Columbo
pfm Member
Dragging up an age old discussion (sorry); I'm in the process of choosing my next amp.
One of the amps I'm looking at is the Audiolab 6000a. The way Paul Rigby extols its virtue on YouTube got me all excited how much better my new-planned set-up would sound, like suddenly the thick velvet curtains would be lifted and a whole wave of glorious fresh sound would be hitting my eardrums. But then I read this...
https://www.soundstageaccess.com/in.../1002-audiolab-6000a-integrated-amplifier-dac
...assuming the reviewer has at least average hearing and above average "audiophile" discernment then the Audiolab sounds the same as a NAD amp at half its price - and the McIntosh, costing several times more, well the "two amps sounded very close"
Is it fair to say for speakers that don't require a mortgage to buy, in normal sized rooms at normal volumes, amps are much of a muchness, when *precisely* level matched? (like to the 0.1db)
Anyone on here level matched with preciseness and A/B tested?
(P.S. Fascinating how such tiny differences in level can make all the difference, this was when the reviewer compared the DAC performance: "...there seemed to be just a hint more presence and air through the 6000A. After much back-and-forth, I concluded that the difference was probably due to the 0.2dB difference in level -- still a very small difference, but the biggest level mismatch I’d so far had to deal with. I had two choices for level matching: +0.2dB with the 6000A compared to the C47, or +0.3dB with the C47 compared with the 6000A. I found that whichever DAC was playing at the slightly higher volume was the one that created the perception of more air in women’s voices.")
One of the amps I'm looking at is the Audiolab 6000a. The way Paul Rigby extols its virtue on YouTube got me all excited how much better my new-planned set-up would sound, like suddenly the thick velvet curtains would be lifted and a whole wave of glorious fresh sound would be hitting my eardrums. But then I read this...
https://www.soundstageaccess.com/in.../1002-audiolab-6000a-integrated-amplifier-dac
...assuming the reviewer has at least average hearing and above average "audiophile" discernment then the Audiolab sounds the same as a NAD amp at half its price - and the McIntosh, costing several times more, well the "two amps sounded very close"
Is it fair to say for speakers that don't require a mortgage to buy, in normal sized rooms at normal volumes, amps are much of a muchness, when *precisely* level matched? (like to the 0.1db)
Anyone on here level matched with preciseness and A/B tested?
(P.S. Fascinating how such tiny differences in level can make all the difference, this was when the reviewer compared the DAC performance: "...there seemed to be just a hint more presence and air through the 6000A. After much back-and-forth, I concluded that the difference was probably due to the 0.2dB difference in level -- still a very small difference, but the biggest level mismatch I’d so far had to deal with. I had two choices for level matching: +0.2dB with the 6000A compared to the C47, or +0.3dB with the C47 compared with the 6000A. I found that whichever DAC was playing at the slightly higher volume was the one that created the perception of more air in women’s voices.")