DYohn
Emo VIPs 
Posts: 18,347
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Post by DYohn on Apr 3, 2010 11:30:32 GMT -5
I believe there is a deceptively simple explanation for this. This is my own conclusion that I have never heard expressed by anyone else. I feel that much of the perceived difference might be non-existent. I'm not saying there might not be some actual audible improvement. However, my point is that the difference is highly exaggerated in the listeners mind. When one listens to a new amp (or other components that normally might have subtle differences), suddenly the listener is very intent with 100% concentration on the music while evaluating the new amp. This peaked concentration brings out subtleties that the listener did not notice before. They were in fact present previously but now with his heightened awareness due to the intense listening they now become apparent and audible in his enhanced conscious mind and hearing. I don't know about that Chuckie. I've heard Free Bird hundreds, if not thousands of times, over the years. I never heard a string section in there, did you? When I played it with the Souls I was shocked to hear it in there. I can't believe I never noticed it before because I just wasn't paying attention, I think it's that amps are more detailed. That's only one example of many, but it was definitely the most astounding. Really Artie? Wow, I remember hearing Free Bird on my mono Am car radio back in the 70's and wondering "why are there strings in this song?" |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 14:05:39 GMT -5
Really Artie? Wow, I remember hearing Free Bird on my mono Am car radio back in the 70's and wondering "why are there strings in this song?" Dyohn, you'll have to excuse the slight fuzziness in Artie's brain, it's called: Purple Haze ;D |
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Post by artiek on Apr 3, 2010 14:11:45 GMT -5
Yes, really.
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Post by monkumonku on Apr 3, 2010 17:09:06 GMT -5
I believe there is a deceptively simple explanation for this. This is my own conclusion that I have never heard expressed by anyone else. I feel that much of the perceived difference might be non-existent. I'm not saying there might not be some actual audible improvement. However, my point is that the difference is highly exaggerated in the listeners mind. When one listens to a new amp (or other components that normally might have subtle differences), suddenly the listener is very intent with 100% concentration on the music while evaluating the new amp. This peaked concentration brings out subtleties that the listener did not notice before. They were in fact present previously but now with his heightened awareness due to the intense listening they now become apparent and audible in his enhanced conscious mind and hearing. Yes, it's called the placebo effect and it's very real. It does not mean that different amps cannot sound different, as they most certainly can, but that often subtle differences are made to seem much larger than they are by user expectations.  I heartily agree with you and Chuckienut! There have been times when I thought I heard something that wasn't there before, or that a difference was significant, but then when doing another comparison right afterwards, I found that such was not the case - there was either no difference (I must have not have been focusing on that little detail before or not have noticed it) or else it was a subtle difference. But not jaw dropping as I first concluded. |
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hemster
Global Moderator 
Particle Manufacturer
...still listening... still watching
Posts: 51,920
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Post by hemster on Apr 3, 2010 17:25:29 GMT -5
Oh c'mon, y'all are getting old! Senility is a curse...
Wait, what are we talking about? ;D
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Post by dougie085 on Sept 29, 2010 23:43:36 GMT -5
What I find odd is when someone changes the amp from one pretty good or decent one to something that is supposed to be better and then remarks on how they can now hear things in recordings that they didn't even know where there before when using the old amp. Can the old amp have been that bad? I mean, I would think that both amps would have amplified the signal. Maybe it sounds a little different from one to the other but you should still be able to hear it on both.. I believe there is a deceptively simple explanation for this. This is my own conclusion that I have never heard expressed by anyone else. I feel that much of the perceived difference might be non-existent. I'm not saying there might not be some actual audible improvement. However, my point is that the difference is highly exaggerated in the listeners mind. When one listens to a new amp (or other components that normally might have subtle differences), suddenly the listener is very intent with 100% concentration on the music while evaluating the new amp. This peaked concentration brings out subtleties that the listener did not notice before. They were in fact present previously but now with his heightened awareness due to the intense listening they now become apparent and audible in his enhanced conscious mind and hearing. Not all amps are able to resolve instruments the same way, nor the amount of instruments. Certainly ones in a receiver with a poorly designed PSU amongst other things that are done to cut costs and size restraints. So upgrading to a dedicated amp can actually improve the sound a good bit. But to really hear the full possibility of an outboard amp unless you have some crazy high end receiver generally it'll require source upgrade via either an outboard dac or a high end source. |
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Post by thepcguy on Sept 30, 2010 20:37:56 GMT -5
This is a no-brainer. The XPA-5 is just about 3+ db away from the UPA-5. Just turn up the knob clockwise a little bit and voila!, they're similar.
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