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What amps do Electrical Engineers own...why?

Not being an engineer, I would like to know what the electrical engineers in the crowd own for amps and what engineering features made them choose that amp? As a lay person, I don't know enough to be able to differentiate good engineering from good marketing.
schw06
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Actually, The last sentenced I typed was, 'Please no Tubes', but I deleted it before I posted. Dang!
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
BTW, Almarg, I know you to be the most informed and knowledgeable person on the 'gon, So you know exactly what my statement / question / challenge was about. Bringing up tubes is avoiding the issue. :)
Cheers
almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
Thanks, Rok2id. I wasn't intending to avoid the issue.

If we restrict the question to solid state amps, offhand I can't think of any having really poor specs that nevertheless provide top-notch sonics, but there are many renowned high quality amps whose THD and damping factor specs are not **as good** as those of many inexpensive mass market-oriented receivers and amplifiers. Ayre and Pass Labs are just a couple of the many such manufacturers that could be named. Those amplifiers typically use minimal or no feedback, and are able to avoid the use of greater amounts of feedback as a result of the use of high quality parts, and design approaches that are less constrained by cost considerations than in the case of the inexpensive equipment I referred to.

Regards,
-- Al
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Almarg,
Thanks for your well written lucid explication. You have sent me back to the books. :) I am beginning to understand the downside of negative feedback. I always knew it was required to control distortion, but there seems to be a better (more expensive) way. I have found some good internet sites that go into detail as to why lesser amounts of feedback is desirable.
Your post is one of the few that has explained WHY high-end amps cost more and should sound better. Now all I need to do is find an 'affordable' amp that meets that criteria.
Thanks for the reply.
As pertains to all my previous posts: never mind.
Cheers
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Almarg,
You and Atmasphere do a very good job of expalining the potenial detrimental effects of NFB and superfluous damping factor.I don`t have the engineering back ground to discuss this as you two, but I sure can hear it often enough.I realize there`re those with equal knowledge and training as you two who will disagree.In reality I don`t find their stance(advocating NFB and very high damping factor as positives) as compelling if you acually rely on listening.
Regards,
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