JohnSwenson wrote: > I was wondering if someone would ask that! Well, somebody had to... :)
> The part that seems to make the difference is a monotonically decreasing > harmonic structure. I absolutely agree with that in the case of SET amps that have quite a bit of harmonic distortion (but of the "right" kind). Not sure about modern solid state and class D amps that have extremely low harmonic distortion. Would harmonics matter at that low a level? Or is the issue lack of "good" harmonics to make the sound pleasant? > Today this is a very easy measurement, a good sound card and FFT > software on a computer can do it. But up until 20 years or so ago it > took an expensive spectrum analyzer to resolve the harmonics all the way > down. True. The irony is that while measurements are getting better, easier and cheaper, the audiophile publications are making less use of them... > As I mentioned it IS possible to make both tube and solid state amps > that have this harmonic structure and significantly lower overall > distortion, but they have not "taken over the market", probably because > most of these designs are very inefficient. For example my big tube amp > gives 25W per channel, but takes 350 W. It wouldn't exactly pass modern > efficiency standards! That's why I am curious about class D amps that have a very different distortion characteristic again... "To try to judge the real from the false will always be hard. In this fast-growing art of 'high fidelity' the quackery will bear a solid gilt edge that will fool many people" - Paul W Klipsch, 1953 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Julf's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=42050 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=99360 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
