Home Amp/Preamp Asylum

Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

Re: Oh one other thing Andy_C

Oh I see you put this back up.

"suppose what really baffles me about you how someone who claims to be so knowledgeable in science will discount the single most important parameter concerning speaker/amplifier performance i.e. frequency dependent amplitude level variations"

whatever gave you the idea that I discount FR unimportant?? Why do you make false statements just to have something to argue with? I have told you more than once I imagine that I use digital room correction to smooth out room response. That doesn't mean that I find it the most important, just important.

Do you do anything to adjust the response of your system in your room? If not then I would propose that you don't take it seriously.

However; I have done experiments with different amps, equalized to the same target curve and got completely different sounds. Can't blame on FR anymore then can you?

When I do reviews of amps and preamps I level match to within 0.5db. I had 5 preamps for review and level matched all of them to the same level before doing any auditioning. I also checked that they didn't significantly alter the FR (they didn't not surprisingly).

Why do you continue to harp on the one standard measurement that is clearly audible but also the easiest to fix? If you have room correction then the FR of the speaker, which is generally not nearly as bad as what the room does to it especially in the bass, and the small (yes small) variations from the amp are not a big issue. What digital equalization cannot do is reduce distortion or shift its spectral content, affect an amps dynamic capabilities across the audible frequency range, etc.

As to these other guys:

Earl: Earl basically thinks all amps sound the same (he told me that he is more than happy with his $150 pioneer receiver and felt little was to be gained going to more expensive amps). He has biases regarding what is audible and what is not with regard to amp distortion. Obviously you don't believe like Earl or you wouldn't have a $20,000 amp or is the Sharp SX100 just to show off for the ladies?

Dan B: Thinks that there is only one right way to make an amp and it is strictly orthodox engineering that he learned in school. He hasn't actually listened to a tube design in a LONG time. His biases are based on some amps heard a long time ago and what they told him in school. Ironically, he touts his amp to give only 2nd order harmonic so he at least pays lip service to the idea that harmonic distortion content is audible (something I couldn't really get old Earl to admit).

Soundmind: Listens with old modded AR speakers (not even the best of their time) and old 70s SS amps (Yikes...I wouldn't even wish them on you). Stuck in a time warp. Even SS now would be a blessing by comparison.

Andy_C Had no problem with him until he turned suddenly rude. Guess he didn't like that I didn't accept his Baxandall papers as gospel. He clearly lacks experience listening to top gear given his modest system listed on the forum. Not sure what his technical background is. He has a lot of nerve attacking me over my observations and judgments based on them and my readings of several interesting papers.

You have to understand that my whole approach is empirical, I listen then make judgments. This means that by definition it is not preconceived as Dan B and Andy C assert. Once I have heard some techniques that yield what I consider to be natural sound then I investigate what they are doing and who else has explored this territory to try to understand the WHY.


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Signature Sound   [ Signature Sound Lounge ]


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups


You can not post to an archived thread.