Negative feedback Amp=more faithful reproduction?

IMHO, NFB and ZNFB are different tools (among many, many others) that an amplifier designer has at his/her disposal to get the best performance (or let's say, for our discussion, the best faithful reproduction) given the amp's design parameters.

Some amps are designed to work better with NFB while other amps are designed to work better with ZNFB. So I don't think anyone can categorically say one method is better than the other for faithful reproduction, whatever that means.

Having said that, I personally prefer amps with the simplest circuit designs because I subjectively believe (rightly or wrongly) that the less capacitors (not power supply caps!), resistors, boards, etc., in the signal path means there is potentially less chance that there is going to be any change to the signal from input and output at the amp. That, to me, means ZNFB. But that also means that the amp design has to be inherently linear so that it doesn't need NFB to begin with.

I tend to prefer Nelson Pass designed amps - from Thresholds, Pass Labs, and First Watt. Almost all are ZFB designs. However, even Nelson Pass uses NFB in some of his amp designs because it works for that particular amp.

So, if you like a particular amp that was designed with NFB or with ZNFB, and it sounds good to you, then listen and enjoy it.

Adjustable NFB is a great way to prove individual preference, not a technical absolute. You used the phrase 'more realistic sound'. To you. We're engaged (yet again) in a thread of trying to prove others to be less knowledgable, savvy and just downright wrong in their audio beliefs compared to the OP. Why? It's great you've seen the light. Is validation that important to you?

Edwyun,

Love your post and reside on your side of the fence. Curious, Have you ever listened to SET amps (hopefully with the proper speaker)? Pass is my favorite brand of ss amps.

fwiw, I don't think there is a correct side of the fence. We have our bias and whatever design gets our attention wins at least for the time being (audiophiles have been known to change their mind).

One of my amps has a variable feedback dial that goes from 0-12 db. I hear the bass firm up when I dial it in but it loses something in the overall sound that I bought the amp in the first place for.

Dracule1, I glanced over article and it seems to cover pretty much everything. I will read it in detail.

Stereophile also conducted experiment with adjustable feedback amplifier and they liked sound at minimum feedback. It doesn't mean that feedback at minimum was zero. It is virtually impossible to make SS amp without any feedback since even emitter resistors are form of feedback. The issue is not to use too much feedback. It comes to good very linear design to start with. Testing with sine waves doesn't show real picture (presence of TIM). You can have two amplifiers that measure identical but one is sounding very harsh/bright. Often amplifier that measures better sounds the worse. In early 70's before TIM was discovered SS amplifier's had huge negative feedback and THD in order of 0.001% (absolutely no need for that). In cases like that TIM can get so bad that output transistors choke on big overshoots (charge trapped at the junction) creating small gaps in music. Our brain fills them up but it makes us tired. I agree with Elizabeth that ZNFB is a catch phrase since amplifier with some amount of feedback will most likely sound better. NFB is a valuable tool that should not be used to cover poor design, cheap components etc.