2. amps-preamps
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Please tutor me on some integrated amp basics.

I’ve recently purchased Magico A3 speakers and a VPI Classic 2 SE turntable with an Ortofon Black 2M moving magnet cartridge. I have a Marantz SA 8005 CD/SACD player to play the few (maybe a hundred or so) CD’s in my possession.
I’ve mostly vinyl albums and no streaming sources. I’m next going to upgrade my old amp/preamp purchased back in the late 70’s with a new, probably integrated, one and am starting to do some research.

Here’s where I need some tutoring. A lot has changed since the seventies with the advent of digital technology. As well as I need to learn more about amplification components in the high end of audio technology. I keep running across terms I don’t understand. I’ll give you a list and if someone would be kind enough to explain these basics I’d be obliged.

For instance I was reading about the Hegel H360 integrated amp that Magico’s Alon Wolf recommended for their A3’s. The review mentioned they were a Class A/B amp, another person commented Class A’s were better, and a third person said he didn’t care for Class D amps. What do these classes signify? 

A second question is about DACs. I generally understand their purpose of the DAC, converting a digital to an analog signal. However my only digital device, the Marantz SA 8005 already has a DAC, ostensibly of good quality. The turntable ’s Ortofon cartridge would not need to play through a DAC, I presume. Would I bypass the CD’s players DAC if I purchase the higher quality Hegel H360 integrated amp?. Or could I find an equivalent integrated amp without an integral DAC?

On the other side of the equation I understand the turntable’s cartridge cannot play through the Hegel without first going through a phono stage. My old Phase Linear 4000 preamp you just plugged the turntables RCA cables into the back of the preamp and you were done. What’s that about? Do they make equivalent integrated amps to the Hegel H360 with integrated phono stages already in place, so I can just plug my turntable in as I’ve been able to do before. The amps don’t seem to be well integrated at all if you have to add a pricey phono stage to make them work, and end up having an extra DAC. That’s just me whining.

Third question is what are monoblocks, how are they used, and what are their advantages to a system? They were used at one of my speaker auditions.

I figured out the answer to what amplifier damping was myself, so I’m sparing you that one, but what does the term impedance mean? I keep coming across that.

Thank goodness I don’t have to figure out the cabling nightmare yet. Thanks for any help.

Mike
skyscraper
inna
7,296 posts
 
Mike, that esoteric brand is Purist Audio Design, and the model I recommended was Neptune. I also said that lower model Poseidon should be excellent but that I had no experience with it.
Not only did I bought Neptune interconnects, I have no intention of replacing them in a foreseeable future since they work so well with both analog and digital.
No personal experience with Audioquest, MIT or Transparent. I do think though, from what I read, that one would have to go rather high in their line. But maybe this has changed, I don't know, on average cables are getting better, if you are lucky today you can get $3000 sound of the past for $1000 or so. Don't buy old used cables unless you know exactly what you are doing. Yes, there are old cables that are still very competitive. One of them I use, of course, as speaker cables - 20 years old Purist Audio Colossus fluid.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
One of the brands mentioned a couple of posts earlier (Audio Sensitivity) has nice diagrams of their cables with labels for each part. Does anyone know what is special about "unbleached pure cotton" when placed in an audio cable? Is there a theory behind that? I am afraid to ask on one of the cable threads, I would like to get to #106, too.
skyscraper OP
830 posts
 
Jones4music, that was good, and illustrates just why audiophiles shouldn’t be allowed out of the house, much less fishing. I added Nordost Odin’s to my want list though.

Glupson, you’re telling me. Since I joined this site I been told of so many things I never heard of, that I’ve got to have, which cost thousands, my head’s spinning. Once I get everything set up in February, hopefully, you’re more than welcome to come down and take a listen. However if my system ends up sounding crappy I’ll warn you ahead of time so you don’t have to make the same mistakes. According to some here if I skimp on cables that will be the case. That’s pushing me to spend good money on cables. I figure I’ve got about a 50-50 chance this might all come together. If I spend a few thousand more it get down to 60-40.

Inna, why would you recommend against purchasing used cables or is it only quite old ones that present concerns? Is there something that goes wrong with them, or do they deteriorate somehow over time? Would some of the used cables offered by The Cable Company fall into that category or do you think they screen junk out? I was thinking of possibly buying used through them if new prices were out of sight. That is, when I finally figure out which to purchase. There is zero chance I know what I’m doing, if there’’s something I should know about buying used.

Sorry I couldn’t remember your Purist Audio Design Neptune’s name, but I have a list of over fifty suggestions now I’m trying to make sense out of and find reviews for.  Gets kind of overwhelming. Are you recommending the Neptunes you have only as interconnects, or as speaker cables also?

Mike






inna
7,296 posts
 
Mike,
No, I meant only very old cables and not because they deteriorate except maybe a little for connectors. Cable technology advanced in the last, say, ten years, including metallurgy. Whatever else they do it is first of all the conductors themselves, the metal. Single Crystal Copper ( SCC ) is usually excellent when done right. Single Crystal Silver too.
I have not heard Neptune speaker cables, only interconnects. In my experience if interconnects are good, speaker cables of the same line will be good. Not necessarily the other way around.
I had to buy both Purist Audio Neptune and Tchernov Audio Reference MK II interconnects new because they were never available used. No-one is selling them !
Eventually I will upgrade my old Purist Colossus speaker cables to Purist Neptune, when I upgrade my speakers.
inna
7,296 posts
 
Another question if you buy used, are you prepared to possibly lose some money if you buy, don't like them and have to sell them ? Also, both buying and selling 3 meter long used speaker cables might be difficult, most popular length is 2.0-2.5 meters, I guess. You want speaker cables as short as possible, though I think that 0.5 meters difference is non-issue unless your hearing is incredible.
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