Post by Dan Laufman on Feb 3, 2013 12:16:51 GMT -5
I love these discussions...
I will point out that I encourage you all to speak your minds. And there doesn't not seem to be any reticence in this regard.
Please RESPECT the opinion of other poster, as their opinions are just as valid and relevant your own, man!!
However, when I say something, I am always correct and my opinion overrules everyone else! Ha!!
Seriously, play nice. Please and don't bait each other. A few of us, (myself included) are grumpy old men and our BP can't take it.
Now on to sibilance...
The XPA-1,2,3,5, et all, do not have harsh top ends. They do however have EXTENDED top ends. They are dead flat well beyond audibility. If there is crap in the highs, you are going to hear it. Are you going to attribute it to our amps? Maybe. Or maybe you need to look at the source of your irritation and understand that the amp is not the culprit.
It's just revealing what has always been there. Sorry dude. Just saying...
Many manufacturers "voice" power amplifiers. We do not. And there are good reasons for this IMO. However, you may disagree, and this is your right.
My dear friend Bob Carver is the Master of voicing. Really, he's an artist. I learned much at the feet of the Master. He can make a power amplifier sound like anything he sets his sights on. You want "tube" sound?? You got it. You want a "spacious" sound? You got it. You want "analytical"? You got it.
The problem with this approach IMO, is that you cannot undo what has been done. Now some people think that this is fine as they "like" the sound of a particular component. And this is OK if this is your pleasure, but we don't want to have a sound!
What I strive for is this - "what goes in, is what comes out - just bigger". Love us or hate us, it's up to you. But in the end, I believe in the truth. Sometimes the truth is not pretty. However, as you know, once you hear an "honest" portrayal of a musical performance, it is an addicting experience and a wonderful thing to behold. It's worth the pain to get there, sibilance and all. The truth will set you free, man.
Richard Clark is right. Most amplifier issues, (below clipping) not all, but most, have to do with the anomalies that occur in the frequency domain (linearity), and amplifier/speaker interface (which can really mess with linearity)
Reflected speaker impedance and back EMF can dramatically and audibly affect the frequency response of a tube amplifier in particular, when driving a real speaker, as they typically have a high output impedance and this is one of the main components of the "tube" sound. Frequency response errors! Also, the behavior of the amplifier when pushed into clipping can have very audible artifacts. Tubes as a rule, clip "nicely". That is their distortion components are musically related to the fundamental tone and this "enhances" the distorted sound. Think of a vocal harmony. It's richer sounding than a single voice. Ask a guitar player about this, as this is a staple of the tubed guitar amplifier sound!!
Our approach is this: don't clip!! Have lots and lots of power for dynamic headroom!! (think Emotiva)
if you are running an amplifier with a relatively high output impedance or insufficient power output, your speakers are running your amplifier, not the other way around. At Emotiva, we want to be the boss of your speakers. Sometimes, you may not like what you hear, but I don't believe it can be attributed to the amplifier. The speaker has non-linearity's and distortion products many, many times greater than our amplifiers. What our amplifiers do is force the speaker into submission and reveal their true nature. Sometimes you may not like what you hear. That's cool. Buy an amp that has a sweeter, or whatever kind of sound you want to hear. But don't blame us. We're just showing you the truth. The only drag about an amplifier with a "sound" of its own is that you can't turn off the "sound". It colors everything that goes through it; which is cool, if that's your thing.
When you hook up a power amplifier with low output impedance, high output power, and a wide, ruler flat, load invariant, frequency response when connected to YOUR speakers, you are actually hearing the true characteristic sound of your speakers and signal chain.
Don't get mad a me. I'm just the messenger; metaphorically speaking, man.
Now, let the sparks fly!!
Chers,
Big Dan
I will point out that I encourage you all to speak your minds. And there doesn't not seem to be any reticence in this regard.
Please RESPECT the opinion of other poster, as their opinions are just as valid and relevant your own, man!!
However, when I say something, I am always correct and my opinion overrules everyone else! Ha!!
Seriously, play nice. Please and don't bait each other. A few of us, (myself included) are grumpy old men and our BP can't take it.
Now on to sibilance...
The XPA-1,2,3,5, et all, do not have harsh top ends. They do however have EXTENDED top ends. They are dead flat well beyond audibility. If there is crap in the highs, you are going to hear it. Are you going to attribute it to our amps? Maybe. Or maybe you need to look at the source of your irritation and understand that the amp is not the culprit.
It's just revealing what has always been there. Sorry dude. Just saying...
Many manufacturers "voice" power amplifiers. We do not. And there are good reasons for this IMO. However, you may disagree, and this is your right.
My dear friend Bob Carver is the Master of voicing. Really, he's an artist. I learned much at the feet of the Master. He can make a power amplifier sound like anything he sets his sights on. You want "tube" sound?? You got it. You want a "spacious" sound? You got it. You want "analytical"? You got it.
The problem with this approach IMO, is that you cannot undo what has been done. Now some people think that this is fine as they "like" the sound of a particular component. And this is OK if this is your pleasure, but we don't want to have a sound!
What I strive for is this - "what goes in, is what comes out - just bigger". Love us or hate us, it's up to you. But in the end, I believe in the truth. Sometimes the truth is not pretty. However, as you know, once you hear an "honest" portrayal of a musical performance, it is an addicting experience and a wonderful thing to behold. It's worth the pain to get there, sibilance and all. The truth will set you free, man.
Richard Clark is right. Most amplifier issues, (below clipping) not all, but most, have to do with the anomalies that occur in the frequency domain (linearity), and amplifier/speaker interface (which can really mess with linearity)
Reflected speaker impedance and back EMF can dramatically and audibly affect the frequency response of a tube amplifier in particular, when driving a real speaker, as they typically have a high output impedance and this is one of the main components of the "tube" sound. Frequency response errors! Also, the behavior of the amplifier when pushed into clipping can have very audible artifacts. Tubes as a rule, clip "nicely". That is their distortion components are musically related to the fundamental tone and this "enhances" the distorted sound. Think of a vocal harmony. It's richer sounding than a single voice. Ask a guitar player about this, as this is a staple of the tubed guitar amplifier sound!!
Our approach is this: don't clip!! Have lots and lots of power for dynamic headroom!! (think Emotiva)
if you are running an amplifier with a relatively high output impedance or insufficient power output, your speakers are running your amplifier, not the other way around. At Emotiva, we want to be the boss of your speakers. Sometimes, you may not like what you hear, but I don't believe it can be attributed to the amplifier. The speaker has non-linearity's and distortion products many, many times greater than our amplifiers. What our amplifiers do is force the speaker into submission and reveal their true nature. Sometimes you may not like what you hear. That's cool. Buy an amp that has a sweeter, or whatever kind of sound you want to hear. But don't blame us. We're just showing you the truth. The only drag about an amplifier with a "sound" of its own is that you can't turn off the "sound". It colors everything that goes through it; which is cool, if that's your thing.
When you hook up a power amplifier with low output impedance, high output power, and a wide, ruler flat, load invariant, frequency response when connected to YOUR speakers, you are actually hearing the true characteristic sound of your speakers and signal chain.
Don't get mad a me. I'm just the messenger; metaphorically speaking, man.
Now, let the sparks fly!!
Chers,
Big Dan
