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5% THD to .000 THD SOUND

I was searching the amplifiers available and noticed quite a big difference in THD specs from model to model. Example.. One of the best amplifiers Kondo Audio Note $150k Kagura has 5% THD and by reviewers definition sounds like an amazing amplifier. Now compare $ 30k  Devialet with the lowest 0.000% THD on the planet. Both at the opposite end of design yet both sound amazing.. according to reviewers, I havn t heard either. SN/R  133 by Devialet and a lot less by Kagura. I realize an amplifiers sound can t be based by Specs alone.  If the specifications are not that important to the sound, why list them? They must be a way of determining sound, quality, and system synergy of an amplifier? A whole lot of amplifiers purchased on the net haven t been heard before and I believe the decision to purchase is made by reviewers point of view, specifications and word of mouth of other owners and buyers pocket book. By looking at specs of Devialet and NOT knowing the prices of Kagura and Devialet I would of gone with the Devialet just based on specs alone for the impression of it being a  great sounding amplifier.  Ive read other discussions on forum and cant quite get a handle on why BOTH amplifiers sound great. I thought High THD was a bad thing..
derrickengineer

Showing 8 responses by geoffkait

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Let’s see...if 5% THD sounds better than 0.005% THD does that mean 10% THD might sound better than 5% THD? Sign me up!
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
derrickengineer OP
25 posts
07-30-2016 3:21pm
jeffkait..My point is they BOTH sound great in my two examples of amplifiers having the opposite end of THD specs.. Arnet you the guy ( asstrophysisist )
selling those wacky trinkets to fool the mind into thinking the sound is better? Yeah I remember buying that fucking clock with a round magnet on it. and you banging your finger on the phone to activate the sonic bullshit.. lol. If not you disregard.

I'm getting a bad feeling...


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
derrickengineer OP
28 posts
07-30-2016 6:24pm
I know he was re my comment to geoffkait. Well me feeling I was sucked into Mr. Kaitts mumbo jumbo and $ 250 rip off prompted my reply.to geoff. 10% THD sounding better than 5% yeah that speaks volumes...lol

I went out for a mild mannered troll and got a sucker on the line. 

;-)

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
yogiboy
1,321 posts
07-31-2016 7:02am
How would you know that a manufacturer is not fudging the specs ? If an amp is not reviewed and tested you would never really know if the listed specs are accurate.
Just sayin’

good point, but I doubt they would be quite so bold, you know, what with audio magazine reviewers who do measure amplifiers for THD among other things. It probably wouldn’t be too good for business if it turned out they fudged the specs. And if the amp mfgr intends to be a viable business he needs reviews, no?  But more to the point, we (editorial we) found out almost 40 years ago that THD specs are meaningless. That was when certain amplifiers with exceptionally low THD sounded terrible and certain tube amplifiers with relatively high THD sounded sublime. So, this debate was actually concluded 40 years ago, regardless of it’s troll appeal over the years. Amps won’t sound the same in different rooms and different systems, anyway. There are too many variables.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
derrickengineer OP
31 posts
07-31-2016 3:16am
geoffkait3,776 posts07-30-2016 4:58pm

"I went out for a mild mannered troll and got a sucker on the line."

to which drrekengineer replied,

"Well since you said it mr. kaits, is there a bit of quilt coming out from your magic clock thingy or by stating " got a sucker on the line" you know full well there's nothing magic about your magic clock? 

That was almost a complete sentence. When you cast the bait out there you never know who's going to bite. - old audiophile expression

:-)



geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
To all - most likely the 5% for the THD of that amplifier is a typo or whatever! maybe language issue! who knows. The generic great sounding tube amps back when this whole THD was big like 30 or 35 years ago came in with what was then thought to be relatively HIGH THD circa 0.5% THD or perhaps 0.05% THD, which IS relatively high compared to the Japanese amps and other SOLID STATE AMPS that were touted as having vanishingly low distortion were coming in circa 0.0005% or maybe even less in some cases. I.e., it was a tube amp vs solid state amp argument primarily. So, I kind of doubt the 5% number. It doesn’t make sense. And you know what Judge Judy says - if it doesn’t make sense it’s not true.

cheerios

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
From the website of things that Einstein never said,

8. "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

It’s a pleasant point to be made, but Einstein never said this. Quote Investigator points to a 1963 paper by sociologist William Bruce Cameron: "It would be nice if all of the data which sociologists require could be enumerated because then we could run them through IBM machines and draw charts as the economists do. However, not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

One thing Einstein did say is, "Education is what's left after you forgot everything you learned in school."

cheers
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
By the way, the quote you might possibly be looking for is,

"If you measure a certain audio parameter and it measures poorly and the device under test sounds bad you're probably measuring the wrong thing." - anonymous audiophile

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