2. amps-preamps
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Is this clipping?

I listen to jazz music mostly, using a 10 watt SET (300b) amp and a pair of high efficiency single driver speakers. Sounds great at any volume with any and all jazz. But when I try to play HEAVY rock music loudly, it sounds like a completely different system: The soundstage flattens, instruments blur, and dynamics are lost.
We all know that a system like mine is not intended for certain types of musics, but I wonder what is the main reason for this behavior. Is it clipping? Is it a characteristic of this particular type of tube or amplifier? Or is it a charateristic of full-range drivers like Fostex, Lowther, PhyHP?
psag

Showing 8 responses by unsound

unsound
7,338 posts
 
Well, I throw this out as possibility. Much Rock music tends to have plenty of sustained high volume. Much Jazz music tends to have more dynamic contrasts (some big band excepted). Many amps are capable handling brief power peaks, but are strained by continuous demands.
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Mapman, most modern pop recording suck! The classical recordings are not subjected to the same mass marketing recording engineering aberrations. People in the know are not mistaken! It's the recording, not the amplification. Even those with power to spare suffer through most modern pop recordings.
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Mapman, the way new pop recordings are made, more often than not, leads to the lowering of volume, even in high powered systems, negating the very benefits of high power. These recordings are made to facilitate lesser systems that amongst other things, don't have the power to handle true dynamic contrasts.
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Overdriving = clipping.
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Clipping is the consequence of over driving.
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Psag, while that might be true for some systems, why do those recordings sound so damn bad on systems that can handle dynamic range.
They're supposed to suck?!
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Psag, Do you really think that these releases are the "artist's vision"? I suspect it is more often due to these releases being driven by record labels pressuring recording engineers to make hot recordings that will grab the attention of potential listeners using poor quality ear buds and inferior automobile environments.
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Those three things are usually delivered hand in hand in hand these days. You might be right: the "so what?" attitude could be Yin and the recordings could be Yang.
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