Justification of expensive amp for beginner?

[hifi1980]

Dear All,
I am a reader for quite a while but just registered.
Being a newbie to hifi, I am a bit frustrated trying to justify an expensive amp:

Have NAS (FLAC), Wiim Pro Plus, DSPeaker X2D and Fosi ZD3 DAC and looking for a power amp. Speakers are Canton Vento 100, so rather large.

Tried Audiophonics HPA-S450ET, Musical Fidelity M6si and Wiim Vibelink.
To be honest, having all of them volume matched, I do not hear a difference (just that I could theoretically turn the MF much louder). Wiim Vibelink is obviously a bargain here.

Am I missing something or is my hearing not “educated” enough?

Thanks so much for any thoughts.

Best regards,
Tom

 

[staticV3]

Am I missing something or is my hearing not “educated” enough?

If all Amps are level-matched and used within their intended operating range (no clipping), then no difference in sound quality should be expected.

If there was one, then that'd point to a fault in the Amp's design.

 

[Middle Earth]

Something like this would be nice

TOPPING B200 Ultra-high Performance Mono Power Amplifier

Discover pristine, powerful sound with the TOPPING B200 Ultra-high Performance Mono Power Amplifier. Featuring a groundbreaking NFCA discrete amplifier, 200W output, and three sets of balanced inputs, the B200 eliminates interference and captures every detail. Perfect for both seasoned...

apos.audio

With this as a preamplifier

TOPPING A90 Discrete Headphone Amp

Elevate your audio experience with the TOPPING A90D headphone amplifier. With its fully discrete NFCA modules, R2R volume control, and exceptional specifications, the A90D sets a new standard for solid-state amplifiers. Experience best-in-class clarity, transparency, and power output, along with...

apos.audio

 

[EERecordist]

Welcome to ASR.

That speaker has a sensitivity of about 88.5 dB/Watt at 1 meter. That is middle sensitivity. The Audiophonics uses a very recent Purifi Class D module, the Musical Fidelity a Class AB, and the Wiim, guess Class D.

On ASR, in the search box you can search for title Audiophonics HPA-S450ET review, Musical Fidelity M6si review, and Wiim Vibelink and you can search for them without checking title.

You can also go to Review Index, select electronics, and search. The most recent amplifier review will have a bar chart from best SNAID, then you can read reviews on price and power in Watts.

I think the Purifi 1ET6525SA came out in the second half of 2024, so reviews may not be available yet. Many companies use them, Buckeye, Boxem, NAD, Apollon, VTV, and others including your Audiophonics use various generations of Purifi designs. There is at least one ASR thread on it https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ifi-1et6525sa-successor-to-the-1et400a.56549/.

Your hearing is educated, you have a quality setup. SNAID below a certain level (higher SNAID, >100dB) with enough power for the sensitivity of your speaker for your listening level and room size is not going to be audible one to another. If your room is very large, above, say, 25x30' with higher than a 15' ceiling, and you play loud, you may need more amplifier power.

 

[hifi1980]

Thanks so much for the quick feedback @ all. Good guess @ EERecordist…Room is about 650 sqft and 10’ ceiling. When hearing very loud (for my taste) this means Vibelink’s volume knob at ~80%.
Would I risk clipping here and thus potential damage to my speakers?

 

[EERecordist]

Your room is larger than average, but not huge. I strongly doubt you would clip with an amplifier with the output of the Purifi 1ET6525SA. The designer for Purifi is highly respected on ASR and in the industry. You have put a lot of thought into your system.

You can look up Room EQ Wizard software on ASR, and consider getting the free software and an about $100 calibrated microphone to go along with the built in room eq.

ASR is a good music discovery platform with topics devoted to that.

I always suggest the free iPhone NIOSH sound level meter. app If you are Android, it is worth getting an older iPhone or iPod Touch to run it.

 

[jcarys]

You've tried 3 amps and they all sound the same to you. You have just proven that there is no need for a "better" or more expensive amp.

Face it, amps have only a tiny bit of distortion compared to speakers. You and your ears are already educated - pick the one you like.

 

[staticV3]

Thanks so much for the quick feedback @ all. Good guess @ EERecordist…Room is about 650 sqft and 10’ ceiling. When hearing very loud (for my taste) this means Vibelink’s volume knob at ~80%.
Would I risk clipping here and thus potential damage to my speakers?

~80% is sadly not a useful metric to determine headroom.

But you can use a basic, hardware store multimeter to measure the Vibelink's output voltage, which will allow you to determine headroom.

At 4Ω (Vento 100 min impedance), the Vibelink is pristine up to 23Vrms.

 

[DearSX]

Buy once and cry once with a well built and powerful Purifi or Hypex amp, but I think its more for the high power if need, otherwise Vibelink amp looks good.

Erin just did ABX testing of the Vibelink vs $$$ McIntosh tube amp and couldn't hear a difference.

I owned the Topping PA7 Plus and could not tell a difference vs my buy once cry once Parasound A21. I want the Purifi just to downsize and not have a toaster oven in my living room in the summer time.