Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Hearing Things Release date of the A1400-8

what is the release date for the amp and $$$$ ?
anybody know

It will most likely be revealed in the next owners club email...due out this weekend I think.

Just so you do not get too anxious about the A1400-8.......there will be an announcement in the May Owner's Club e-mail with the release date, price details and a special pre-order offer.

How do you get added to the owners club email list ?

search tool

tried it came up nothing

Axiom sends an email out every 6 months (I think it should be every month) to new owners of Axiom products. They invite you into the Owners Club. Perhaps send Amie or Andrea a PM to see if you can get in sooner. The last email went out about a month ago.

Man, am I ever getting squirmy about this amp!! I really want to know how much it will be going for...I hope this club news letter comes out VERY soon!

Do you think that you'll be able to hear a difference between it and your Yamaha?

probably on my centre channel I will be able to. Besides, us nerds always like to have the best of the best!

Not true. Some nerds are quite happy hitting that bang-for-the-buck sweet spot.

Heh, the chances of my boss letting me get the amp is slim to none. But one can dream...

You need a new boss .

The Boss would have to be pretty kind, Audioholics reported the amp to be in the $3500.00 to $4000.00 dollar price range.

I have wondered why Axioms price point has been set so high when Alan has said repeatedly that in double blind test he couldn't hear a difference in various amps. Seeing how all amps sound the same it seems to be a waste of money. How is the nay Sayers going to justify recommending such a high price amp?

Because what sets this amp apart from conventional designs is its efficiency of power delivery to 8 channels (or any number of channels up to 8). The higher price it may have would mostly likely be due to the technology involved to achieve that efficiency, not because of any claims (that I've read to date) of superior sound quality. (IMO, of course )

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I have wondered why Axioms price point has been set so high when Alan has said repeatedly that in double blind test he couldn't hear a difference in various amps. Seeing how all amps sound the same it seems to be a waste of money. How is the nay Sayers going to justify recommending such a high price amp?

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A) Because of the R&D costs of making a digital amp unlike any other on the market.
B) Because people will pay that price to buy a digital amp unlike any other on the market.

Wid, just because Axiom sells speakers that are great quality and relatively inexpensive compared to many others does not automatically mean they will do that for every single product through their entire future as a company. They are out trying to make money just as much as any other business. Heck, we all know we can find speaker wire for as cheap as 20 cents a foot so one could just as easily ask why the Axiom version costs near $1.
Perhaps into the future they will come out with slightly lesser powered amp versions to fit into the more typical Axiom-quality-inexpensive price role that some believe Axiom should adhere to at all times.
Or maybe people will go buy Anthem amps at 225w/ch for $600 used like i did.
Just a thought.

But the question still remains, how will it do in double blind listening test. No matter how the power is achieved it is about the sound..............no?

Chess, I know that a good portion of the price is to recover some of the R&D money, that's no secret. I bring this point up mainly because of the amount of times I have read that all amps sound the same if they have been of proper design. Like the post you just made in another thread. How can a person justify recommending this 4K amp if this is what they believe to be true?

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But the question still remains, how will it do in double blind listening test. No matter how the power is achieved it is about the sound..............no?

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I have no doubt that the folks at Axiom will be listening to this amp vs. all they have in stock which includes their Brystons, Yamahas, and of course Sherwood Newcastle units.
I only hope i get the chance to head back to the Factory to hear the same at some point. We were planning another spa trip to the area this year but alas, we're heading to Halifax instead.

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How can a person justify recommending this 4K amp if this is what they believe to be true?

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I can't say what Alan's motives may be but after all, he does work for Axiom.
If people believe in separates, different amps, etc. and their sonic abilities, who is anyone to say Axiom cannot cater to that crowd?
Some believers will always be believers, hard core one way or the other. A business is still a business and Axiom can provide products for every customer that wants more or bigger.
Look at the new wood covered speakers. I recall many years back someone stating they would probably not add wood finishes because of the cost. They had customers willing to pay more. Now they have two flavours for both sizes of pocket books.
It just makes good business sense.

