As always great to see Atmasphere's thoughts here.
Jacob,
I've usually found that it pays to listen and that the listening should be fun. I wouldn't waste my money buying expensive equipment without first checking it's specs and then trying to audition to get a deeper understanding as well. Read up on technical performance and then have a listen. Listening will usually teach you something. Firstly it will show you that amps with similar specs do not sound exactly the same. If all components did this then we probably wouldn't even be here discussing any of this in the first place.
I'd not live want to live with gear that just measures as technically sufficient if when in use in my system then doesn't prove to actually engage me sufficiently (or deeply) when listening to music much for the same reason that I also don't drink instant coffee. It's not satisfying. Just seems a bit of a waste of time to me at any rate but those are just individual priorities.
First question, why are you shopping for a new amp? If your current gear makes you completely engaged when you play music (if that is your main purpose) consider that your amp may not be a problem within your system and you can save the expense and put the money into other things including music. If your current system isn't keeping you fully engaged however in listening to music then hop on the audition trail like so many before you and just try a few different amps and work out if the issue that makes you want to change your system is indeed your amp. The audition experiences may directly or indirectly lead you to discover why you are not actually happy with your current system and it could be other things and it also could be an expensive process of discovery as many will attest. You have come to the place of the committed and the hopeful where good reasonable budget based explorations suddenly turn into mega buck rides.
That amps can sound so different is the fascinating thing. It's hard in the audition process at times to go beyond and start to also identify the pattern around the fundamentally different basic types of amps but as they often have shared characteristic traits getting a sense of the advantages and constraints of each amp type is helpful.
They tend to have essential and identifiable characterstic qualities and affects which can be critical in how we listen to and respond to music. Given there are clearly patterns and schemes of preferences it also indicates people are likely to have different sensitivities to those artefacts. This is why we should try before we buy or be able to afford to flick and carry the potential loss which is only sustainable for some.
Try and listen to a few examples of class AB solid state that have good current capacity and also some class d as well just to see if there is anything that makes you just want to sit and listen to the music.
Your speakers aren't really playing directly into tube territory because to get a good valve amp that can deliver big enough for that lower sensitivity and work into the load characterstic you could be getting into a higher budget as well. That said, listen to some nice larger valve set-ups anyway and you might find they have some characteristics that work in playing music and if you like that specific experience of music with those kind of types of amps you could go for a good SS amp that drives current well and then later on bring in some of the qualities of valve typologies by considering using a tube preamp.
It's worth a listen either way and there are some great characters out there in this business with plenty of great music and gear that you can hear along the way. Some of my best mates sell audio so I'd never hold that against them. If your going to spend the money take the time and try and get in some good learning and musical experiences along the way.
Jacob,
I've usually found that it pays to listen and that the listening should be fun. I wouldn't waste my money buying expensive equipment without first checking it's specs and then trying to audition to get a deeper understanding as well. Read up on technical performance and then have a listen. Listening will usually teach you something. Firstly it will show you that amps with similar specs do not sound exactly the same. If all components did this then we probably wouldn't even be here discussing any of this in the first place.
I'd not live want to live with gear that just measures as technically sufficient if when in use in my system then doesn't prove to actually engage me sufficiently (or deeply) when listening to music much for the same reason that I also don't drink instant coffee. It's not satisfying. Just seems a bit of a waste of time to me at any rate but those are just individual priorities.
First question, why are you shopping for a new amp? If your current gear makes you completely engaged when you play music (if that is your main purpose) consider that your amp may not be a problem within your system and you can save the expense and put the money into other things including music. If your current system isn't keeping you fully engaged however in listening to music then hop on the audition trail like so many before you and just try a few different amps and work out if the issue that makes you want to change your system is indeed your amp. The audition experiences may directly or indirectly lead you to discover why you are not actually happy with your current system and it could be other things and it also could be an expensive process of discovery as many will attest. You have come to the place of the committed and the hopeful where good reasonable budget based explorations suddenly turn into mega buck rides.
That amps can sound so different is the fascinating thing. It's hard in the audition process at times to go beyond and start to also identify the pattern around the fundamentally different basic types of amps but as they often have shared characteristic traits getting a sense of the advantages and constraints of each amp type is helpful.
They tend to have essential and identifiable characterstic qualities and affects which can be critical in how we listen to and respond to music. Given there are clearly patterns and schemes of preferences it also indicates people are likely to have different sensitivities to those artefacts. This is why we should try before we buy or be able to afford to flick and carry the potential loss which is only sustainable for some.
Try and listen to a few examples of class AB solid state that have good current capacity and also some class d as well just to see if there is anything that makes you just want to sit and listen to the music.
Your speakers aren't really playing directly into tube territory because to get a good valve amp that can deliver big enough for that lower sensitivity and work into the load characterstic you could be getting into a higher budget as well. That said, listen to some nice larger valve set-ups anyway and you might find they have some characteristics that work in playing music and if you like that specific experience of music with those kind of types of amps you could go for a good SS amp that drives current well and then later on bring in some of the qualities of valve typologies by considering using a tube preamp.
It's worth a listen either way and there are some great characters out there in this business with plenty of great music and gear that you can hear along the way. Some of my best mates sell audio so I'd never hold that against them. If your going to spend the money take the time and try and get in some good learning and musical experiences along the way.
, then you don't need a power amp.
