Yeah, though some materials and labor are not inexpensive, it is mostly research and development when there is actually one, like Purist, Shunyata, Furutech and Tchernov, advertising and big profit margins. Dealers get them at half the list price or so. Speakers often have big profit margin too but electronics usually less. Really good cables are not easy to develop, signal transmission is not a simple thing.
Please tutor me on some integrated amp basics.
I’ve recently purchased Magico A3 speakers and a VPI Classic 2 SE turntable with an Ortofon Black 2M moving magnet cartridge. I have a Marantz SA 8005 CD/SACD player to play the few (maybe a hundred or so) CD’s in my possession.
I’ve mostly vinyl albums and no streaming sources. I’m next going to upgrade my old amp/preamp purchased back in the late 70’s with a new, probably integrated, one and am starting to do some research.
Here’s where I need some tutoring. A lot has changed since the seventies with the advent of digital technology. As well as I need to learn more about amplification components in the high end of audio technology. I keep running across terms I don’t understand. I’ll give you a list and if someone would be kind enough to explain these basics I’d be obliged.
For instance I was reading about the Hegel H360 integrated amp that Magico’s Alon Wolf recommended for their A3’s. The review mentioned they were a Class A/B amp, another person commented Class A’s were better, and a third person said he didn’t care for Class D amps. What do these classes signify?
A second question is about DACs. I generally understand their purpose of the DAC, converting a digital to an analog signal. However my only digital device, the Marantz SA 8005 already has a DAC, ostensibly of good quality. The turntable ’s Ortofon cartridge would not need to play through a DAC, I presume. Would I bypass the CD’s players DAC if I purchase the higher quality Hegel H360 integrated amp?. Or could I find an equivalent integrated amp without an integral DAC?
On the other side of the equation I understand the turntable’s cartridge cannot play through the Hegel without first going through a phono stage. My old Phase Linear 4000 preamp you just plugged the turntables RCA cables into the back of the preamp and you were done. What’s that about? Do they make equivalent integrated amps to the Hegel H360 with integrated phono stages already in place, so I can just plug my turntable in as I’ve been able to do before. The amps don’t seem to be well integrated at all if you have to add a pricey phono stage to make them work, and end up having an extra DAC. That’s just me whining.
Third question is what are monoblocks, how are they used, and what are their advantages to a system? They were used at one of my speaker auditions.
I figured out the answer to what amplifier damping was myself, so I’m sparing you that one, but what does the term impedance mean? I keep coming across that.
Thank goodness I don’t have to figure out the cabling nightmare yet. Thanks for any help.
Mike
I’ve mostly vinyl albums and no streaming sources. I’m next going to upgrade my old amp/preamp purchased back in the late 70’s with a new, probably integrated, one and am starting to do some research.
Here’s where I need some tutoring. A lot has changed since the seventies with the advent of digital technology. As well as I need to learn more about amplification components in the high end of audio technology. I keep running across terms I don’t understand. I’ll give you a list and if someone would be kind enough to explain these basics I’d be obliged.
For instance I was reading about the Hegel H360 integrated amp that Magico’s Alon Wolf recommended for their A3’s. The review mentioned they were a Class A/B amp, another person commented Class A’s were better, and a third person said he didn’t care for Class D amps. What do these classes signify?
A second question is about DACs. I generally understand their purpose of the DAC, converting a digital to an analog signal. However my only digital device, the Marantz SA 8005 already has a DAC, ostensibly of good quality. The turntable ’s Ortofon cartridge would not need to play through a DAC, I presume. Would I bypass the CD’s players DAC if I purchase the higher quality Hegel H360 integrated amp?. Or could I find an equivalent integrated amp without an integral DAC?
On the other side of the equation I understand the turntable’s cartridge cannot play through the Hegel without first going through a phono stage. My old Phase Linear 4000 preamp you just plugged the turntables RCA cables into the back of the preamp and you were done. What’s that about? Do they make equivalent integrated amps to the Hegel H360 with integrated phono stages already in place, so I can just plug my turntable in as I’ve been able to do before. The amps don’t seem to be well integrated at all if you have to add a pricey phono stage to make them work, and end up having an extra DAC. That’s just me whining.
Third question is what are monoblocks, how are they used, and what are their advantages to a system? They were used at one of my speaker auditions.
I figured out the answer to what amplifier damping was myself, so I’m sparing you that one, but what does the term impedance mean? I keep coming across that.
Thank goodness I don’t have to figure out the cabling nightmare yet. Thanks for any help.
Mike
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- 344 posts total
I wonder what they are putting in these wires that cost so much?Hype Mike, I hope you don't end up with a pig in a poke. Components need to be synergistic. Assembling a system based on reviews and fan-boy recommendations alone is fraught with danger. It's precisely the reason there is so much used gear for sale. Forget about watts and ratings. They are no guarantee of performance. I've heard 15 watters eat 500 for lunch. As far as power conditioners, I first installed one 15 years ago. I auditioned 5. The best in my system was more than I wanted to spend, so I opted for #2. See http://192.168.1.160/Audio/#PowerConditioning c. 2003 |
For Magico speakers and any other brand with carbon, ceramic, aluminum, titan, beryllium, .... drivers, you should have to try Hybrid electronics. Tube sound with power of transistors. The Beyond Frontiers Audio is one of the great integrated amplifier. Works beautiful with Magico, Vivid, Marten, B&W, Focal, Zellaton, Hansen, Kharma, ..... The reason is tube gain stage without capacitors and coupling audio transformers in a signal pathe. Hence, no phase shift and frequency roll-off. All aspects of sound quality is preserved and the sound is beautiful. 3D stage, natural dynamics, color of voices and instruments, air, and deliver the music. Vivid is very difficult to drive. Read this statement: http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/vivid-b1-decade-standmount-loudspeakers/?page=3 |
Inna, thanks for the explanation. Sound a little like the drug companies. Ieales, I hope the Luxman works out too. I really wish I had access to products I could demo in my home. But, I'm not anywhere near a big city now, so I have to rely on reviews and research as much as possible to make choices. I made the exception when looking at speakers, traveling up to Washington DC. It was a lot easier when I lived outside NYC. I'd like to read your write up on power conditioning but couldn't get the link to work. Bfa2, the Beyond Frontiers Audio integrated amp sounds exceptional, but way beyond my $6500 budget unfortunately. I looked at the Vivid review you provided a link to . You must have a marvelous system. Thanks. Builder3, sounds like good advice. Do you think it would be safe to hook the system up with the zip cord and the inexpensive RCA connectors I have now, before demoing various high quality cables to make that investment? There might be able some higher quality cables available locally I could try out. Thanks. Mike |
- 344 posts total