One Amp To ‘Rule’ Them All....


Is there one amplifier that everyone can agree on as a contemporary standard? An amplifier that can be considered a standard in both the studio and in a home stereo setup?

What one amplifier does everything very well and can be found in homes and in professional audio engineering environments?

What amp covers all the bases and gives you a glimpse into all qualities of fine musical reproduction?

...something Yamaha? ...something McIntosh?

128x128brettmcee
So since we exist in what is quite possibly an infinite universe, does this mean we should give up defining things?

The rules, standards, measures we have today took time to form. In the early 1800’s electricity was explained as a fluid. In the late 1800’s and into the 1900’s we believed in luminiferous aether to explain light transmitting through a vacuum. And on topic, the first amplifiers were designed and implemented only about 100 years ago.

There is much left to define and possibly even more left to discover when it comes to amplifier design and how they affect audio reproduction.

Interesting how many are against what really can be seen as a scientific pursuit. I am only interested in further refining our definitions and language regarding the effects we hear in audio reproduction. To do so we will need some benchmarks. (Most of us can point to the sky and say that’s blue, we might experience it differently and some may not even see the blue but having that reference gives us all a greater ability to speak to each other regarding other colors and/or shades of blue). If we can do this more definitively with audio gear quite possibly we can build better amps or choose with better knowledge appropriate synergies of gear. Perhaps one day an amp can be made that can be tuned to your preferences.

Many recording studios still have Yamaha NS-10 near-field monitors in their control rooms. A good example of a solid point of reference in the audio world.

You mention ‘better’....And really what is ‘better’ anyway? Are you simply going to settle for saying “‘better’ is whatever I like now.” Cus that’s what a lot of this industry seems to be. New. Different. Better.

But can you really prove it? Or does everyone just really like feeling special and/or unique supposedly hearing ‘the better’ with their feelings (and lighter pockets)? I know I do....but really, I want more than feelies. I want to know and define WHY different amplifiers do different things. And I am wondering if there are any benchmarks out there. That’s all.

Can no one point to a particular amp and say “it has great tone.” How about, “this amp creates a holographic soundstage in most instances.” Or “this Amplifier has really great swing to it”.

How about that, can we come up with a list of amps that people think demonstrate particular qualities in amplification?

For example, I have a zh270 and it is an example of an amplifier capable of holographic reproduction. I also have a BAT VK-500 and it is a great example of tone and effortless reproduction.

Yes I was hoping for one amp that is competent in most respects, but examples of amplifiers that excel at particular aspects will do as well.


I understand your point, but I would like to say that the sky, when you start to understand atmosphere and light is not blue. It is never just blue. Look at it on any given day, and you will see all the colors of the spectrum from cool or warm gray to yellow to greenish blue to red and so on. To say the sky is blue as a reference point is just limiting and misleading and not educational. But the color of the sky is a good, if not a great, example of amplifiers. I think amplifiers, the beauty of the sounds they all make, is much like that of the beauty of the sky. Limitless in color, tonality, purity of hue and intensity. And we cannot say one skyline is better than another. If really seen deeply, they are all quite stunning.
BTW I used to think solid state amplifiers sounded the best. I picked up a good, maybe not great, vacuum tube amp that I adore much more than the solid state amp. When I went to an audiophile buddy’s house he picked up a Bel Canto class d amp that he luvs. I cannot stand the sound of it, but I did not tell him. Beauty of sound is in one’s own brain. That’s it... really but I suppose anyone can learn to better at listening.
BTW the posts so far are leaning away from the idea that one amp "rules" them all. Audiophiles here are offering different amps and I will predict that list will get longer. I doubt you will come to a consensus on ONE amp.