Silky and soft highs: product of coloration?


Hi folks this is a bit controversial topic. I know some amplifiers (and some very expensive ones too!) have a very silky and soft presentation of the (upper) treble. I'm wondering if this silky presentation can be considered as a hallmark of quality for amplifiers or rather a sort of coloration that makes the upper treble soft and "pretty". In my opinion I can divide amplifiers in two groups: one group (the largest) with "ordinary" treble response (not very pretty) and the other group that consists of only a handful of amplifiers (both solid state and tube) with a refined and silky treble. The contenders within this last group are alas too expensive for mere mortals. This brings me to another question: is such a refined and silky treble only to be had with megabuck amplifiers?
I consider the Anne-Sophie Mutter recording "Carmen Fantasie" as the ultimate test recording for treble sweetness. If the amplifier sounds just "ordinary" with this recording (especially where the violin plays in the upper register) then the amplifier is not "refined" enough.

Chris
dazzdax
Dgarretson, for the most part I agree with Dave although I do not agree that an Onkyo is in the same league with anything we are talking about here. But I do not think that cost has much to do with how well an amp can reproduce things properly. Proper reproduction has more to do with intent.
Hi Atmasphere, you said:

"I do not agree that an Onkyo is in the same league with anything we are talking about here"

Very true....The Onkyo (or other budget priced amps) are not in the same class, as the others mentioned. That wasn't my intent to say they were...although it may have read that way?

Dave

Hi Dave, it was this comment:

Violins are "not" hard for an amplifier to reproduce...it doesn't take a mega priced amp....even an Onkyo can do it, and with out the unintended artifacts of shrillness.

that I was commenting on. IMO Onkyos and similar **cannot** reproduce the sound of violins in that they are unable to express the nuance that we have been discussing. IME I find such amplifiers to be shrill as well.
Atmasphere

Well...I have two Onkyo M-504 amps that drive my hometheater speakers and subs.

A while back, when one of my tube amps went down, and needed to go in for repair I was forced to pull the Onkyo amps from the hometheater system to drive my Apogee panel speakers for around a month...and they did a very good job.

Violins sounded fine...with not even a hint of shrill, on good violin recordings.

That said....they didn't sound as good as my tube amps. (but then...no SS amps I've used, have sounded as good as my tube amps)....Krell, Pass, BAT

Which kind of makes my point: I don't consider an amp to be as important as a preamp, or source component. As I said above...if forced to give up, a little.... in the larger picture...the amp would be my choice.

Dave
The power amplifier is the last "active" component that the signal passes thru. The logic is easy to follow..........