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How important is having low THD in a receiver? (1 Viewer)

Steven_B

Agent
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Sep 12, 2001
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31
I ask because I'm looking at two receivers, one has a Total Harmonic Distortion of .04 and the other .09. Should this be the deciding factor.
 

Matt Wallace

Second Unit
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Feb 20, 1999
Messages
400
At those levels, no. In very general terms, THD with a "0" in front is very good and acceptable. Obviously, the lower the better, but when you're talking about something in hundreths of a percent, you're getting into fanatism. Now, if it was .9 vs .04, you've got more to think about, although there should be other things in the factoring that tip you in one direction. Hope this helps.
Matt
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KeithH

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I agree with Matt, but I'll add a caveat based on personal experience. Generally, a THD
 

Ted Lee

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Totally unimportant. Never pay attention to THD figures. If you like the sound then go for it.
i both agree and disagree with that statement. let me qualify...
i agree that if someone likes the sound of something, then that is all that matters. period. i am am absolutely firm believer of that.
but i disagree that thd is unimportant. i consider it a valid gauge (when correctly measured) of the amps ability to accurately and cleanly reproduce sound (especially at louder volumes). all things being equal, am amp with a .05 is going to sound/perform (admittedly, not to my ears) better than a .09 amp.
also, if i remember correctly, i think i read in one of my a/v rags that anything above .05 is too high considered todays technology. (i'm paraphrasing here...)
in any case, i do agree that the bottom line should be your ears.
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Steven_B

Agent
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Sep 12, 2001
Messages
31
I appreciate your help guys. I have been looking for some time at receivers to replace my old one that fried on me. Sorry about getting so technical with you guys. I had been wanting to upgrade my non digital receiver for a more recent model, so I used this opportunity to convince my wife we needed a new one. At first I was conservative trying to look at models that would run my current equipment CD, VCR, and TV. I eventually started to drift off into the wow I got to have that, oh that's got to be important I'll get one with that feature. Suffice it to say I recently grounded my self and want a system that can run my current equipment and room for some growth (DVD, Digital Satellite). So I have narrowed it down to around the $500-600 dollar range. Online, the models that seem to fit nice here with respectable reviews and features are the Yamaha RX-V1000-800, and Pioneer's Elite VSX-35TX. I now guys what sounds good to me is what I should get. However I don't have that ability since I don't live near any distributors that are equipped with listening studios. So I need your trained ears to help.
 

Ted Lee

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So I need your trained ears to help.
this is a really tough call. i say this only because it's impossible to tell what sounds good to you. ultimately, you've got to decide for yourself.
the problem seems compounded because it sounds like you have no way of auditioning systems? there are no b&m's in your area? not even cc or gg? how about specialty shops? many hi-end shops carry stuff that average consumers can afford. if nothing else, you can listen to other models just to see what you think.
as a last resort...at that price range, any of the biggies will sound pretty good. my recommendations include denon, onkyo, outlaw, and yamaha.
my .02
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Shanthi

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Aug 6, 2001
Messages
109
I agree with mark, these reciver give you THD at certain Hz, it does not mean that they are good at all other Hz. I have seen .01%THD at 1K and 10% and lower and higher range.
I kind of agree that lower THD are important.
my 2 cents...
 

Ted Lee

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i'm much more leary of a spec if it isn't written properly:
it needs to look something like "
 

Chris PC

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I think what some people are trying to say, is that even though THD alone is not indicative of good sound, and can even be higher on better sounding amps, in the lower quality mid-end stuff, THD CAN correlate with sound quality. I think this might actually just be a marketing ploy, so the receiver company can say, "This amp is 80 watts per channel at 0.08 THD from 20-20K and this amp is 105 watts per channel at 0.04 THD from 20-20K"
I guess many of us are realizing that the THD spec really isn't something to look at anymore. Focus more on the sound quality of the receiver or amp, either by listening yourself, or by listening and asking around for comparisons and listening to those also. I listened to the receiver I just bought and it sounded better than my older amp, so sound quality was not an issue for me. I can't say it sounded better, because the better sound came from more power (110 watts per channel vs 50 watts per channel).
 

KeithH

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Mark, re-read my post. Where did I say that a lower THD necessarily explains the better quality of an amp? In fact, I included a qualifier to the contrary. Better amps often, but not always, have lower THD ratings. For example, compare the THD ratings of your garden-variety Best Buy $300-400 receivers to that of a Sony ES, Marantz, Denon, etc. units that sells for around $1000. The $1000 models generally have lower THDs. However, I think I made it very clear that one should not attribute the better sound to the lower THD. I indicated that my Sony ES receiver has a better amp section than the 'DB930 I owned previously. That along with better parts, better design, etc., explains the better sound. It is true, however, that the ES model has a lower THD rating than the DB model. Please read posts more carefully before jumping to (wrong) conclusions.
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Matt Wallace

Second Unit
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Feb 20, 1999
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Mark,
"06810" ... I'll forgive you for disagreeing with me, as that's the Zipcode on my birth certificate! NEXT TIME though... LOL! To each their own : )
Matt
 

Holadem

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Nov 4, 2000
Messages
8,967
Mark,
Keith's position was well written and crystal clear to me, yet you say almost exactly the same thing he said... and you insist that he is wrong?
rolleyes.gif

--
Holadem
 

John-D

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Feb 27, 2001
Messages
198
Some THD figures..
Bryston - around 0.007%
Classe - around 0.03%
Conrad Johnson < 1% (FET designs)
Krell - around 0.03%
Mark Levinson - around 0.3%
McIntosh - around 0.005%
Plinius - around 0.05%
It's accepted that THD above 1% is audible.
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GarryW

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 27, 1999
Messages
162
So if a low THD is not of concern, are there ANY spec's that one should look for in a reciever, preamp, or amplifier?
confused.gif

Can someone educate us here?
 

Eugene Hsieh

Supporting Actor
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Jun 30, 1997
Messages
550
I remember from the olden days that anything under 1% (not .1%) was difficult to discern, so it should not be a major consideration when under that number.
That said, the numbers are not reliable anyway. Indeed for one of my machines it gives 0.7% and 0.05% depending on how the signal is being run through it. Furthermore, I find that boutique brands often have higher THD measurements than mid-range stuff. Does that mean they're crappier components, or just that the numbers are more honest for real world conditions?
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John Di Lauro

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Aug 4, 2001
Messages
52
While we're on this subject, what is the relationship between THD and speaker impedance? I've noticed that sometime specs give THD at both 8-ohm and 4-ohm loads, and the 4-ohm numbers are typically higher. It does not seem to be a linear relationship, either. Is this always true, and if so can anyone explain why?
 

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