Samson
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- May 15, 2001
- Messages
- 76
Any recommendations for a 'warm' sounding amplifier ? I was considering the Marantz MM9000. Do you guys have any other suggestions ?
Any one have opinions on Nakamichi amplifiers? I can buy an AV1S (yes I know it only do prologic, but I want it just for music) which can give 120watts RMS in stereo mode.
Interestingly, Kenwood has a new "high end" brand, which is the Sovereign line, and it seems to be getting a thumbs up. Yamaha is looked at as one of the better brands on this forum, while at the same time it isn't by some. Indeed, it has had two lines, with some models almost identical across the two lines, but with different listed specifications. One is a department store brand, while the other competes against Marantz and Denon and the like.Into 4 Ohms? 8 Ohms? With a test tone? With full range music? With 0.00000001% THD or with 2%? Don't believe many of the numbers out there. I think somebody online has a website of published ratings with consistent testing by a third party though.
quote: I think it *should* be better than any Kenwood, Yamaha, Sony or other "consumer market" brands... Am I mistaken?
One thing is that I find that the "consumer" models overrate themselves, in comparison to the "high end" models. It's interesting that Yamaha does both.
What I'm trying to say is that while there IS a lot of crap out there, brand name means very little in the greater scheme of things.
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Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!
[Edited last by Eugene Hsieh on August 22, 2001 at 10:50 AM]
I'm waiting for someone to pop in and claim double blind testing has revealed that amps sound the same.
I don't know anyone who says that all amplifiers always sound the same under all circumstances, but expectations can have an interesting effect. For example, I read about a guy who had fans of tube amps and fans of transistor amps do a blind listening comparison. When he played the transistor amp, the tube fans all denounced the "cold, mechanical, harsh" sound, and lauded the "warm, liquid" sound of the tube amp. The transistor fans made corresponding remarks about the tube amp.
The funny part is....
Without telling them, he was always playing the same amp!
........ now don't get offended Samson, but you really have a knack of shaking things up around here..
You must be referring to my recent post on whether or not speaker cables needed time to break in. Frankly, I wasn't looking for such an enormous response to this forum question but it seems like one of those controversial questions.
Getting back to the topic at hand on 'warm' amplifiers. I have listened to different receivers and amplifiers and there is a definite difference in sound. In my limited experience I've found the Acurus amplifier and Onkyo receivers to be more detailed and dynamic. I found that Pioneer Elite receivers had a much 'warmer' and less fatiguing sound and Carver amplifiers to be neutral. YMMV.