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Re: definitely some funny "stuff" going on

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Ralph.

Recently, I replaced my Krell integrated (transistor) amp (KAV-300i) with another integrated (mostly transistor) amp (BAT-VK-300se). These amps are of equal nominal rated power. And, although I haven't seen the measured response curve for the BAT product (the Krell integrated was tested and measured by Stereophile some years ago, I assume that, into a purely resistive load, both products have essentially ruler-flat amplitude response through the entire audible range and beyond.

Yet, in comparison to the BAT amp, the Krell amp has a slight upper treble emphasis (or "hardness"), driving the same speakers and with the same sources. It's very slight, and I would not have said it was even there, until I connected the BAT amp and notice that "the sound" was missing. So, you have two different amps which sound different driving the same speaker, even though their amplitude response measures the same.

I did notice, driving a pair of much less expensive speakers (Paradigm mini-monitors) that the Krell amp produced a really nasty upper treble peak, that was not evident when those speakers were driven by the vastly cheaper and less powerful NAD receiver. Again, I assume the NAD product's amplitude response into a nominal 8 ohm resistive load is, for practical purposes, ruler-flat in the audible range.

Yet, those two amps also sound different, driving the same speaker.

So, there's something "funny" going on here.

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