DIfference between desktop amp and normal amps?

[gabo]

Hi all!

I'm new to ASR but I've been reading a bunch of threads and learning a lot!

One question has been on my mind while I read, though. I see a lot of amps classified as desktop amps (like the AIYIMAs) which per spec seem to output 300W per channel whereas other integrated amps output something like 45W (for example, the Marantz PM6007). What's makes the AIYIMA a "desktop" amp, is it just the form factor or am I missing something? I know one is a Class D and the other a Class A/B but could I use them to drive something like the Q-Acoustic 5020s in a living room? The price difference is quite substancial so I'm sure I am missing something!

Thanks a lot

 

[Killingbeans]

is it just the form factor or am I missing something?

It's just the form factor

 

[b7676]

Outsourcing the power supply (quality) to a brick.
Switching power supplies vs. Linear.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Form factor. If you have a small desk you don't want an 80's era top of the range Sony receiver on it!

 

[Zek]

I would never trade my old Marantz for a new "desktop" amp...

 

[gabo]

thanks for the answers folks!

So if it's only the form factor, why would anyone buy any of the more expensive units apart from looks? The shop I went to was trying to push me to buy a Rega Brio at 800eur claiming it was needed to drive the Q-Acoustics 5020 because of *reasons*, but then a Wiim Amp is only 300eur (and includes an optical in + streamer) and a AIYIMA A07 around 100eur.

@Zek that's such a beautiful machine

 

[Zek]

The shop I went to was trying to push me to buy a Rega Brio at 800eur

Because they want your money...

 

[MaxwellsEq]

So if it's only the form factor, why would anyone buy any of the more expensive units apart from looks

It's a good question. You have to go back decades. There were NO desktop HiFi setups in the 1970s because people generally didn't have home computers, digital formats were not domestically available etc. More importantly reel-to-reel was large, LPs were 12 inches and domestic electronics was not that miniature. So ALL HiFi was wide and sat in a stack mostly with sound from speakers not headphones and fairly long distances between speakers and listeners... That layout is still popular - my main playback system does not use a PC.

Then digital formats arrived and DACs in PCs became good. We listened at our work desk using headphones. So a new form factor emerged. But the small form factor doesn't look quite right with the traditional large room layout, so bigger kit still sells.

Also, until Class D became good, high power to drive speakers needed a big box with big transformers and heatsinks. Small form factor was OK for headphones, but not really for big speakers.

 

[Killingbeans]

So if it's only the form factor, why would anyone buy any of the more expensive units apart from looks?

Reliability is one of the few other things I can think of. Some of the really cheap stuff probably has a, shall we say, "optimistic" thermal design, and the mechanical components, such as push buttons, potentiometers and rotary encoder are relatively quickly worn down*.

That being said, reaching a respectable level of MTBF doesn't take that much.

Most of the slightly more expensive hi-fi electronics are just a bit nicer stuff for people who wants to pay a tad more for enjoyable things other than pure electrical performance.

The really, really expensive stuff though, is just aimed a people who love combining expectation bias with price tags, or simply want everything in their lives to be jewelry

*Although, I've seen some really crummy mechanical parts being used in big bucks gear as well, so there's no guarantees.

 

[Ron Texas]

Location?

 

[TurtlePaul]

People buy traditional amps/AVR/Receivers

- To use a remote
- To have tuners/preamps/lot of analog and digital inputs, processor loops, phono stage, sub out, etc.
- It fits better with their home decor
- DIRAC/Audessey/YPAO
- The display is designed to be read accross the room
- May have either two zone or surround sound support

 

[Verig]

One question has been on my mind while I read, though. I see a lot of amps classified as desktop amps (like the AIYIMAs) which per spec seem to output 300W per channel whereas other integrated amps output something like 45W (for example, the Marantz PM6007).

One thing to look into are the specs... and actual specs. Aiyama uses marketing style which I don't care for much. 300W specs but tested the max output is about 50-60W. Even when the small class D amps don't go totally overboard with marketing the wattage is often specced at 4 Ohm and with pretty hideous distortion like 10%. The real usable figure being much less.
Traditional style which Marantz and most "old school" makers use is for 8 Ohm with minor distortion. Sometimes they're quite a bit under rated even like my NAD which promises 100W for both 8 and 4 Ohm while providing 170W without distortion and 260W with 1% distortion at 4 Ohm.

This is not to downplay small amps. They're pretty amazing for the size and nowadays of good quality. Just wanted to show that the actual differences between products may be smaller than you'd think.