Do Amplifiers Have a House Sound?

[macauley86]

We've all heard it:

• Yamaha is spacious and likes its bass
• Marantz is warm and colored
• Onkyo is dark and shimmering (whatever...)
• Audiolab is neutral and cold
• Cambridge is midrange-centric

Etc...

Where do these ideas come from? Is there any psychoacoustic or another basis for them? Maybe in the interaction between amp and speakers?

 

[Purité Audio]

Similar to Goldilocks and the three bears, entirely fictitious.
Keith

 

[SIY]

Where do these ideas come from? Is there any psychoacoustic or another basis for them? Maybe in the interaction between amp and speakers?

The Pathetic Fallacy.

 

[pma]

Just make a level matched controlled A-B test. The result not necessarily must be "all sound same".

 

[scott wurcer]

Just ask your favorite op-amp roller. IC houses all have their own "sound".

 

[solderdude]

Just make a level matched controlled A-B test. The result not necessarily must be "all sound same".

Nobody said all amplifiers sound the same under all circumstances and all loads
The question here is do brands have a house sound (as in the electronics) and the second question is how would they pull that of reliably in all of their products and manage to differ in this from all other manufacturers and how do all other manufacturers make their house sound differ from competitors even when measurements show there are no discernable differences.

Do different manufacturers using the same chips also have a house sound or does it take over the house sound of the chips and loose their house sound ?

Do manufacturers that try their best to produce 'accurate sound' or 'neutral sound' still have a house sound ?

Is house sound achieved by 'mixing' the 'sound' of various components so that a house sound occurs ?

When one uses the same circuit but uses different brand components does the house sound change ?


And no ... asking people to subjectively determine this is not a scientific way unless the tests were controlled.

 

[pma]

how do all other manufacturers make their house sound differ from competitors even when measurements show there are no discernable differences.

This would never happen - that 2 different products from 2 different manufacturers would have all measurements same with no differences. If you did enough measurements of different kinds, at different amplitude level, both in time and frequency domain, you would have known it.

 

[murraycamp]

My house has a house sound.

 

[solderdude]

This would never happen - that 2 different products from 2 different manufacturers would have all measurements same with no differences. If you did enough measurements of different kinds, at different amplitude level, both in time and frequency domain, you would have known it.

I would even say that if you made measurements of 2 'copies' of the same device (same brand and type) there will be measured differences.
If you did enough measurements of different kinds, at different amplitude level, both in time and frequency domain, you would have known it.

That doesn't mean they will sound different OR have a specific 'house sound'.

 

[pozz]

I play house music for that sweet, groovy sound.

 

[Willem]

Properly designed amplifiers used witin their specification all sound the same, and have done so for ages. However, it is important to ensure that the conditions are met.

 

[Fluffy]

If you hit it with a hammer yes, otherwise no.

 

[raif71]

The Sorting Hat will sort which sound belongs to which house

 

[pma]

I would even say that if you made measurements of 2 'copies' of the same device (same brand and type) there will be measured differences.
If you did enough measurements of different kinds, at different amplitude level, both in time and frequency domain, you would have known it.

That doesn't mean they will sound different OR have a specific 'house sound'.

I never said they would have (That doesn't mean they will sound different OR have a specific 'house sound'), so please stay technical and do not associate such expressions with me.

To say if they have or not their "sound" you have to do level matched controlled A-B test. Do you perform such kind of tests? I do.

 

[pma]

Properly designed amplifiers used witin their specification all sound the same, and have done so for ages. However, it is important to ensure that the conditions are met.

How did you know, you made statistically sufficient number of controlled level matched A-B tests?

 

[solderdude]

Do you perform such kind of tests?

so please do not associate such expressions with me.

There is a difference between a device having a certain 'sound' and a 'house sound'.

 

[Willem]

There have been plenty of double blind tests that show statistically random results. In fact, I participated in one.

 

[Leif]

We've all heard it:

• Yamaha is spacious and likes its bass
• Marantz is warm and colored
• Onkyo is dark and shimmering (whatever...)
• Audiolab is neutral and cold
• Cambridge is midrange-centric

Etc...

Where do these ideas come from? Is there any psychoacoustic or another basis for them? Maybe in the interaction between amp and speakers?

My AudioLab 6000a has a very level frequency response, about 0.2 dB down at 20 kHz. It does sound neutral. Arcam amps are routinely described as warm. I checked some reviews of budget ones, and they have an obvious roll off in the treble, over 0.6 dB down at 20 kHz in one case. Apparently a slew in the FR can be audible. My Arcam Solo Movie sounds muddy, consistent with a drop in the treble response. I cannot prove that, having no way to measure FR. It also has poor imaging, so maybe something is wrong, such as balance.

There is also the issue of load variance, a real world load with frequency dependant impedance can create peaks and dips in the FR. I have no idea how audible that would be, but it is measurable.

So yes, there are measurable effects that could explain these subjective impressions.

As to the question "Do amplifiers have a house sound", well I Iistened to my house and I heard some creaking from the roof, gurgling from heating pipes, and metallic clanking from birds messing around on the aerial above the chimney. I must admit I haven’t yet heard a similar sounding amplifier, but who knows, maybe I lack experience.

 

[SIY]

So yes, there are measurable effects that could explain these subjective impressions.

Could, but of course, first step is determining if uncontrolled impressions are accurate.

BTW, frequency response is easy to measure if you have a sound card or interface. Even relatively inexpensive ones will do the trick.

 

[Ron Texas]

My house has a house sound.

Yeah, and an atmosphere to go with it.