With the specs on this amp, I think it will be more about power than how it may or may not sound different. I'm betting even Randy couldn't shut this baby down without blowing down the walls of his theatre room.

Boundary conditions, my friend... a useful strawman, but hardly proof of anything.

The next time I see a Yamaha, Onkyo, Harman/Kardon, or Denon at a Walmart will be the first (yes, I did a search on their site). And those are the brands commonly recommended around here, not Emerson. I think the bit you're missing is "of a decent quality" and "at non-clipping/shutdown levels." Where those clipping levels are, of course, is where the money comes in.

My M80s run just fine at 75 wpc on an H/K--but I don't use them at the volume levels you do. Clearly, my H/K cannot provide the volumes to Randy or you, so you have an external amp. If you want to call clipping at 105dB a sound quality issue, feel free.

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So Alan, are these characteristics normally found in low end receivers typically found sitting on the shelf at Wal-Mart?

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I think a primary failing you will see in truly low quality receivers will come first with the power supply, followed by cheesy knobs, fewer settings and perhaps even limited DACs (e.g. my friend's Sony HTIB receiver had DD but not DTS and it had a Stereo option but nothing for a Direct signal).

Trying to exactly define what is low end quality is the hard part. Does it start with a crappy company perhaps or does it begin at around a certain price point?
Is it that JVC receiver or only JVC receivers under $300, Pioneers under $200 and H/K under $100?
I don't doubt that even some boutique names with pricey tags have made some badly designed units, ones that affect sound quality, now and again. I imagine Alan might know of some examples.
Would we classify those units as 'low end quality' as well?

Just a contemplation of definition.

Uhhhh....OK. Way over my head buddy, but I believe you at any rate.

I think I got my point across though. IE: don't use generalized statements like saying all modern receivers will have equal sonic characteristics as all high end processors/amps. That's not so much for this thread, but that other thread...

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It's surprisingly easy to drive solid-state moderately-powered (100 watts per channel or less into 8 ohms) amplifiers into clipping with musical material that you would otherwise not expect to demand all that much power output.

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I believe this to be the biggest factor of all concerning ss amps. When it is said that at a comfortable listening levels you only use a watt or two I have never believed it to be true, at least not in my case. I also think even though a well built ss amp, receiver or other wise, will sound the same when used within their limits it could also be said that not all amps perform the same. Not all-lower shelf receiver’s will power a speaker like the M80s but most if not all-decent amps wouldn't have any problems. Build quality is another matter also. Believe me the Onkyo receiver I have has nothing on the Rotel equipment I use with the M80s.

That's fine if that is what you say you use. When I was powering my 80s with an old Kenwood M2A amp its meters read a lot more than a watt or two.

The main point people should take from the amp discussions is that power is the most important variable. Buying a McIntosh or a Krell won't give you a richer sound or a wider soundstage than a Denon or H/K unless your speakers, room, and listening habits conspire to exceed the capabilities of these less expensive receivers.

current and capacitance could play a role as well.

Yes, and relevant to Alan's comment about Mr. Aczel and the questions about the "sound" of an amplifier is the brief article he wrote in last month's Audio Critic, "Electronic Signal Paths Do Not Have a Personality!" .

Over the years I have always found the sound differences between amplifiers to be subtle when compared to the differences found in speakers. Hence if budget is a concern you are probably better to cut a little deeper on the amp side. The main reason for this is that amplifiers (with the exception of some bizarre designs out there) do not colour the tonal balance of the performance nor have any bearing on the off axis response. This does not mean that all amplifiers sound the same but that different factors come into play. Without question the big one is the amount of power available to play dynamic peaks. Wid was commenting earlier about the statement that at normal listening levels you do not need more than a watt or two and I agree with him that this statement is, in practical terms, false; though granted in mathematical terms under certain conditions it can be proved true. The power required to bring home a great performance can get pretty large if you want even just moderate listening levels in a large space without any clipping in the dynamics. The reality is that when most people want to crank up their system they rarely achieve the volume level they truly want; instead they go to the level of clipping distortion in the dynamics that they can put up with (which sounds painfully harsh and loud even if it isn’t).

