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Mutts, if you're not familiar with the classic Stereo Review blind listening test on amplifiers which enraged some audiophiles, but opened the eyes(and ears)of others, you might find it to be informative(and somewhat amusing). Among other results, note that the $12,000 pair of tube amps were indistinguishable from the $220 Pioneer receiver. It's also instructive to compare the sometimes flowery language used to describe sound characteristics in the open listening before the blind sessions with the total inability to identify those characteristics in the tests. When the labels and price tags disappeared, so did the sound differences.

Nothing's changed; engineers can design amplifiers with flat frequency response from 20-20KHz and with inaudibly low noise and distortion levels at quite reasonable cost. When operated within their designed power limits they add no discernible sonic coloration and the answer to "How does it sound?" is "It doesn't" .



Im not going to bother discussing why I completely disagree with this. But the difference I got with going from my old amplifier to the monoblocks im using now was more than noticable. I think everyone here can agree that just because something costs more doesnt mean its better. There are some very expensive stuff that just doesnt really perform.

Im not enraged that some people think all amplifiers will sound exactly the same when operated within their designed limits. Its more of a shaking the head and roll eyes that is common when I walk into the stores around here that sell furniture which looks like they bought at a garage sale in some third world country while also looking at the pricetag.


*EDIT* I would like to add though that in a way it can be correct. When I did try to discern differences between my NAD amplifier and an Audire amplifier to see which one I liked better differences were very subtle except for certain passages on certain tracks. But again, going fron the NAD to the Odyssey's I have now it was more than.. Ooh more air.. Oh and look the instrumens are blooming more. It was more along the lines of wow. Now I realize where the NAD was really running out of steam. Or wow Ive never even heard that before, Or wow that sounds completely different. Or holy crap! I didnt know those were individual bass lines!

Last edited by Haoleb; 10/29/06 12:40 AM.
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