2. amps-preamps
  3. 137752-82411

Is there actually a difference?

Speakers sound different - that is very obvious. But I’ve never experienced a drastic change between amps. Disclaimer that I’ve never personally ABX tested any extremely high end gear.

With all these articles claiming every other budget amp is a "giant killer", I’ve been wondering if there has ever been blind tests done with amplifiers to see if human ears can consistently tell the difference. You can swear to yourself that they do sound different, but the mind is a powerful thing, and you can never be sure unless it’s a truly blind test.

One step further - even IF we actually can tell the difference and we can distinguish a certain amp 7/10 times under extreme scrutiny, is it really worth the thousands you are shelling out to get that nearly-imperceivable .01% increase in performance?

Not looking to stir up any heated debate. I’ve been in audio for several years now and have always thought about this.
asianatorizzle

Showing 1 response by kw6

kw6
692 posts
 
Asianator,

Best way is bring amp to your home use device to calibrate sound levels. Have a friend  hook up different amps covered so you don't know what is hooked up. Take as long as you want and decide what you like. Usually tube has good presence but loss of fine detail. Solid state sounds more tight but very detailed. I have found tube pre with solid state application works best. Yes most important is the speaker and how it works with your room.
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