2. amps-preamps
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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 phusis

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phusis
1,265 posts
 
@kosst_amojan --

Mostly what you're paying for in really high dollar amps is the ability for a high power, multi-stage topology to deliver the nuance and performance you get from a simple, fairly inexpensive low power amplifier. That's really, really hard to do. […]

Succinctly put, and a rarer sentiment, I find, in the discussion of amplifiers - one indeed that needs more attention. I mean, a "simple, fairly inexpensive low power amplifier" is in many ways the antithesis to the "highend dogma" as it has come to materialize, and one that challenges notions implicitly brought forth here; notions of a certain corruption, even. You know this to be true especially when you start questioning, to the point of superstition why or how a simple, fairly inexpensive low power amp can sound so very excellent.. 
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