How did they measure?I have used 3 different active xovers in my system, they all had published figures way better than those posted here as a benchmark.
They were a Tannoy x5000, a JBL 5234 and a BSS FDS360, all pro pedigree all auditioned at 800 hz @12db/oct Butterworth each sounded very different, the BSS was cleanest-most transparent. None of them matched my XTA 226 (which is a 24bit/48khz digital job) however.
I can only conclude I'm imagining it.
Do amplifiers really sound the same?
- Thread starter avole
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That's really interesting - thanks for pointing it out.
cooky1257
pfm Member
I'm sure the data is available if you care to search but the ones I have to hand;
http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/5234a.pdf
http://www.audiocore.co.uk/products-dp226.html
http://www.bssaudio.com/discont_productpg.php?product_id=5
Tannoy
I believe there are/were measurable differences. My point is the threshold(these all have very good numbers) and an opinion that it is how these parameters combine that can account for the differences we hear.
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
BTW, I presume you've all seen this:
http://www.matrixhifi.com/ENG_contenedor_ppec.htm
I'm sure Serge will have posted it somewhere, but if not, then have a look.
http://www.matrixhifi.com/ENG_contenedor_ppec.htm
I'm sure Serge will have posted it somewhere, but if not, then have a look.
cooky1257
pfm Member
Yes, interesting, 26% couldn't tell a difference, does that mean 74% could?
Does it also point to system synergy in that the little bargain one was preferred over all?
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
Dunno, but I suppose it means that such differences as might have been audible must've been very small. Furthermore, that such difference as there might have been were found to favour the cheap electronics.
An alternative reading of the results was that there wasn't any difference and the participants either admitted as much or else chose their preferred system randomly.
I rather suspect that there was bugger all difference.
john & Jake
Jake was smarter than me
Hi, It shows that 26% were deaf to the differences, probably about the same percentage of people on this thread
I just know I've been swapping quality amps lately and settled on one. I now have a completely different cd collection to listen to
I just know I've been swapping quality amps lately and settled on one. I now have a completely different cd collection to listen to
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
Whichever way you look at it, on the basis of those results, buying expensive audiophile equipment looks like a very bad idea.
James
Lord of the Erg\o/s
Yes, for 74% of the test group. 26% seem to get some benefit. Sounds generous if extrapolated to the general population.
john & Jake
Jake was smarter than me
Hi, It shows that 26% were deaf to the differences, probably about the same percentage of people on this thread
I just know I've been swapping quality amps lately and settled on one. I now have a completely different cd collection to listen to
sorry James, yes 37%
john & Jake
Jake was smarter than me
Hi yes it has always been a bad idea,
the law of diminishing returns has it's roots in expensive Hi Fi.
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
If you assume that they really could hear a difference, and didn't just think they could. (Which would give a 50:50 split between systems A and B, given a large enough sample.)
cooky1257
pfm Member
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
That's rather a lot of power...
cooky1257
pfm Member
They are the babies of the MC2 range. Driving big 97 dB/W JBL's they have bass grip and effortless ease, an unburstable quality, never ever under strain, never clipped..how loud would you like to go cleanly?
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
Sod me, that must go very very loud!They are the babies of the MC2 range. Driving big 97 dB/W JBL's they have bass grip and effortless ease, an unburstable quality, never ever under strain, never clipped..how loud would you like to go cleanly?
cooky1257
pfm Member
Sod me, that must go very very loud!
I tend not to go too mad but when I am having a blast transients just sound so clean, loud isn't a word I'd use, it's just humongously BIG. You can hurt yourself though.
Darth Vader
From the Dark Side
They are the babies of the MC2 range. Driving big 97 dB/W JBL's they have bass grip and effortless ease, an unburstable quality, never ever under strain, never clipped..how loud would you like to go cleanly?
That seems to be typical of prosumer amps. Whilst we are willy waving I use a pair of Meridian 559s each bridged and I'm sure you've seen it before the output is >1600wpc into 4 Ohms.
I'll add to your comments - highly dynamic and real timbre with acoustic instruments. A piano actually sounds like a piano (I have one in the next room for comparison.
Cheers,
DV
hammeredklavier
owner of two very cheap hi-fis
That's crazy, although I suppose it's nice to know your amplifiers will drive your speakers to mechanical overload without clipping!
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