2. amps-preamps
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Weight vs Wattage vs Current vs Slam vs Value

Although I have no expertise in contrast to others, in regards to what is the best amp, be it SS or Tube especially considering the cost of the amp, used or not...I wonder what is in your opinion the best indicator of value. The definition of value here would be in all term the perception of the listener of the sound that he/she is likely to hear with the amp in the proper set up....
Some of the strangest things I have heard perceived while reading through audio ads and other post are things like

Odyssey amps.....comparing their amps and the their value in terms of watts vs cost...being very affordable in comparison to other manufacturer's amps....I am very skeptical about their line.....continue reading the other ideas I have come out with...

I had a pair of Carvers, they were light and yet it seems as if they produced some impressive Watts....my M 4.0 t produced 375 watts per channel and weighted about 25 lbs or something like that....but knowing by experience, these were the most ANEMIC watts I have ever had the pleasure of producing. Very weak when attempting to run tough loads.


Class A output SS amps....tend to be heavy, but their wattage seems to be low. I am curious about Clayton and their famous S-40? That produces 40 watts, but are tauted to have a lot of power in the perception of sound....Does this mean that a Clayton S-40 has more slam, soundwise as my DNA 225? If this is the case, what about Clayton S-40s versus my BC 2 monoblocks? Each having 75 watts of class A power+ being 75 lbs each? I do not remember my BC-2 having that much sense of SLAM.

The monster amps have a lot of weight, but then, they cost nearly as much and at least, perception wise (especially Krell/Levinson) have a lot of slam in their sound
Some SET amps, being low wattage, I have read somewhere that even THEY can have a sense of slam if properly set up...I.E: context of how they are being sonically displayed, perhaps with a huge folded horn set up.

And this question goes on and on....

Would like to have a list of amps, be it classic or contemporary with a small comment on their WATTAGE, WEIGHT and their sound characteristic...be it neutral, soft, dark, SLAMMY? etc... and your rationale about why each one of them are either excellent in value or very poor.

PAUL
bemopti123
bemopti123 OP
303 posts
 
Thanks for your feedback Mejames. I will check into Rowland amps next time when I am for an upgrade.
cdc
1,773 posts
 
Bipolars have more current delivery than Mosfets.
Separate power amp should have more slam since it's power supply is not being shared as in an integrated.
Krells "double down" in power but these type of amps typically loose high end sweetness for some reason.
sedona_sky_sound
12 posts
 
All other things being equal (and they usually are not), a heavier amp will have more slam than a lighter one. In many cases, my experience is that a heavier amp is also preferred to a higher wattage amp. As an example, a pair of 200W Ampzilla monoblocs (about 58 pounds each) have much more bass controll than a bridged pair of 1200W Carver A760x (39 pounds each?). The reason is mainly the power supplies being used (about half the weight of the Ampzillas is the massive 2.5kVA torroid). The difference is most apparent on speakers that go below 4 ohm. Damping, feedback, etc can also come into play, but any good design has to start with a good (usually meaning heavy) power supply first.

Julian
paulwp
585 posts
 
Say Julian, how did you measure "bass control"? And, btw, you are a dealer of Ampzilla amps, are you not?

The older Carver M series amps, designed by Bob Carver, did not put put a lot of current and weren't as strong as their watt ratings suggested. But, the post-Bob Carver A series were high current amps designed for stability into any load. (I don't have an A-760, but I doubt it would have trouble controlling any speaker made.)
bemopti123 OP
303 posts
 
I was always curious about power supply design. For example, I have seen amps that happen to be very light, therefore, I must assume have similar LIGHT power supply design, one of this manufacturers being LINN. Their TWIN KLIMAX is so unbelievably light, and yet it seems to sport a very high wattage. How is this possible? Does this mean that the Linn amps cannot handle tough loads as the impedance drop?
What is the largest single transformer out there? 2.5 KV, is that the largest? If the transformer is too large, does that mean that it might be slow in releasing energy to the speakers? Just wondering....

PAUL
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