So, in the past at least, if you wanted to achieve loud and clean the reality was you were faced with a big spend on the amp side to achieve this. A stack of mono blocks was really the only solution and this came at enormous cost. In my case I had over 2 times the money invested in the amplifiers compared to the speakers. Central to the design goals of the A1400 series amps was to be able to solve this problem for a fraction of the cost. I have been living with one of the 2 prototypes of our new amp (JC has the other one) for a few months now and it far exceeds the quality of this stack of mono blocks and does it for $3,850. Now I have more power and better sound for an investment in the amplification less than half the cost of the speakers.

I am one of the very few privileged ones to have extensively listened to the new A1400-8 at will. And I am reporting my impressions and findings.

First of all, the sample which I audition is very close to the final version except for the casing, output jacks, power cord receptacle location and some internal wiring. The few minor remaining modifications to bring it to its final version will not affect negatively its performance; if it was possible, chances are it would improve it.

During several days, I auditioned the A1400-8 several days in stereo mode only and I still do it regularly. In stereo mode, it is powering a pair of Axiom M80v2s. For comparison, I am using a Mark Levinson Dual Monaural Power Amplifier No 23.5 model. It is rated at 400 watts minimum per channel both channels driven simultaneously with not more than 0.2% THD and it weights 105 pounds. It has been my pride and my joy for many years. You can read reviews from different owners at http://www.audioreview.com/cat/amplification/amplifiers/mark-levinson/PRD_115909_1583crx.aspx. As you will read; it is a very good amplifier and even when being bought used is still quite expensive. I bought mine new, may years ago.

My hope was that the new Axiom A1400-8 amplifier would not be put to shame by a reference amplifier model from one of the best amplifier designer and builder of the audio industry. If it could almost be as good and even rival it in some aspects; it would be quite an accomplishment. Fingers crossed, I turned on the music and . . .
I was floored. I could not believe my own ears. Just within a few seconds I discovered and experienced a new musical dimension !

How could my Mark Levinson Dual Monaural Power Amplifier No 23.5 amplifier which is unanimously and universally praised for its power, fantastic bass control, frequency extension, transparency, dynamics, speed, naturalness, timbre and tonal balance be bettered on each and everyone of these aspects ? And for most of them it is not even close: it is obvious and it does not take hours of listening. I had many visitors who expressed the same feeling.

Here are a few brief examples of how it translates in a real world situation:

Bass: Each of my Axiom M80v2 is paired with an EP500v2 subwoofer, for my evaluation I had turned the subwoofers off. When I replaced the ML for the Axiom A1400-8 in my setup I had to walk to the both subwoofers to be sure that they were off because of the additional tight and solid bass I was feeling.

Voices: I have discovered nuances, intonations and subtleties in the voice of signers which I have listened time over time. It applies to both male and female singers from Kenny Rodgers to Céline Dion, from Willie Nelson to Norah Jones, from Pavarotti to Madeleine Peyroux. I still have goose bumps thinking about it. The voices are more life like.

Details, clarity and extension: I hear more and more and discover new things. Someone might think that it would become more clinical and analytical far from it. It always stays highly musical, adding perspective and rendering the contour of different instruments and voices precisely. You easily follow the individual voices and instruments. Another benefit is it removes haze or layers of veils bringing you closer to the artist.

Timbre, naturalness, tonal balance: Every instrument and voice sound as they should; again making it easier to distinguish them and adding life.

An indispensable quality for me, is ability to convey emotion and the Axiom A1400-8 surely does as I could witness listening to Angele Dubeau’s violin or Dave Brubeck “Take five”; chills down my spine and raised hair.


