Harbeth - great soeakers but possibly the worst customer experience

[Vladimir]

Do you by any chance happen to own a Naim amp, Tonky? *wink*

 

[hg]

Do you think that THD+N measurements into an 8 ohm resistor for a steady sine wave input of power levels between 0.1 watts and just below clipping, plus a frequency response graph at 2.83 volts output into an 8 ohm resistor, plus the output impedance tell you all you need to know about how an amplifier will sound?

This doesn't appear to have much to do with what you quoted which was trying to work out what the claim from the chap actually was that you supported. We are still none the wiser.

Anyway, I am not sure what is being asked here. Firstly, to determine how an amplifier performs via measurement you need to cover the whole of the relevant operating range. This is not done in your example and so no reliable conclusions can be drawn about overall performance. This is routine data for an engineer to take but it is not routine to publish it as part of the specification. I once tried to get this data from the manufacurer of a modestly priced home audio amplifier that I thought might be able to drive a transducer that presented a difficult load by home speaker standards. Although they understood why I wanted the data after a brief hum and hah they decided not to give it to me. What's weird is that this data is a fundamental part of the specification of an amplifer and without it you cannot determine what it can or cannot drive. But that is the marketing lead world of home audio.

Secondly, an amplifier doesn't have a sound. If it is a competent design, driving a load it can handle and at level below the onset of clipping it will contribute no audible distortion and so sound like every other competently designed amplifier. But if, for example, it has a high output impedance then the deviation from audibly neutral will be primarily a function of the speaker load and so will vary a lot from speaker to speaker. Isn't this perhaps more speaker sound than amplifier sound even if the fix is to change to a competent linear amplifier?

 

[tonky]

A and R A60

Mission Cyrus 2 (now Shorted out/blown up!)

Rega brio 3 - pre owned (20 years old)

Pioneer A400 (preowned )

Cambridge 840A V2

and more recently - Naim unitilite - lovely sound at all sound levels - definitely not "shouty!"

And I can hear differences in sound quality in all of these amps. Maybe the Naim is "voiced" as one or two on here say. - I wouldn't know. I just really enjoy the way it reproduces all types of music.

cheers tonky

 

[Vladimir]

Pioneer A400 typical representative of the shouty-amp-sells group.

 

[tonky]

The A400 played within and up to the limits of its "power envelope" sounded great - beyond that limit it sounds strained and somewhat harsh - some might use the term "shouty" .Played within those limits it is a detailed spacious sounding amp. Many many people on this forum will testify to its ability . It was such a good seller 20 plus years ago for a good reason - but - like most amps up to 50w per channel - it has its limitations.

The cambridge 840A v2 and the Naim unitilite - different league altogether tho - different prices too!!

cheers Vlad Tonky

 

[BigH]

I don't see what their forum really has to do with the speakers, are you forced to join it. Just enjoy the speakers, forums are best avoided.