http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher%E2%80%93Munson_curves
Do amps have a sweet spot?
What I mean by this is do amps have an output range at which they sound better? The reason that I'm asking is that I'm now running some very small speakers (Minuet Supreme Plus) and they're probably the least demanding speakers I've had; but I've found that my setup sounds better when I have the volume turned up.
Out of curiosity, I took my Minuets to my local shop and hooked them up to an NAD C326BEE. I thought it sounded pretty darned good at "normal" listening levels. I almost bought it, but then I decided to start cranking it up to what I would call "rockin" levels and the amp started to clip. If it could have played louder, I would have bought it.
So...is it usual for an amp not to open up until you start pushing it?
My current amp is an Aragon 2004.
Out of curiosity, I took my Minuets to my local shop and hooked them up to an NAD C326BEE. I thought it sounded pretty darned good at "normal" listening levels. I almost bought it, but then I decided to start cranking it up to what I would call "rockin" levels and the amp started to clip. If it could have played louder, I would have bought it.
So...is it usual for an amp not to open up until you start pushing it?
My current amp is an Aragon 2004.
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- 37 posts total
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The increase in SPL by increasing the voltage by 3 dB will always be less than 3 dB due to the speaker not being 100% efficient (it has losses).If the speaker is being operated at volume levels that are not high enough to cause it to behave in a significantly non-linear manner (e.g., for "thermal compression" to become significant), then 3 db more in will result in very close to 3 db more out, as the % efficiency will be the same at both power levels. On the other hand, see this post by Duke of Audiokinesis, about thermal compression. Regarding Bombaywalla's comment about 50W vs. 100W, I believe he is simply referring to the fact that different 100W amps may differ from each other, both subjectively and objectively, in terms of their maximum volume capability with a given speaker load. Same goes for two different 50W amps. Obviously there are many possible reasons for that, including the ones he mentioned as well as the distortion characteristics of the particular amps at various power levels, differences in dynamic headroom, etc. As far as the OP's question is concerned, yes amplifiers can have "sweet spots," but as others have mentioned there are a lot of other variables that may be involved, including the behavior of the speakers at different volume levels, the Fletcher-Munson effect, amplifier-speaker interactions, and acoustical differences between your listening room and the shop at which you listened to the speakers. Or perhaps the problem is simply that capacitors in the Aragon have degraded over time, and need to be replaced. I don't see a path forward at this point that wouldn't be somewhat hit or miss. Regards, -- Al |
I must be either reading this wrong or missing something.Firstly, thanks Almarg for jumping in & clarifying for me. :-) Yes, Bob_reynolds you are missing something. it's called "current". If there's voltage across the speaker terminals, then current must flow from one speaker terminal to the other. Where does this current come from? From the power amp. THAT'S how it is related to the voltage source (amp) in every way. ;-) You must remember that voltage & current are duals - if there is one, the other must be present. Ohms's Law. What if the voltage source/amp is incapable of supplying the current (transformer does not have the current capacity, power supply not robust enough)? Will we able to sustain that voltage across the speaker terminals? No! The criteria that I cited & those that Almarg added (thanks!) all come into play when you put the 100W (or any amp) into the signal chain. Simply buying any 100W & swapping out your 50W/ch amp & expecting an increase in SPL proportional to your increase in the volume knob on your preamp will be a roll of the dice if you have not thought it thru - particularly if you have a hard-to-drive speaker. The amp-speaker interface is important. Hence the link to that thread. Almarg along with other members have taken the time to write some lucid notes to explain the matter. Do take the time to read. Thanks. |
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- 37 posts total