How all this reflects when watching movies ? What about a significant increase in intelligibility and subtleties from the center speaker (dual VP150v2) and deeper immersion feeling from the surround speakers ( 4 – QS8v2). From the main speakers (M80v2) and all speakers a net gain in details, dynamics and speed.

Owners of Axiom M80 have no idea how much better their audio speakers can sound when driven by an Axiom A1400-8 amplifier. I personally discovered a new dimension to music listening. Owners of Axiom Epic Home Theatre Ensemble will be adding value, satisfaction and enjoyment to their DVD collection.

On another note, based on my last April expedition to Montréal’s Festival du Son et de l’Image, manufacturers of megabucks amplifier are better to get ready for a rude awaking once the Axiom A1400-8 will hit the market and the reviews will be published. I really can’t comprehend how and why someone would buy a pair of Tenor mono-block tube amps at $90,000.00 CAD after listening to the Axiom A1400-8.

Finally, I would like to give you an advice and a warning.

Advice: In a few months, the Axiom A1400-8 will be available. You will rapidly see proud owners inviting fellow audiophiles on “Auditioning Axioms in your area”. Accept the invitation even if you have to drive several hundred miles; it is well worth it.

Warning: Once you have listened to the Axiom A1400-8, you will never be satisfied with anything else.

Thanks JC,

It will be interesting to hear from those who say all amps sound the same.

I can tell you that I easily hear a difference when comparing my Denon 2805 to the amps I've tested to this point. Not all internal guts are created equally, no matter what some paper article says.

I should have my Odyssey Mono's early next week per Klaus.

Ian,

Is that $3850 Canadian or US?? And where's the Pre/Pro to go with it??

Ya beat me to it Ajax... if this amp somehow breaks the mold and comes out favorably in double blind testing, I'll one of the first to convert and click that 'Buy' button.

Thanks for the reply Ian. Your views seem to fall in line with what I believe.

This thread has gotta be buggin' the "all amps sound the same" guys........I predict even more back-pedaling than there's been, to follow

I don't know. It still sounds like they have their point.

Regardless of whether the person making a statement about alleged sound qualities of an electronic component is a friend or respected person, if it resulted from casual listening it can't be given much weight in comparison to well-established audio principles and negative blind testing results. Dr. Toole, in a talk to a AES meeting a few years ago on double-blind testing, emphasized the point with a little intentional hyperbole by stating "If you can see what you're listening to, you can't hear it!". The principle stated, for example by Mr. Aczel in the article linked above, hasn't been repealed. There are no miracles in audio.

Exactly why I close my eyes.

I'm finally reading through issues of The Audio Critic. It's pretty cool stuff, even if most of it is beyond my feeble grasp of the hobby. I'd like to hear the speakers they consider the current epitome of accurate reproduction.

Has anyone rented Honeymoon Cottage? It seems like it would be fun to check out.

Ajax said:

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Personally, I'll wait for the results of some double blind testing, and I'll prefer to trust those results rather than sighted, andecotal testimony. YMMV

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DITTO.


JohnK said:

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Regardless of whether the person making a statement about alleged sound qualities of an electronic component is a friend or respected person, if it resulted from casual listening it can't be given much weight in comparison to well-established audio principles and negative blind testing results.

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Absolutely. It is nothing personal though many take it personally like their audio was their first born. Perhaps for some audio is a first born (certainly cost as much) but damn, i can't imagine the wife having to give birth to a sharp edged EP600...

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There are no miracles in audio.

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Well if Axiom were to have a sale on the new amp at ten bucks, i would consider that a miracle. In foresight i don't think it will happen so i guess yes, i would have to agree there are not likely to be any miracles in audio anytime soon.

Just for my own curiosity how many that say all amps sound the same and double blind listening test are the proof of this have actually done or sat in on these tests of amps.

I for one have not.

Good point Rick, and one I've been wanting to ask as well. Seems many like to reference articles and base everything on math, etc., but have they actually been involved in real world test themselves.

