Since my old amplifier (actually, it's a 5 channel AVR, but I'm only using the 2 front channels) has been giving me some issues, I decided to try out some new amps. I must admit I'm a bit of a newbie on the subject, so there's bound to be stuff that I don't understand correctly.
The first amp I tried out at home was a Denon 1700NE. Compared to my old amp (a Cambridge Audio 351R) it has a lot more power. The Cambridge is rated at 70 W @ 8 Ohms (2 channels driven) and there's no rating at 4 Ohm. Actually, the manual specifically instructs to use only 8 Ohm speakers. However, I did contact the manufacturer and they told me that using 2 4 Ohm front speakers wouldn't be a problem, as long as I didn't use 5 of them.
The Denon is also rated at 70W per channel at 8 Ohms (just like the Cambridge), but at a whopping 2x140W @ 4 Ohms,
My speakers are a pair of Dynaudio 2/7. They are 4 Ohm and have a sensitivity of 86dB. From what I've read they are considered a little insensitive, hard to drive, and need a powerful amp.
I did some comparing between the 2 amps. Now I know that there has been some heated debate on the subject, and a lot of people claim that basically all amps sound the same, and all differences you may hear are the result of incorrect testing and are all in the mind. It's not my intention to stir up that discussion again, and I'm inclined to believe the statement is basically true. But I wondered, to what extent is it true? Is there really no audible difference between a 100$ amp driving a pair of bookshelf speakers and a 2000$ (or a 20.000 $ one) driving those same speakers? Or do I misinterpret the statement, and is it only true when comparing amps with (pretty much) the same specs.
The reason I'm wondering about this is because I really believe I'm hearing a difference between the Denon and the Cambridge when driving my Dynaudio 2/7 speakers. Not in terms of coloration. The Denon doesn't sound warmer or brighter or whatever. But I do believe I hear a difference in the way the sound is dispersed. I don't know how I should describe it. It is as if the sound has more depth to it. The Cambridge sounds flat by comparison. I should mention that I basically only play music from the 1920's and '30's, so it's all in mono.
So my question is basically this: This difference that I hear, is it all my imagination? Or is it really possible that the Denon sounds better since it has more output power than my Cambridge and should therefore be better at driving my so-called difficult to drive speakers?
Any feedback is appreciated!
The first amp I tried out at home was a Denon 1700NE. Compared to my old amp (a Cambridge Audio 351R) it has a lot more power. The Cambridge is rated at 70 W @ 8 Ohms (2 channels driven) and there's no rating at 4 Ohm. Actually, the manual specifically instructs to use only 8 Ohm speakers. However, I did contact the manufacturer and they told me that using 2 4 Ohm front speakers wouldn't be a problem, as long as I didn't use 5 of them.
The Denon is also rated at 70W per channel at 8 Ohms (just like the Cambridge), but at a whopping 2x140W @ 4 Ohms,
My speakers are a pair of Dynaudio 2/7. They are 4 Ohm and have a sensitivity of 86dB. From what I've read they are considered a little insensitive, hard to drive, and need a powerful amp.
I did some comparing between the 2 amps. Now I know that there has been some heated debate on the subject, and a lot of people claim that basically all amps sound the same, and all differences you may hear are the result of incorrect testing and are all in the mind. It's not my intention to stir up that discussion again, and I'm inclined to believe the statement is basically true. But I wondered, to what extent is it true? Is there really no audible difference between a 100$ amp driving a pair of bookshelf speakers and a 2000$ (or a 20.000 $ one) driving those same speakers? Or do I misinterpret the statement, and is it only true when comparing amps with (pretty much) the same specs.
The reason I'm wondering about this is because I really believe I'm hearing a difference between the Denon and the Cambridge when driving my Dynaudio 2/7 speakers. Not in terms of coloration. The Denon doesn't sound warmer or brighter or whatever. But I do believe I hear a difference in the way the sound is dispersed. I don't know how I should describe it. It is as if the sound has more depth to it. The Cambridge sounds flat by comparison. I should mention that I basically only play music from the 1920's and '30's, so it's all in mono.
So my question is basically this: This difference that I hear, is it all my imagination? Or is it really possible that the Denon sounds better since it has more output power than my Cambridge and should therefore be better at driving my so-called difficult to drive speakers?
Any feedback is appreciated!
