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Which audio companies have solid engineering chops?
- Thread starter noobie1
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I don't think Yamaha has ever produced a bad unit. Can't dislike a company that not only makes motorcycles, grand pianos and hifi gear, but actually does all of it well.
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Benchmark would be one.
watchnerd
Grand Contributor
Dynaudio, Harman (JBL Pro, Revel, AKG divisions), Focal, Genelec, B&O, TASCAM/Teac, Revox, UAD, SPL, RME, Neumann, Apple
Ken Newton
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Sony once was highly regarded for it's innovation, it's engineering, and it's manufacturing chops. However, I wonder if this remains true today.
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Sony is like any other giant of yesteryear: Commoditization has taken it's toll. They still produce ES series though.
Pioneer was another company like that but times have changed and AVR's and TV's, for most people, is a race to the bottom.
https://www.phonearena.com/news/Thi...m-Sony-is...-quieter-than-competitors_id66203
For this reason alone I won't recommend Sony.
For this reason alone I won't recommend Sony.
Bryston, Boulder
Ah, I had forgotten about this "premium sound SD Card." Went to see if it is available on Amazon and there is one seller from Japan, wanting $200 for it or about $45 over list!
NorthSky
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Nagra.
Yamaha, NAD and Technics/Panasonic - from a user. Also Altec, living on as Great Plains Audio.
I think that snobbery disparages Behringer products. Way-back-when they had problems with unleaded solder introduction and crap Chinese electrolytic capacitors in power supplies(not alone there).
I think that snobbery disparages Behringer products. Way-back-when they had problems with unleaded solder introduction and crap Chinese electrolytic capacitors in power supplies(not alone there).
Nagra has split into two parts their pro side is still respectable engineering the HiFi division is now male jewellery, on reflection perhaps it always was.
Keith
Keith
From the price tag alone you know it is meaningless to buy and measure it.
watchnerd
Grand Contributor
Recently, Technics.
Jakob1863
Addicted to Fun and Learning
It is my understanding that, while the Kudelski Group has splitted into two parts, the audio division covers the whole audio related product range including anything professional (see www.nagraaudio.com) while the other division does something completely different (see www.nagra.com) .
I love my Luxman 1050R(1977 purchase)receiver. If it had pre-out/main-in it would currently be in my main system.
Maybe there's a slight conflict between "solid engineering" and "hi fi"..? In a recent review of a DAC, Amir was critical of its capacitor coupled output, but one way of protecting an AC output against short circuits to DC is to couple it to the outside world via a capacitor. It also protects against faults in your circuit propagating down the line into a power amplifier with DC coupling and blowing up the speakers (or worse?).
(I am not saying that that particular product used capacitors for this reason, however. The same product seemed to use a double sided PCB when it really should have been at least a four layer. The cost savings are presumably significant for a budget device, but can you then call it "solid engineering"?).
At one time Quad used to say their amps were "Unconditionally stable into any load", and they were used in professional applications as 'workhorses'. This, in itself put many hi-fi enthusiasts off the brand, and they couldn't get out of their heads the idea that the output was woolly, restrained, over-protected, dull. If you want to make an electronic circuit 'bullet-proof', it will require extra complexity that hi-fi enthusiasts will shun.
Surface mount devices are much more reliable and produce electrically superior circuits compared to through-hole leaded components, but hi-fi enthusiasts are convinced they "suck the life out of music".
(I am not saying that that particular product used capacitors for this reason, however. The same product seemed to use a double sided PCB when it really should have been at least a four layer. The cost savings are presumably significant for a budget device, but can you then call it "solid engineering"?).
At one time Quad used to say their amps were "Unconditionally stable into any load", and they were used in professional applications as 'workhorses'. This, in itself put many hi-fi enthusiasts off the brand, and they couldn't get out of their heads the idea that the output was woolly, restrained, over-protected, dull. If you want to make an electronic circuit 'bullet-proof', it will require extra complexity that hi-fi enthusiasts will shun.
Surface mount devices are much more reliable and produce electrically superior circuits compared to through-hole leaded components, but hi-fi enthusiasts are convinced they "suck the life out of music".
Capacitor output is no different to other utilisation of capacitors - it has to be correctly applied by design.
