 1)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 05:42:29 06/19/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - hahax@verizon.net 20:32:44 06/18/12 ( 3)
- Linearity is so underated but is the most important spec off all - 3db 04:47:14 06/19/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - DrChaos 21:57:26 06/18/12 ( 1)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - 3db 04:50:56 06/19/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Lord Soth 20:00:23 06/18/12 ( 3)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 05:44:56 06/19/12 ( 2)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Lord Soth 07:01:07 06/20/12 ( 1)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Tony Lauck 20:28:22 07/7/12 ( 0)
I would like to read comments from Charles Hansen and Victor Komenho on this post - Mike K 19:52:49 06/18/12 ( 0)
A thought provoking post... - rick_m 19:15:21 06/18/12 ( 1)
- RE: A thought provoking post... - morricab 05:46:38 06/19/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - RGA 18:52:24 06/18/12 ( 0)
agreed on all counts! Thanks for putting this up. - Ralph 12:46:24 06/18/12 ( 43)
- RE: agreed on all counts! Thanks for putting this up. - morricab 14:47:53 06/18/12 ( 39)
- RE: agreed on all counts! Thanks for putting this up. - Ralph 08:15:32 06/19/12 ( 38)
- RE: agreed on all counts! Thanks for putting this up. - morricab 05:37:54 06/26/12 ( 37)
- yes and no. - Ralph 10:16:26 06/26/12 ( 36)
- RE: yes and no. - Sunya 07:00:29 06/29/12 ( 28)
- RE: yes and no. - villastrangiato 08:09:50 06/29/12 ( 27)
- RE: yes and no. - Sunya 09:29:23 06/29/12 ( 26)
- FWIW, the old tubes vs transistors debate.... - Ralph 09:43:16 06/29/12 ( 25)
- RE: FWIW, the old tubes vs transistors debate.... - villastrangiato 20:14:32 06/29/12 ( 24)
- I think there are a few. - Ralph 09:37:51 07/2/12 ( 18)
- RE: I think there are a few. - villastrangiato 06:05:20 07/3/12 ( 17)
- RE: I think there are a few. - Ralph 10:00:07 07/3/12 ( 16)
- RE: I think there are a few. - villastrangiato 20:31:27 07/3/12 ( 15)
- harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - Ralph 11:13:05 07/4/12 ( 14)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - villastrangiato 19:41:28 07/4/12 ( 13)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - Ralph 09:29:27 07/5/12 ( 3)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - villastrangiato 19:57:03 07/5/12 ( 2)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - PaulF70 07:28:10 06/17/16 ( 0)
- The human ear is the most important thing in audio - Ralph 07:48:20 07/7/12 ( 0)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - morricab 01:13:20 07/5/12 ( 8)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - villastrangiato 04:42:49 07/5/12 ( 7)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - morricab 14:21:54 07/5/12 ( 5)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - villastrangiato 19:46:44 07/5/12 ( 4)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - morricab 00:36:34 07/6/12 ( 3)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - Sunya 07:02:50 07/6/12 ( 2)
- Correction - morricab 15:14:17 07/6/12 ( 0)
- RE: harmonic distortion does not get 'buried in the mix'. - morricab 15:10:10 07/6/12 ( 0)
- If you are not willing to read the studies and work you will remain ignorant - Ralph 09:42:57 07/5/12 ( 0)
- Spectral nt - Sunya 03:39:31 07/1/12 ( 4)
- RE: Spectral nt - villastrangiato 07:11:53 07/1/12 ( 3)
- RE: Spectral et al... - Ralph 09:33:53 07/2/12 ( 0)
- RE: Spectral nt - morricab 09:39:07 07/1/12 ( 0)
- RE: Spectral nt - rick_m 09:19:53 07/1/12 ( 0)
RE: yes and no. - morricab 08:07:36 06/27/12 ( 6)
- RE: yes and no. - Ralph 09:25:00 06/27/12 ( 5)
- RE: yes and no. - villastrangiato 08:13:24 06/28/12 ( 4)
- The goal is the same. - Ralph 12:31:01 06/28/12 ( 3)
- RE: The goal is the same. - rick_m 09:36:22 06/29/12 ( 0)
- RE: The goal is the same. - morricab 00:18:36 06/29/12 ( 1)
- RE: Yes, I agree. nt - Ralph 09:32:46 06/29/12 ( 0)
What "human hearing rules" are you referring to? nt - Rick W 14:01:05 06/18/12 ( 2)
- RE: What "human hearing rules" are you referring to? nt - Ralph 07:58:27 06/19/12 ( 0)
Read Ralph's linked paper for the details. (nt) - jbrrp1 15:04:52 06/18/12 ( 0)
Which of those requirements would you attribute to the downfall (according to you) of Soulution amp? - carcass93 10:59:27 06/18/12 ( 1)
- RE: Which of those requirements would you attribute to the downfall (according to you) of Soulution amp? - morricab 14:58:24 06/18/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Disbeliever 09:47:05 06/18/12 ( 11)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 10:17:04 06/18/12 ( 10)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - jimmycj 13:04:25 06/19/12 ( 3)
- RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - morricab 08:36:26 06/20/12 ( 2)
- RE: including the new integrated Audio Research? [no text] - Hi-Fi Nut 08:35:44 06/24/12 ( 1)
- RE: including the new integrated Audio Research? [no text] - morricab 02:27:50 06/25/12 ( 0)
- It fails on at least three counts - E-Stat 14:27:30 06/18/12 ( 5)
- RE: It fails on at least three counts - Disbeliever 22:37:15 06/18/12 ( 4)
- "sounds very good, far better than any Class D amp." - Vic D 01:34:58 06/21/12 ( 2)
- RE: "sounds very good, far better than any Class D amp." - Disbeliever 01:59:57 06/21/12 ( 1)
- RE: "sounds very good, far better than any Class D amp." - jimmycj 20:47:09 06/24/12 ( 0)
- I found the transformer size - E-Stat 06:09:58 06/19/12 ( 0)
RE: My criteria for a POTENTIALLY good sounding amp - Disbeliever 09:44:50 06/18/12 ( 13)
- why avoid tubes? In my opinion, - they are a requirement -t - Sordidman 09:47:08 06/18/12 ( 12)
- RE: why avoid tubes? In my opinion, - they are a requirement -t - Disbeliever 09:50:55 06/18/12 ( 11)
- two different paradigms - Ralph 12:26:30 06/18/12 ( 0)
- accuracy? That's a moving target..... - Sordidman 10:07:02 06/18/12 ( 9)
- Sorry guys, - you are correct: too much shilling from him -t - Sordidman 13:14:14 06/18/12 ( 0)
- You might as well bang your head against a brick wall... - Ozzy 10:45:35 06/18/12 ( 1)
- Agreed! Either your head will end up sore on the inside OR the outside...N/T - musetap 11:27:30 06/18/12 ( 0)
- RE: accuracy? That's a moving target..... - morricab 10:22:55 06/18/12 ( 4)
- Well, that does depend on how close your recording is - Sordidman 14:07:24 06/18/12 ( 0)
- RE: accuracy? That's a moving target..... - Disbeliever 10:31:57 06/18/12 ( 2)
- RE: accuracy? That's a moving target..... - jimmycj 11:02:46 07/3/12 ( 1)
- RE: accuracy? That's a moving target..... - Disbeliever 22:58:57 07/3/12 ( 0)
RE: accuracy? That's a moving target..... - Disbeliever 10:17:35 06/18/12 ( 0)