I'm looking at a Russound AB-2 switcher so I can jump back/forth between my Denon and Amps. I plan to invite some friends over for some tests. I'm not even going to tell them what they are testing.

Randy

Wid & Randy,

Did you read my post on the double blind test I did with my family? My friends have told me that they are probably tone deaf but I doubt it. All three play the piano and my daughter plays the flute and picollo too.

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Good point Rick, and one I've been wanting to ask as well. Seems many like to reference articles and base everything on math, etc., but have they actually been involved in real world test themselves.

I'm looking at a Russound AB-2 switcher so I can jump back/forth between my Denon and Amps. I plan to invite some friends over for some tests. I'm not even going to tell them what they are testing.

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Been there, done that, a fair bit lads.
You would have to search back through many of my past posts (one example here) to see my comments on A/B tests we did. Most of these were single blind tests using a near instantaneous switcher with equalized SPL. I used at least one friend and/or wife and sometimes a fourth (and a TRUE believer audiophile until he built himself a switcher, the very one we used).

Off hand i've compared 4 AVRs (from $100 or less to $1800 retail), 6-8 SS amps (varying from $1200 retail to $4000 including Coda, Anthem, Parasound, Robertson) and at least 2 tube amps (one a relic, one 1980s newer) in the past 3-4 years. I've also compared about 5 or 6 different speaker sets including Tannoys, Monitor Audios, Axioms, KEF, Boston Acoustics and some generic speakers.
Since my friend built his switcher he has also tested several various amps at his house along with an electronic guru friend of his. These boys collect vintage electronics and have a very impressive set of equipment, including a tube amp which recently sold on ebay for over 3k and Krell components. This electronics guru fellow in particular owned an electronics repair store (primarily audio) for 20 years and has fixed more speaker surrounds, static controls, blown caps, tube amps than you could shake a stick at. He has 2 'subwoofers' in his basements, home made that house 2-30 inch drivers!! He is one who has also long believed in the 'difference of amps' hypothesis, UNTIL these boys started using their switcher. As i understand it, their general opinions have dramatically changed from "there are definite differences" to more of an "IF there are differences, they are subtle and alot less than originally heard" point of view.

I'm not out to change one's hardcore belief structure but even that change of opinion is one huge jump for these two long time stereophiles. I didn't do any direct persuasion to put them on that course but my friend also happens to be of a scientific background and after enough conversations about wanting to hear comparisons equally, leveled and blind, he built the switcher for himself, mostly out of curiousity. Needless to say he is a bit saddened that his amp collection does not look as fun and shiny as it used to now that he's honestly settled in his brain with conclusive, self-experienced objective evidence (the best kind) that they sound identical. He told me some time ago that he's decided to sell one of them since there is no point keeping both anymore. He used to use one for some certain type of music (because it was supposedly softer sounding) and the other amp for whatever other type of music he enjoyed.

Never assume that people have not tried A/B testing themselves. Many may not take the lengthy time to post all the details involved in the process. I think many here know of craigsub and his testing with subwoofers and he is certainly one person who has a strong, well thought out methodology (public posted out on the forums for scrutinizing) to reproduce great results in this regard. He could just as easily setup tests for amps, if he hasn't already done so in the past (i imagine he has, Ajax may know).

It is not that hard to setup if you have one key piece: a switcher with gain controls or a similar third equipment piece for gain control. I also own a Russound unit which i'm planning on modifying with a non-stepped potentiometer and banana jacks.

I have to admit that the results of these blind tests can take some of the joy out of wanting to buy another or new piece of equipment. I like changing the aesthetics around or contemplating the idea that there is always a better sounding amp out there for my sweet home stereo system; something to make it that much better. However, to me, doing the A/B testing is as enormously fun as those who like to buy a new piece of equipment, stand in front of it and wow about much better (or worse) it sounds compared subjectively to their previous unit.
I just prefer to do the tests from a more objective perspective possibly because i'm a frugal buyer. (Aren't all Axiom folks supposed to be frugal buyers? )

• Is that 2k amp really worth $500 more than just a $1500 AVR?
  
