Should the speakers dictate the Amplifier or other way around?

[Paul C]

Simply;
A, A/B, D, H Class Amplifiers have their own sound signature.
Speakers have their own sound signature as well.
How do you match the Amplifier to the Speaker?

 

[shadyJ]

Simply;
A, A/B, D, H Class Amplifiers have their own sound signature.
Speakers have their own sound signature as well.
How do you match the Amplifier to the Speaker?

If an amplifier has a sound signature, it is broken.

 

[Paul C]

...But Amplifiers have their own sound. A Class A Amp will sound different than a Class A/B Amp, different from a Class D Amp etc...Sound Description for sure!

 

[3db]

...But Amplifiers have their own sound. A Class A Amp will sound different than a Class A/B Amp, different from a Class D Amp etc...Sound Description for sure!

And you validated this theory how exactly? If your answer does not include the words blind or double blind listening test, then you haven't done your homework. I heard this audiophile tripe before and when you invite these audiophiles to a blind listening test, they decline. Its funny how that works.

 

[PENG]

...But Amplifiers have their own sound. A Class A Amp will sound different than a Class A/B Amp, different from a Class D Amp etc...Sound Description for sure!

If they do, such signatures should be visible. Electronic signatures are visible and can be acceptable nowadays, legally.. So you could be right if people use their eyes and see such signatures (again if..)

Back to your question, if ears are used instead of eyes, one should match speakers and amps based on the speaker's manufacturer recommended power requirement/handling, and the amp's output power, and current capability.

 

[highfigh]

IFF amplifiers have their own sound signature, why would someone NOT consider that in addition to the sound of all other components? You wouldn't discount the validity of the speaker sound, right? People already think cables make a bigger difference than they can, even though there's no proof that they do unless one being compared is damaged or inherently unable to pass the signal required. Amplifiers with similar specs generally sound very similar, although some have better headroom, TIM or other specs- seeing the difference on a spec sheet rarely translates to much, if any, audible difference.

If you want to compare ability of the amplifiers to drive difficult loads, that's another topic.

 

[lovinthehd]

...But Amplifiers have their own sound. A Class A Amp will sound different than a Class A/B Amp, different from a Class D Amp etc...Sound Description for sure!

Huh? You may match for impedance/power needed, but not just by amp topology....overall implementation of that topology can certainly be a factor, tho.

 

[ski2xblack]

Your claim of sonic signature needs evidence. All available evidence suggests amps with low distortion, low output impedance, carefully level matched, and operating below clipping tend to be indistinguishable in controlled tests, regardless of circuit type. That's a lot of qualifications, easily and often violated, and when they are, voila, audible differences result.

As to the question from the thread title, pick speakers first, based on the environment they'll be used in and your own particular goals. The speaker choice will dictate your power needs and thus amp choice.

 

[mtrycrafts]

And you validated this theory how exactly? ....

Theory comes after observations, a hypothesis, lots of testing, replication and a paper presentation of a theory, no?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Generally speaking, a amplifier should deliver stable voltage across the entire frequency range without any bumps to any specific ranges, so in reality, amplifiers should be bought based upon quality. PERIOD.

Speakers, on the other hand, can have all sorts of sound characteristics that run the gamut and in any specific room a set of speakers that may sound great, could sound terrible in a different space. So, it is important to buy speakers for the room you are putting them in. That's the first, and most important step.

From there, you can buy an amp which is of high quality and if you buy 12 different amps, of high quality, you should be completely incapable of hearing the difference between any of them. Of course, if you are playing audio at the same volume and within the power capabilities of the amplifier in use. An underpowered amp for your speakers will be underpowered forever. So, get enough power.

At the end of the day, we have some members which can be a bit harsh on the subject, but really, there are 'bad' amps out there which may not sound good and don't deliver across the frequency spectrum as they should, which could impact sound. Yet, from major manufacturers of quality product that is well recognized, it is not a common occurrence.

IMO - It is better to just ask about the amps you are looking at and the speakers you are getting them for, then read the responses you get.

But, get speakers for a room, then quality amps (or an AV receiver) to power them.

 

[Pogre]

Simply;
A, A/B, D, H Class Amplifiers have their own sound signature.

Not so simply;
No, no they don't. Not if designed to be neutral and distortion free (as they should), are well built and operated within their limits. If one sounds different in my mind that means something is wrong with it and it's not neutral.

Where you run into differences are when/where one runs out of power and starts clipping while the other still has some to spare. In that case then yes, they'll certainly sound different, lol. Even differences in gain structure can make an amp stand out as sounding "different". As little as +1 dB difference is very hard to hear in spl, but can be perceived as sounding clearer. That's why many recommend using a spl meter to level match when comparing receivers and amps.

Buy a quality amp with enough power for your speakers and you'll be fine. Any differences you think you hear would most likely disappear if you didn't know which one you were listening to, a la DBT.

If you really want to dive into shaping your sound, REW and a UMIK 1 mic are a great start. With measurements you can see areas of opportunity. I've made surprising improvements just moving stuff around. To me that's more rewarding because I made meaningful gains without spending a penny. Meaningful gains that I can actually hear without having to convince myself that I think I can hear the difference between A/AB/D/H.

 

[sizzam]

Heres Some explanation's about how amplifiers work a bit more:

However I agree that speakers should be your first choice as getting an amplifier first "may" limit what speakers you can power. Generally speaking most speakers do not NEED more than 15-30W minimum but some speakers are picky however in most cases a good amp will output enough power to drive many of the higher efficiency speakers made today.

An example here --->

 

[Gmoney]

If an amplifier has a sound signature, it is broken.

Or Design by Bob Carver. TFM old ones

 

[Gmoney]

...But Amplifiers have their own sound. A Class A Amp will sound different than a Class A/B Amp, different from a Class D Amp etc...Sound Description for sure!

Audiophiles prefer Class A

 

[Gmoney]

...But Amplifiers have their own sound. A Class A Amp will sound different than a Class A/B Amp, different from a Class D Amp etc...Sound Description for sure!

Speakers, speaker or speakers Will give You a sound signature

 

[Pogre]

Heres Some explanation's about how amplifiers work a bit more:

I would take any piece of advice from Paul at BSAudio with a truckload of salt. Especially about electronics and cables. He promotes a lot of woo-woo audiophoolery.

 

[sizzam]

I would take any piece of advice from Paul at BSAudio with a truckload of salt. Especially about electronics and cables. He promotes a lot of woo-woo audiophoolery.

what he's saying made sense to me though, also genes vid seems to share some points in common in this topic however I'm not an expert so I may be wrong.

 

[lovinthehd]

what he's saying made sense to me though, also genes vid seems to share some points in common in this topic however I'm not an expert so I may be wrong.

I tried to watch ol' Paul again despite my creepy alert going off. I couldn't make it past where he included "digital" with class D....but BS Paul has his days....

 

[Pogre]

what he's saying made sense to me though, also genes vid seems to share some points in common in this topic however I'm not an expert so I may be wrong.

I'm not saying he's wrong about everything. He's been in the game for a long time and has probably forgotten more about audio than I'll ever know, but some of the stuff he peddles is straight up snake oil.

 

[sizzam]

I tried to watch ol' Paul again despite my creepy alert going off. I couldn't make it past where he included "digital" with class D....but BS Paul has his days....

well the adage remains true "stopped clocks are right 2 times a day" and so fourth I guess