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
initforthemusic
282 posts
 
Big, big differences between my Power Amps. Have 5 now, did have 6 until recently, but sold one. Why? Because it sounded inferior to the other 5. Easily heard.
initforthemusic
282 posts
 
Of course the differences between Pre-Amps are even bigger. In fact massive.
studiotim
7 posts
 
We've all probably wrestled with this question at one time or another. I think of each audio component as having a performance envelope. A better amp's envelop will be wide enough to handle more difficult speaker loads etc. (better current output maybe or able to be driven harder before distortion becomes noticeable)

Where two different amps envelopes overlap they will sound exactly the same. Where they don't is where you'll be able to hear differences.

If both the amp and the speaker's respective envelopes are wide (or are compatible) you have a better chance of "synergy" between the two. 

More money spent should get you a wider envelope but at some point you go beyond the performance envelope of the listener's ears/brain and you won't be able to detect the difference.
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,202 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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