• Is there really a difference in sound?
  
• How can i equalize the factors to make it an objective conclusion so i can decide whether i want to pay that extra $500 for more than bragging rights and pretty lights?
  

The answer? A/B blind testing
Don't knock it until you try it.
I've had many a fun afternoon doing auditioning tests with this stuff. Wires running everywhere, volume up, volume down, switching components, telling the dogs to go lay down, grabbing a beer, swapping chairs.
Oh ya, tons of fun.

I can't say I was aware of your tests Mojo. I was well aware of the extensive tests Chess had performed though. If you can point me to your post I would be more than willing to give it a read.

>>I hear the sound of the freewheel clicking, but the "all amps sound the same" crew seems to be going downhill and picking up speed.

I know this is fun to watch, but are we maybe missing the point here ? The "all amplifiers sound the same" statements are normally made when someone asks whether a Denon or Yamaha AVR will be a better match for their Axiom speakers. Our response, which I think is fair, is that it's generally going to be very difficult to hear a difference between two amplifiers of similar power and similar design.

I have always believed that a big honkin' high quality power amp is going to sound better than a good moderately powered amp/receiver, but the difference is relatively subtle compared to spending the same $$ on speakers and there is still lack of agreement on what really makes the better amp sound better. It may really be placebo effect, I don't know -- my personal theory is that watching the analog power meters excites different areas of the brain and improves the overall listening experience

Double-blind speaker testing is relatively easy to do since the switching is easy. Double-blind electronics testing is harder and -- I hate to say it -- that is probably the real reason we're still arguing about this after 50+ years of audiophiles have had their say.

I am still a bit suspicious of digital amplifiers in general, for no good reason other than a healthy respect for what has been proven to work. Having said that, I also have confidence that if anyone comes up with a breakthrough amplifier there's a decent chance that Ian and Tom will be the ones who do it.

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As i understand it, their general opinions have dramatically changed from "there are definite differences" to more of an "IF there are differences, they are subtle and alot less than originally heard" point of view.

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When people have posted, their personal experiences with Audio and/or various Audio equipment.....and have made claims of "improved sound", (whether it was high end Amps, CD players, Tubes vs. Transistors, Analog vs. Digital, etc.) they usually sound sincere, and credible.....just wanting to share their "find".

The posts I have seen here over the years, have often said just that...."subtle improvements", or a "more pleasing sound" etc.

I don't recall any wild, or exaggerative posts claiming otherwise.
Isn't this just nit-picking?

I have come to this conclusion:

"There are no absolutes in audio"

What about The Absolute Sound ?

John, about the freewheeling post -- I was just having a little fun. My current opinion about amps is that as long as it has enough juice to cleanly drive your equipment to the levels you desire, then you'll be hard pressed to hear any difference in a controlled situation such as a blind listening test. Remove the blind, and I am certain most people will hear a difference between a Mark Levinson amp and anything else not looking half as sexy.

Understood. Having fun or not, I thought your comment was a pretty good summary of where the thread was heading so I figured that was a good post to respond to.

I agree completely with your opinion -- I'm just less convinced than some that a typical AVR has enough juice to cleanly drive our equipment to the levels we desire.

I realize this puts me right in the demographic crosshairs for an amplifier I can't afford

I still want to know when the Pre/Pro is coming out. That A1400 is going to look silly on my rack with a different brand processor, although the new Denon is looking promising – other than the price.

Common Ian, don’t leave us hanging…..

mdrew,

The matching Pre/Pro is still a ways out there though we have started on it. I think we are looking at mid 2008 right now. If you go with black the A1400-8 should disappear into that rack (it is only 4" tall).

Now this is some very interesting news My RV-8 does a fantastic job but lacks HDMI support. With this news, I may just be patient until next year before any upgrades are done.

Thanks for the information Ian.

Yes, please feel free to use us as a resource when making decisions about the pre-pro.

