Amp designers had to play their amps on at least one set of speakers. Good ones will use several. I wish they would disclose which speakers they use or have found to bring out the best in their designs. Years ago Magnepan and Audio Research did this. Anyone know of any modern unions?
Shouldn't amp reviews employ multiple speakers?
In the December issue of Stereophile, both of the amp reviews (VTL S-400 & MF kW750) were conducted with a single set of speakers (Thiel CS6 w/ the VTL, Wilson MAXX2 w/ the MF). This seems like bad practice. Shouldn't an amp review try to assess how well an amplifier handles a variety of different speakers?
I've been out of audiophilia for a while, so maybe there's a theory behind single-speaker testing of amplifiers. But I always thought the amplifier-speaker interface was crucial. An amp might sound great with one set of speakers, but terrible with another (presumably due to some difference in impedence, frequency response, or other design characteristics).
Am I missing something, or is anyone else bothered by amp reviews that only use one set of speakers?
I've been out of audiophilia for a while, so maybe there's a theory behind single-speaker testing of amplifiers. But I always thought the amplifier-speaker interface was crucial. An amp might sound great with one set of speakers, but terrible with another (presumably due to some difference in impedence, frequency response, or other design characteristics).
Am I missing something, or is anyone else bothered by amp reviews that only use one set of speakers?