"Jim Lesurf" wrote in message
...
In article , Don Pearce
wrote:


Add to this, of course the basic inconsistency here of the very idea of
"voicing" an amplifier. An amplifier should not have a voice. It should
be totally self-effacing. Anything less simply gets in the way of the
music. Of course you may actually be into sound effects - in which case
ignore me and go right ahead.

I suppose this is a matter of preference.

It is my suspicion that some people prefer, for example, the changes in
overall frequency response that may arise due to am amp having a
(relatively) high output impedance. Thus in part using something like a
low-feedback design as an expensive 'tonal adjuster'. If they like that,
it
is fine with me.

My own preference, though, tends to be for amplifiers which just 'get out
of the way' and leave me to hear the actual recorded/broadcast sounds.
Hence I don't want a 'voiced' amplifier, I want to hear the music, not the
amplifier.

Cue discussion of the meaning of "fidelity"... :-)

**More wise words, Jim. I have actually submitted myself to several blind
tests, between several amplifiers (SS and valve). In many ways, the results
were quite humbling. Mostly because in one test, I was unable to pick the
difference between an expensive valve amp and an expensive SS amp. Cheap
valve amps (and all SET) were VERY easy to pick. ALL valve amps are easy yo
pick, if the load impedance is sufficiently brutal. Ditto with SS amps,
which have inadequate current limiting, of course.

I have a friend who owned a very high quality SS amp, but desired to
experiment with valve amps. He purchased a reasonably good valve amp and did
some comparisons. He found that the valve amp sounded quite different to the
SS amp. He then embarked upon a year long project to improve the valve amp.
His first task was to replace coupling caps and resistors with higher
quality devices. Next was to make the power supply stiffer. Then he had
custom output transformers wound with 13 interleaves. After all that work he
had an amplifier which sounded much more like his SS unit. At about 3 times
the price..........


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au