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What makes a great amplifier?

Allaboutmusic

pfm Member
Curious as to what others think make a great amplifier? Is it topology? Watts? Current? Power supply size? Components generally? Or combination of all the above?

From my limited experience, being mid 30s, I have owned a few amplifiers and done a lot of reading. Currently have an exposure 3010S2D which is class A/B 110watts and 400 VA power supply. It seems to my ears to do everything well, power, speed, finesse, manages to be exciting when the music calls for it but very relaxing for late night low level listening. At least with my speakers (Neat momentum sx3i).

However recently I have been reading a lot about class A amplifiers and curious as to how different they sound from class A/B so that got me wondering what makes a great amplifier?!

similarly curious as to the perception of power, as I understand it, generally you are using less than 20 watts at high volumes, yet some swear a high watts amp sounds more powerful than say a 30 watt amp but in reality I don’t believe it should matter as no matter the number of watts available you will be using the same number into the same speakers at the same volume. Additionally class A amps tend to be < 30 watts but allegedly a good one will drive most speakers, so again is this power supply, current etc.

bit of a long question but would be happy to hear people’s views.

Thanks
 
Topology and implementation of said topology completely trump everything else. Components are of very little importance as regards "quality" and a really good topology well implemented but built from second hand parts removed from old TV's and 30 year old video recorders would absolutely piss on a crap design made with the most expensive "boutique" parts.

Yours,
An amplifier designer:)
 
Nothing, in that it adds nothing and accurately amplifies and reproduces everything that it is fed. Beyond that, you've got to consider the speaker.

How you judge when that is achieved, except by endless comparisons, is another question entirely.
 
Synergy/context with the rest of the system. Always best to view the (power) amp and speakers as a single unit IMO. Just choose the right tool for the specific job. There are countless valid ways to design an amp and countless systems to use them in. Some stuff works with some other stuff, other stuff is better partnered with different stuff. Ignore all the ego, bravado and marketing hype and just buy what you like the sound of in the context of the speaker it is driving. If it sounds better, it is better!
 
One thing I look out for is timbre. Some amps seem to be good at “doing” timbre, others are more monochrome.

I’ve learned that it can take me some time to find out what the amp is like: an amp can sound pretty good at first and then after a few days I suddenly realise that the sound just isn’t realistic at all, that all the partials which go to make the sound of an instrument or a voice just aren’t being caught.

It’s strange how with some amps there’s a feeling that the sound is coming confidently out of the speakers, naturally and confidently. Yet with others there’s a sense of something being forced, stretched. A word I’ve sometimes seen is “grip”, I’m not sure if this is what people mean, but it intuitively seems close to what I think I hear.

In my experience there’s loads of pleasure you can get from an ordinary amp. I have a little portable active Bluetooth speaker and I really enjoy listening to it. But a fabulous amp, a special amp, is a different experience, for me it’s been very much worth the effort, the cost, of finding it.
 
A great amplifier is one that either sounds like it isn't there, or does a good job of disguising itself and controls the speakers with an iron fist.
A good amplifier is one that, while it can't manage the above, is at least pleasant and sympathetic in the way it fails to be a great amplifier.
I've always founds amplifiers the most disappointing hi-fi component based on recommendations with some truly ghastly/miserable/inconsequential ones being recommended by the mainstream over the last 30 to 40 years.
 
Valves. Vintage and older Valves. Russian Valves with an interesting story. Mullard Valves manufactured in facilities long gone yet featured in Videos available to view online.

Did i mention Valves?

Seriously, my Audio Innovations Series 500 works very well with my Monitor Golds. I'm looking forward to running my Summer System though. Solid State is somewhat easier to live with when the weather is hot!

:)
 
A good amplifier, needs to control the load with the signal true to the original source , but with current gain and voltage gain but not errors in the shape and phase, frequency response or add any of its own personality .
It has to handle motors i.e. speaker which change there attitude on power, frequency, loading including the load (you, room, dog ,oh and air).
It has to ignore the crap of most power sources with there noises and drop out and still perform (As Quad said) like string wet with gain.
As to the Class Levels, I love Single Ended A Class but hate the power waste and the limited choice of loads you can have.
Push Pull Class A |(i.e. Mr Pass) there are good but I find there is a strange balance in the representation of the signal depending on load. Also the design construction can not be truly A Class, two complementary output device are reacting with phase and load dynamics in different way, due to the input capacitance and dynamic changing capacitance the FET show at different loads and frequency.

Many many more could be said about this topic i.e. the case design, this is a major problem for me. I have no artist talent at all, I design the layout of the PCB to provide the right format for what I need/think the design requires.
But take for example, whilst I did some design contract work at Cambridge Audio now and then owned by Richer Sound.
The artist style draftsmen designs the looks and we the electronic donkeys had to fit a good sound in a poor layout map, with internal heatsinks and power connection and many of the style feature in poor location not conducive to good practices in power management.
Me I want to hear the music the acoustic art of the sound not look a pretty box, I rather look at pretty girls, scenery, flowers, kids playing, a box no way it is as bad as Deadenders to me.
 
You are a genius and a legend Colin. A proper designer and a gentleman to boot. Others would do well to take a leaf out of your book.
 
The old 'short piece of wire with gain' and as long as it has enough power so it doesn't clip everything is fine?

No, I'm not in the 'all amps sound the same and CD is perfect' campaign, but how much difference is a good one from a really good one in overall sound? One percent?
 
I dislike the whole stupid circle of death type thing where you have stupidly designed speakers that need a mega watt amp to drive them. To me, it is a bit like one of those drinking challenges or all you can eat.

Buy active speakers & stop worrying.
 
I dislike the whole stupid circle of death type thing where you have stupidly designed speakers that need a mega watt amp to drive them. To me, it is a bit like one of those drinking challenges or all you can eat.

That’s a bit personal I must say..:D
 


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