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High end high quality int. amp for low level listening

Hello to all Audigon members.  I'm quite in a dilemma weather I should upgrade my amplifier. Currently I own Pathos classic one MK3 driving Sonus Faber Sonetto's speakers, and I must say I'm very happy with sound filling my 35 square meters room. However, it's known that the speakers are power hungry as they rated at 86db sensitivity and 4 ohm impedance and I think they will surely benefit from a bigger power supply. With all that being said I'm not sure if I will hear any improvement mostly because 90% of the time I listen at ~60dBs SPL. My budget is around 5k $ and these are the amplifiers I've been considering:  Hegel H390, Anthem STR, Cambridge Audio Edge A, McIntosh MA5300/MA252, Accuphase e280, Rotel Michi x3 or used Pass Labs INT 25, Mark Levinson 5805.

What do you think guys, will any of the amplifiers make ay difference at 60dB SPL ? 
celestial__sound
holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 
Maybe you’re right. But there would have to be a reason why the sounded better.

It could also be the Fletcher Munson is getting somewhat adjusted with speaker that has more low and high end than the other set?
It would be interesting to see REW curves for those two sets @dcevans That assumes that both amps don’t have a loudness correction feature.

The speakers are linear, so it is not like the more sensitive set comes off the blocks faster, other wise they would be non linear at low volume levels… and also they would then be non-linear with small changes in signal level. One would have to make them sticky or something like that, as the motor force is a linear product of current and magnet flux strength. The main non-linear part with a speaker, I think, is compression.
ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,883 posts
 
@dcevans,
Agreed!
ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,883 posts
 
’’Maybe you’re right. But there would have to be a reason why the sounded better.’’

Because efficiency and sensitivity are not the same. See: tech note
below page 1 section C:

/www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/reference/notes/tech1-3a.htm
holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 
That TABLE 1 in section B right on page 1 says that the the high efficiency are the lest linear.

Are harmonics at play that make them sound better when playing low?
dill
2,520 posts
 
60dB listening volume is very low (medium TV level at 10ft.). Even taking into account your 86db sensitivity and 4 ohm impedance of the Sonus Faber Sonetto speakers. The Pathos will have more than enough power for your low listening levels. 
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