Pros and Cons of built-in amps?

Shadorne said:

However the idea that the Best or most Prestigious Studios in the World with extremely wealthy clients would use something "just good enough to get the job done" is surely laughable.

You misquoted me and completely misunderstood my point. Their use of what I consider to be less than the very best is not at all due to financial considerations. It is instead a combination of efficiency/practicality and an "measurements are everything" point of view that disbelieves all of the things that are necessary to achieve the very best results. Examples of things that these studios don't or won't consider are vacuum tube amplifiers and exotic audio cables. They are also often hindered by a misguided belief in the superiority of digital and DSP.

I would hope that there are a few exceptions to this in the studio world where vacuum tube amplifiers and superior cables are used for the main monitoring system. I have also seen pictures of the Massenberg studio in Nashville and the room is incredible. That, however, doesn't mean that their use of active studio monitors is as good as what could be achieved by separate vacuum tube amplifiers and passive loudspeakers. Again, it has nothing to do with cutting corners or saving money.

hi usarm:

i am looking for a speaker at the moment.

if i listen to a speaker and don't like what i hear, i would want to to audition it with another amplifier.

since i have a specific preference for sound, most amplifiers won't be satisfactory. there are only about 3 or 4 speakers in production today that i would want to earn.

your conditions do nopt apply to me, since my taste is so narrow.

i find it interestiung that there are no full range active panel speakers. there are some hybrids which have a dedicated amp for the bass, which is usually a cone.

the point is, a speaker designer is not a mind reader. he can't select an amp and assume that everyone will like the combination of speaker and an amp chosen by the speaker designer.

Dave, it should be clear by now, that I have no disagreement with any of your subjective opinions whether it concerns Meridian active speakers or vacuum tube amps. Your subjective opinions (or anyone else's) simply don't matter to me so on what is there to disagree.

I do disagree with you (or anyone else) making statements as absolute truths without providing evidence. If you can't provide evidence, then an IMO preface seems warranted.

Well that's where we disagree. Again, according to your view, the vast majority of posts on this site shouldn't exist. Furthermore, all subjective review publications which review audio, music, cars, wine, etc... are totally pointless.

I find subjective comments useful even when I disagree with them. One of the reviewers in the Penguin Jazz guide has polar opposite taste from mine, and reading his review of a particular jazz record tells me nearly as much as does a reviewer I agree with. I always recommend that people read a review or opinion but rely on their own ears, eyes, or palate to make a decision.

Judging by the number of emails I get daily asking me to describe the sonic differences between products X and Y, it seems many don't share your point of view on this matter.

Examples of things that these studios don't or won't consider are vacuum tube amplifiers and exotic audio cables. They are also often hindered by a misguided belief in the superiority of digital and DSP.

Well it is a shame that these professionals are so hindered by their misguided beliefs. Pink Floyd use David Gilmour's studio "Astoria"....it has plenty of tubes and several miles of Van den hul (audiophile) cables as well as Shunyata. They even have different wiring to the woofers and mid range on their active speakers. So at the high end the lines do blur IMHO...both audiophiles and prestigious studios are seeking perfection in sound. Pink Floyd's sound engineer James Guthrie also uses active speakers along with EMMLABS gear (no tubes in the playback chain - but plenty of tubes in his studio of course).

So while we agree it is not about saving money as Pink Floyd have plenty of money... but I am not sure I would agree that Pink Floyd are hindered by misguided beliefs about active speakers driven by solid state power amps... David Gilmour Studio