You are of course listening to the speaker it makes the sound. IMO the two most colored items in the audio chain is the cartridge and the speaker.
A good amp should only have a sound when it is misbeheaving(asked to do something it cannot). There is a reason they don't emphasize distrotion figures for speakers(or cartridges for that matter.
Speaker should be chosen first and then an amp should be purchased that is ideal for that load.
We are handicapped becasue even if a reviewer knew what amp should be used with a speaker he will not have it on hand at the time of review. A dealer is also limtied by his knowledge and availablity of the right amp. Often even the manufacturer does not reccomend the right amp for his speaker. I would never have bought the CLS if I heard it being dirven by the Krell elctronics.
One also needs to factor in speaker cables in that equation.
A good amp should only have a sound when it is misbeheaving(asked to do something it cannot). There is a reason they don't emphasize distrotion figures for speakers(or cartridges for that matter.
Speaker should be chosen first and then an amp should be purchased that is ideal for that load.
We are handicapped becasue even if a reviewer knew what amp should be used with a speaker he will not have it on hand at the time of review. A dealer is also limtied by his knowledge and availablity of the right amp. Often even the manufacturer does not reccomend the right amp for his speaker. I would never have bought the CLS if I heard it being dirven by the Krell elctronics.
One also needs to factor in speaker cables in that equation.