Can a speaker make the frequency response of the amp not flat in a well designed amp? It does make it hard if you don’t have measuring equipment. If you did, you could simply measure the frequency response of two amps to see if anything looks differently. It is really hard (at least for me) to hear those kinds of things.
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NAD M28 Seven Channel Power Amplifier Review
- Thread starter amirm
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I think the key realization is that certain combinations of amp and speaker can result in different response than other combinations. There is some debate here as to the limits of a "well designed amp". Is it one that is optimized for common real-world conditions? Or is it one that will cope with virtually anything, no matter how extreme and rare.
In this particular case though, would we expect this amp to deviate from a flat frequency response with his speaker (B&W CM10S2)?
Note this is not some kind of debate thing. I really don’t know
I would have thought it could handle about any speaker and not have any difficulty.
I could not find any measurements for the CM10S2 but found this for its predecessor which suggests the hi-hats in your face and the chirpyness may be innate.
@AndyBeckett it may make more sense to experiment with a little EQ to tame any bright/fatiguing issues with your speakers rather than swapping your amp. It doesn’t seem likely (could be wrong) that changing an amp will get rid of that.
AndyBeckett
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Fascinating, thanks.I could not find any measurements for the CM10S2 but found this for its predecessor which suggests the hi-hats in your face and the chirpyness may be innate.
AndyBeckett
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My existing amp is a Rotel RB-1080, I wonder if that has a corresponding drop in response that compensates for the exuberance of the CM10s. They are designed to work well together since B&W and Rotel have a close connection.
It may depend on load and level. See comments here from questionable source
: https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/608/index.htmlAgreed. All the NAD specs are for the dimensions of the M28 chassis but the weight is specified as "Shipping Weight." I can say that when I replaced my old 65lb. Bryston 9B with the M28, it seemed about half the weight. Of course, that's merely a subjective assessment.
Is that what power your Revel Studio 2?
No. The M28 is in another system with Monitor Audio loudspeakers.
The Revels are powered by Benchmark AHB2 or NAD C298.
Are you using the AHB2 as monoblocs?
Yes.
So far, so good. OTOH, it has been only been 9 months.
I don’t understand their warranty is only 2 years in the US while in Europe it is 5 years?
No problems here, so far.
Not an audible one, I suspect.
Thanks Kal. Audible significance is exactly what I was asking
Okay so this is for the benefit of those of you who like me are pondering whether to buy a good external amp like NAD M28 to use instead of built-in amps in your Denon AVR (which are objectively good buy not as good as NAD’s).
I bought this NAD and had it for ~ 10 days or something. Initial impression has not changed: no perceptible difference in sound quality except at my peak listening levels in movies ( volume ~ 74 on Denon x6500) when NAD somehow is not harsh at all but Denon just a bit is. Why it is the case I don’t know, obviously Denon’s amps are not clipping at this volume. I had the same experience - zero perceived change in sound quality - upgrading to x6500 from x4500, while the upgrade from x3400 to x4500 brought a very substantial reduction in audible noise (x3400 must have been pretty lame).
I bought this NAD and had it for ~ 10 days or something. Initial impression has not changed: no perceptible difference in sound quality except at my peak listening levels in movies ( volume ~ 74 on Denon x6500) when NAD somehow is not harsh at all but Denon just a bit is. Why it is the case I don’t know, obviously Denon’s amps are not clipping at this volume. I had the same experience - zero perceived change in sound quality - upgrading to x6500 from x4500, while the upgrade from x3400 to x4500 brought a very substantial reduction in audible noise (x3400 must have been pretty lame).
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