Is it all Hype ?

[alwaysbeblue1]

So,,I have a decent set up... and I belive strongly that my speakers have improved my sound considerably.

Looking and reviewing a new amp and surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Do you belive this and if you don't, do you think you could tell the difference in a blind test ?

 

[Esra]

So,,I have a decent set up... and I belive strongly that my speakers have improved my sound considerably.

Looking and reviewing a new amp and surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Do you belive this and if you don't, do you think you could tell the difference in a blind test ?

Good for you and no I do not think it is all hype with different amps.I could maybe not always be right in a blind test if differences are not bloody obvious but what I know is,that on long term there would be one amp I would prefer in the given setup and it could be not the most expensive one.

 

[paulkebab]

the difference between my Yamaha and Vincent amps is night and day through my speakers. It's all relative, if you have a 'difficult' or large pair of speakers you will probably be able to tell the difference at some point in a test, especially in a ten-fold example you give.

 

[Gray]

So,,I have a decent set up... and I belive strongly that my speakers have improved my sound considerably.

Looking and reviewing a new amp and surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Do you belive this and if you don't, do you think you could tell the difference in a blind test ?

I once had 3 'flavour of the month' (similarly priced) amps on home loan and was surprised by the differences in performance - and think that anyone could have blindly identified each one.

(anyone that is, except your "as long as I can hear it, it's good enough for me" Mum type - although they actually mean it and may be more content than us!))

 

[tonky]

Hi Gray - out of interest - what three amps where they? Did you have a preference for one them?

tonky

 

[bigboss]

I was part of Big Question feature on What Hi Fi few years ago where we compared different amps blinded to us. There were definite differences.

 

[matthewpiano]

I currently have 4 amps - Yamaha A-S501, Rega Brio-R, NAD C316BEE, and Pioneer A-400. I'm listening quite intensively to each with the 3 pairs of speakers I have and there are definite differences between them. What I can't decide is which I like the best.

 

[Gazzip]

Lest we forget the difference in sound and cost between amps does not always, in the high fidelity sense, represent an improvement in sound quality. Some very expensive amplifiers can present a less "true" reproduction of the music in the interest of their house sound. Nothing wrong with this. I myself love the Audio Research sound, but I know that what I am listening to is a polishing of the performance, a rounding off of the edges which can (once again to me) sound magical. It sounds great and to me is worth paying for but it is not completely accurate. If you want a "true" sound you don't have to spend all that much if you buy professional studio equipment where most amps sound exactly the same because they have to.

 

[Esra]

I currently have 4 amps - Yamaha A-S501, Rega Brio-R, NAD C316BEE, and Pioneer A-400. I'm listening quite intensively to each with the 3 pairs of speakers I have and there are definite differences between them. What I can't decide is which I like the best.

It is nice to have the choice.Sometimes i prefer a" warm,romantic and rounded" sound of a valve amp and like to combine it with "cold/hard" speakers maybe because I usually like neutral/hifi electronics just slightly a bit on the soft/warm side with neutral speakers just not too "precise/edgy" to draw my attention away from the whole presentation/event and getting into anlayzing.There is def. a certain sound I prefer on long term which I can find with different setups.And here amps do make a difference as a part of a whole system imo. I like live-like precise sound but hate to analyze and to get head-ache or get tired and bored.Besides don^t we have already min.1 thread ala all amps,dacs etc. sound the same?I am pretty sure we have.

 

[Gray]

Hi Tonky,

It was ages (13 years) ago as you will be able to tell from the models.

At the time my amp was the £400 Marantz PM66KISig.

The 3 I tried out were Arcam A85, Cyrus 8 and Roksan Kandy 3, priced around £700-£800. All had been reviewed as Best Buys by different mags.

I did have an instant, massive preference for the Cyrus 8.

I can tell you that £800 to me was (still is) a massive, hard earned amount of money. But I had to have it. Got it for 10% off and am still using it today, sounding great through PMC 21 speakers.

As I said though, I'm certain that, once they'd heard those three amps, anyone could have reliably, blindly identified them. (My prefered order was Cyrus, Roksan, Arcam but that order would be different for many of course)

No doubt Cyrus 8 bettered now (and even then) but I must be content.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

It's not hype at all there is a big difference between budget amps and when you start to climb the ladder in sound and quality I had a marantz pm6005 and now I have a abrahamsen the two are completely different in sound and quality a specially when you have the right speakers both are very important in getting good quality sound that makes it different from budget Hifi

 

[alwaysbeblue1]

Some good comments here.. Maybe I was hoping for a no difference so I can stop spending my money on this out of control hobby lol

 

[NSA_watch_my_toilet]

You probably mistook one thing. "There is no difference in quality from a 100$ amp to a $1000 amp" was surely written somewhere and is probably a punch-post. One that marks you. But I believe this is wrong, because 100$ amps are really different in the quality when compared to a 1'000$ amp.

And whatever quality you go, you will generally have different feel and finitions on a 4'000$ amp than on a 600$ one.

BUT

If the amp was made ok (good filtering, good layout, serious component), you will have difficulties to hear any improvement at all between a 800$ or a 3000$ amplifier. The expectation bias will be higher on a high priced amp, you will really feel the need to hear more of everything. But in fact, amps are amps. They amplify a signal, and the best way to do is go for a neutral way.

Please, don't misunderstand me on that. Some speakers are demanding ones, and it's important to have an amp that can feed the type of speaker you will have on them. So they can perform to their best. But, if we are speaking about an uncritical/undemanding speaker in power and impedance, even some very normal amp will do the job.