By the way, when I put the preorder for the amplifier in my shopping cart, it says "Pre-Purchase Axiom Pre-Amp" in the item description. Someone may want to change that to "Amp" and not "Pre-Amp." I'm sure people will know what they're ordering, but hey, it still weirds me out.

Ian/Amie/Alan,

Are there any specs on this amp to share yet? If not, will there be before the end of pre-order date?

mdrew,

There will be lots of specs coming out prior to the pre-order date. We are in the middle of it right now.

Something to stare at while we wait:

Can you just make some specs up in the meantime?

CV,

Unfortunately making them up would put us in with a pretty big crowd. Attached are the specs we have so far; more to come next week.

Thanks Ian .. That will keep the number crunchers happy .. for a while ... I knew I should have got spy pics or something when i was there last week .. I just never realized there was a market for inside info on this ..

Avdude..

Excellent charts.
Everyone loves charts.

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Unfortunately making them up would put us in with a pretty big crowd.

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Hey, is that dig at the competitors?

I think he meant that he would end up with a pretty big crowd...in jail .

Ian,

Kudos to all of you at Axiom. All specs are impressive so far but I am particularly impressed with the noise floor and the frequency response. It looks like the 3dB point is out in the boonies at around 50KHz. When available, can you post the graphs for 2, 8 and 16 Ohms so that we can see how well the feedback network is designed ? Let us also marvel at the phase response.

And you've managed a really short dead time (maybe 10 nsec or less) with virtually seamless switching to achieve such excellent THD.

I bet there will be a big party at Axiom when you've finally finished this project.

Hi Mojo and all,

We've got a new spec to post on the A1400-8 amplifier from Axiom's R&D engineer, Tom Cumberland. The spec is called "DC Offset," which many manufacturers simply won't post on their amplifiers because the DC offset may be excessive.

For the Axiom A1400-8, the DC offset is truly tiny, approximately 0.0001 volt--that's one-ten-thousandth of a volt, a fraction of the value that many conventional amplifiers often exhibit.

What's DC offset? It's really interesting. The power supply of any amplifier has to deliver a positive voltage and a negative voltage from the power-supply rails, but often the voltage is offset a bit to one side or the other--too much negative voltage or too much positive voltage. In theory, the power supply should deliver equal amounts of positive and negative voltages; in reality, there may be more negative (or positive voltage) from the supply rails. When this happens, and you have your speakers connected but there is no audio signal, the offset voltage will force the driver's voice coil either slightly outwards or inwards, away from the center of the magnetic flux from the speaker magnet. When this DC offset goes uncorrected, this means that the excursion of the voice coil will be non-linear. When high-amplitude audio signals come along, this may mean the voice coil is forced out of the magnetic flux because it's already offset from the excessive amounts of DC offset, so the motion of the voice coil and diaphragm becomes very non-linear.

The great thing about the Axiom A1400-8 is that the DC offset is 1) extremely low in value (other amps may exhibit ten to 20 times as much DC offset as the A1400-8) and 2) the A1400-8's DC offset is dynamically self-correcting so that no matter what the value of the incoming audio signals, the DC offset will be minimized to an insignificant value at all times, thus assuring the linear motion of all the drivers' voice coils driven by the A1400-8 amplifier.

We'll have some more charts and specs next week.

Regards,

Very intersting!

Thanks for sharing this Alan.

Man, I wish I had $3500 lying around. I could have a couple of new computers!

Oh yeah, amp...

100 microvolts of DC offset is spectacularly impressive particularly for a channel that I assume was operating at half the rated maximum power (700W) when this measurement was taken! I'd hate to be the engineer that is responsible for mainting this offset during production. Tom Cumberland is even more of a "slave driver" than I am .

I could be dead wrong but I think your estimate of 10 to 20 times for most manufacturers is low. I would think that 15mV (150 times more) is a respectable figure that should not cause any audible speaker non-linearity.

This should certainly help to make any speaker more efficient and full sounding. Nice job.