Mosfet vs. Bipolar revisited and the Belles 350A

Does not matter what Transistors are used.It's all in the implementation and the synergy between components.

I have had both and have found that it's a synergy thing.At present I am using a B&K ST-202 that is very transparent.Before I had a Bi-Polar that could not drive Maggies correctly,but did great with box speakers.The B&K does both well enough to be satisfactory.There is no Mosfet Mist with the amp being forward Bias'd which I wish more amp manufactures would implement.That has been said to clear up the Mist associated with Mosfets.

Linearity is said to be better using Bi-Polars,but Ralph at Atmas-Sphere says otherwise and Gamut has done great in implementing them into his designs.

I am going to try another amp that has a Mosfet Pre-Driver stage and a Bi-Polar Output Stage .The Transistors will be made by Toshiba which are the same Trannies used in Mark Levs.This is real intresting as the LeAmps are only $400 a monoblock pair.At worst I will use them for Bass amps if I do not like the signatire in the Mids\Tweeter range.

Lastly the Power Supplies used have a great impact as to how good a design is.That is where it all starts!

JMO

The following is a Post I saved regarding Amp Designs!Its a good read.
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Remember reading that a one benchmark about how good an amp is can be measured at how much power can be delivered when Halfing the Impedance rating. As an example lets say an amp is stated to deliver 200watts at 8ohms and then delivers 400watts at 4ohms then deliver 800wats into 2ohms.Does the ability to double it's rated output that way tell you anything about the amps ability besides being able to drive a wider range of speakers? TIA,ABEX

Actually, it tells you several things.

1. It tells you the designer was using his head while working, and recognizes the fact that nasty things like impedance drops, phase shifts, etc actually do exist, operate in real life like it or not, and attempt to modify the amp's performance into real world speakers, as opposed to lab test loads (usually a bank of high power resistors);

2. It tells you the power supply of that amp has been really well done, no skimping. No output stage can deliver real world power into real world speakers if it doesn't have an energy pool to draw that power from;

3. It tells you the output section in particular, but also the whole amp, has been conceived with proper capability to negotiate even very difficult loads, which gives you freedom to choose among speakers according to taste, and not to have to think about drive capabilities, and

4. It tells you the amp's performance, such as distortion and frequency response, will be modified very little by even evil loads, which is a hallmark of any good design.

As a sideline, it also tells you whoever designed it, was one competent designer and worthy of respect.

On the other hand, however important that is, it's not the only factor deciding on the overall quality of the sound. Let me put it this way - such an amp stands a better chance of sounding good than another without such capabilities.

This means less than perfect loads will not curtail the amp’s dynamics, and that it will in fact drive almost anything somebody decided to call a speaker.

Cheers,
DVV
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I'd do more than that - I'd say power supplies are THE place to start. It's quite simple - the whole product rests on power supplies, without good power supplies, the rest is usually meaningless, and in any and all cases devalued.

The most common and sensible tweak of any product is modding the power supplies. No matter how poor it may sound, after that mod it will sound better, every time, never fails.

Of course, those are absolutes, and there is a relativity factor here as well. If you have to double the product's price to get a 15% improvement in sound, well, that's hardly rational, is it?

there are TWO things I'd say to you:

1. By all means, do start from the power supplies, and
2. Remember, it's all a balance, to have significant gains you need to mod at least a few things, never just one.

BTW, you found some good brains to pick; Audi has one of the best electrical arrangements in the entire car industry, in my view, better than Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Your paw-in-law sure knew what to pick, kudos to him.
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Jrobin
I do hear differences,but as you I do not think any of my components are vastly expensive.With the exception of the amp and speakers nothing is over $400.

Price is relative when it comes to audio and I can put my system against things costing many times more without flinching.There are more variables that make a good system than what the final cost is.

Do not know how many times I have shaked my head after hearing some components costing alot more and not getting good results,but people buy things without knowing or doing research into what they are getting.

I look at speakers as musical instraments as well as furniture.Other components as appliances that must perform the best for the $$ I am willing to pay for them.

Some of my equiptment is 20yrs.+ old that is still reliable and is good enough for my taste.

JMO