Certainly, some have more K2 harmonic distortion for a slighly softer and hotter sound, others are completely dry for letting the things like they was meant to be reproduced. But this will be, for the maximum, "a feel". Not a significant difference. A lot of peoples are puzzled when it comes to recognize different amps when the blindtest method is used. Simply because the differences are so tiny that our own perception vary on more average levels that the amps themselves. So you could spend your money on a 1'000$ Abrahamsen and be absolutely sure to have a great amp. You could spend a little more on an Audia and have the same quality of sound, but a different feel and lookl. Or you could go for an Accuphase or Luxman, that will sound really close, but with a different charm and feel as well.

If money is short, and the speakers uncritical, keep the fees on the amp short. If passion and dedication to your hobbie are important, go for the most beautiful you want to afford.

If you want some facts, you can refere to this post I made before (I put some mesures on that).

(I tried to let my example be simple to understand, please note that I didn't spoke about different amplifiers classes or types like tubes or A classes, that have "specialities" that makes them different. I focused myself on class AB and H amps)

 

[hybridauth_Google_112658120703314018098]

Maybe this article will be of interest then? - http://matrixhifi.com/ENG_contenedor_ppec.htm

A blind test carried out between high end hi fi gear and a cheap professional amp and DVD player..

 

[keeper of the quays]

So,,I have a decent set up... and I belive strongly that my speakers have improved my sound considerably.

Looking and reviewing a new amp and surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Do you belive this and if you don't, do you think you could tell the difference in a blind test ?

i think if you have decent speakers..then should be huge difference..however rest of kit should be better to go with better amp? Think you may notice more with speakers...cheap amp plus good speakers? Prob sound ok..good amp cheap speakers? Prob sound not so good? Although cheap speakers are nowadays very good..a decent amp shows their limitations..in my humble opinion...

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Some good comments here.. Maybe I was hoping for a no difference so I can stop spending my money on this out of control hobby lol

it's so easy to get hooked and get the Hifi bug I have had it myself meany times and got my self into trouble borrowing too much money for that fix its not wouth it I have got lucky and now found the abrahamsen 2up amp which before I came a member on here I never heard off so glad I came a member of what Hifi so now if I want to upgrade I save for it but the abrahamsen has stopped my bug before it's an issue for me and my pockets that's Hifi and when you find gold you will know it

 

[keeper of the quays]

Some good comments here.. Maybe I was hoping for a no difference so I can stop spending my money on this out of control hobby lol

oh dear..grass always greener? Mmm? Perhaps grass on other side just different..my view is get a power amp and pre amp second hand..its a miserable hobby really, everyone think their stuff is best...lol..you spend more and more? For what! Someone will tell you you need something different..haha..before changing kit try hopi candles? Cost a couple of quid..clean ears hear more? Lol

 

[drummerman]

... surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Many people?

 

[Al ears]

... surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Many people?

That's what I thought. Perhaps his counting goes : one, two, many.

 

[Gaz37]

Maybe this article will be of interest then? - http://matrixhifi.com/ENG_contenedor_ppec.htm

A blind test carried out between high end hi fi gear and a cheap professional amp and DVD player..

I fail to see how anybody can put forward any logical argument against the fact that out of 34 people, all of whom were enthusiasts, only 10 thought the $12k dollar sounded better, 14 preferred the cheaper system and the other 10 couldn't tell the difference.

 

[drummerman]

... surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Many people?

That's what I thought. Perhaps his counting goes : one, two, many.

Dunno but if the OP had said that many normal (non-hifi obsessed) people would probably think that spending £100 on an amplifier is extravagant (... 'what do you do with that? Do I need other bits?') and most would say that spending £1k is insane ... I'd go with that.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

... surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Many people?

That's what I thought. Perhaps his counting goes : one, two, many.

Dunno but if the OP had said that many normal (non-hifi obsessed) people would probably think that spending £100 on an amplifier is extravagant (... 'what do you do with that? Do I need other bits?') and most would say that spending £1k is insane ... I'd go with that.

maybe to some people its there only hobby so its not an issues spending £1000 on an amp its about what makes people happy too *yes3*

 

[Al ears]

... surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Many people?

That's what I thought. Perhaps his counting goes : one, two, many.

Dunno but if the OP had said that many normal (non-hifi obsessed) people would probably think that spending £100 on an amplifier is extravagant (... 'what do you do with that? Do I need other bits?') and most would say that spending £1k is insane ... I'd go with that.

I would agree it depends on who you ask but he asked it on this forum.

 

[Al ears]

... surprised to read that many people believe there is no difference in quality from a £100 amp to a £1000 amp

Many people?

That's what I thought. Perhaps his counting goes : one, two, many.

Dunno but if the OP had said that many normal (non-hifi obsessed) people would probably think that spending £100 on an amplifier is extravagant (... 'what do you do with that? Do I need other bits?') and most would say that spending £1k is insane ... I'd go with that.

I would agree it depends on who you ask but he asked it on this forum.

You try driving a moderately difficult load with a £100 amp and then tell me you don't hear any difference. An amplifier is only a part of your system and has to be fit for purpose.

 

[DIB]

Last weekend I had the good fortune to listen to a NVA Pre/Power combo (cost < £700) in my home and let me tell you it was gob-smackingly good. Should I ever move on from my Creek I know what to now.

.