External Amps dont make a difference ...whaa?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

This is just another "Amp sound different or same", isn't it?

The truth is, they really don't make any difference...unless there is something wrong with your current system. If you think they do make any difference, then it's placebo effect. Haha.

 

[dolamite]

Sigh...

Crosstalk: The speakers cross-talk in the room. What do you imagine the actual threshold is for cross-talk to be audible in a real listening scenario?

THD: Again: this feels like a number for the sake of a number. Do you have any data suggesting that any ABX test has shown a preference (or even detectability) on the THD numbers described?

Noise Floor: That's one of the numbers for dynamic range. Again: can you relate this to something audible?

"Highs sound better"; which is really strange since the tweeter is about the easiest thing to drive. Has this been DBX tested? It seems like this might be psychosomatic.

I've owned one pair of speakers that I can recall where amp made a difference (A pair of B&W 801Ns). Bass response was better with an amp that scaled down to 2 ohms well (I used a McIntosh 2120 to accommodate that). Looking at their resistance curve, I think I might understand why.

I assert that amps are "sufficient" and "insufficient", and when they are the latter, we can see why in the numbers.

The Marantz probably isn't sufficient in some way for my current speakers. There is something going on and there are differences in some of the spec numbers as stated. So maybe that explains maybe it doesn't. Maybe it is a placebo effect. Maybe the denon is better at the first .5 watt where these speakers are ran most of the time.

I'm just stating what my experience is with external amps. For me it makes a difference.

 

[PENG]

The Marantz probably isn't sufficient in some way for my current speakers. There is something going on and there are differences in some of the spec numbers as stated. So maybe that explains maybe it doesn't. Maybe it is a placebo effect. Maybe the denon is better at the first .5 watt where these speakers are ran most of the time.

I'm just stating what my experience is with external amps. For me it makes a difference.

You have enough "maybe.." there to cover all possibilities. Seriously, it does depend on many things, but the "sound signature" thing for well designed power amps such as those made by Marantz and Denon, is one that is most unlikely except in some rare cases.