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What do you look for in a Home Power Amp , Specs , Aesthetics , Amp Class "A" or "A/B" or "D"

forss

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What do you look for in a Home Power Amp , Specs , Aesthetics , Amp Class "A" or "A/B" or "D"

Trying to find out what most people are actually buying as far as just an Amplifier and what their criteria is for actually making the purchase.......trying to learn and help me to NOT make a mistake......
 

DVDdoug

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Specs... Mostly power... Noise, distortion, and frequency response are usually better than human hearing. Except sometimes noise can be audible. especially with sensitive speakers or more amplifier gain.

Class A is "stupid". Nowadays, class D will usually get you more watts-per-dollar.
 
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forss

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You feel that Class "A" is stupid....... , that is interesting...as some really swear by them
 

SIY

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You feel that Class "A" is stupid....... , that is interesting...as some really swear by them
Yes, they're inefficient, expensive, massive, expensive, generate tons of heat for minimal power, expensive. So perfect for fashion-based audiophiles.
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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Depends upon your definition of a "mistake". Too low power for your speakers/room/nominal SPL requirements? Spending $ needlessly which could have been spent on speakers? Placement restrictions leading to excessive operating temps (leading to premature component failure)? Not too many ways to make a "mistake". But there are some, indeed.
 
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forss

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Well Thanks for chiming in , I always purchased class A/B B&K and Hafler and Crown ...guess I am old school
 
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forss

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Would like to know what the most important Specs are that People look for and what Power rating most people are looking for and what Price range most people are looking for in an Amp..... I know it is not cut and dry but must be some Specs and Price range that are similar among many many different people......

My Last two Amplifiers were B&K ST202 and B&K ST140 ....both Class A/B and one rated at 100 watts the other 200 watts ....liked them both.......
 

dualazmak

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What do you look for in a Home Power Amp , Specs , Aesthetics , Amp Class "A" or "A/B" or "D"

Trying to find out what most people are actually buying as far as just an Amplifier and what their criteria is for actually making the purchase.......trying to learn and help me to NOT make a mistake......

Although a little bit out of your scope, I went through an intensive amplifier evaluation/selection exploration for about one year during March 2020 - February 2021 in my multichannel multi-driver multi-way multi-amplifier stereo audio project; I evaluated several Class-AB, -A, -D, -A(H)B and quasi-A amplifiers. You may find the summary and (provisional) decision in my post here.

My latest system setup can be found here.

If you would be interested, please find here (and here, the same contents) the Hyperlink Index for my project thread.

The thread entitled "Most aesthetically pleasing amplifiers" would be also nice for your reference, I hope.
 
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forss

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Thank You , I will check those out .....nice to get a few responses
 

EJ3

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What do you look for in a Home Power Amp , Specs , Aesthetics , Amp Class "A" or "A/B" or "D"

Trying to find out what most people are actually buying as far as just an Amplifier and what their criteria is for actually making the purchase.......trying to learn and help me to NOT make a mistake......
I think that you should read this article over at Audioholics (I personally prefer G & H):

What are the Different Types of Audio Amplifier Classes?​

by Steve Munz — September 14, 2018
Contributors: Gene DellaSala
Alphabet soup of amplifier classes
Alphabet soup of amplifier classes
originally published: April 20, 2014
If you’ve ever glanced at the specifications sheet for an amplifier, one of the things you may have noticed is the amplifier’s class. Typically denoted by a letter or two, the most common amplifier classes used in consumer home audio today are Class A, A/B, D, G, and H. These classes aren’t simple grading systems, but descriptions of the amplifier’s topology, i.e. how they function at a core level. While each amplifier class comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses, their job (and how end performance is judged) remains the same: to amplify the waveform sent to it by a preamplifier without introducing distortion, or at least as little as possible distortion. So what does our alphabet soup of amplifier classes mean? Keep reading to find out but first watch our recently added YouTube video discussion!
 

JiiPee

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Unless You like Your amplifiers hot and heavy, I'd stay away from class A. Regarding specs, 50W per channel is easily enough for me, but everybody needs to find out themselves what's enough for their purposes. For power amps, I'd like SINAD to be at least 70dB in the 1W to 50W power range. (60dB could be enough, but I like to have some margin just to be sure).

Ideally, I'd like power amps to be integrated into speakers with DSPs to handle crossovers and equalizatios
 

Snarfie

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Lots of connection possibilities like 2 switchable speaker connections (monitor & farfield) DAT, DAC, A&H digital mixing desk, line output Subwoofer connection, headphone connector. Sound quality specs like flat linearity with extreem low distortion, power availability close to uncompromising amount of watts,
build in DSP for room correction which firmware is easy tot upgrade wireless.
 
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MCH

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In this order:

- Safety (must have regulatory compliance. No diy or ultracheap unknown stuff)
- No hot surfaces (don't want to have to worry nor think about that even one single minute, we are in 2022)
- Low power consumption when not playing music
- Enough power for me and a bit more in case (that is not much in my case)
- Low noise
- Low distorsion
- Small-ish
- signal sensing or any other form of auto switch

And i think my next one will need to have selectable gain.

Fortunately nowadays all this is so easy to fulfil at a very reasonable cost (unless you need multichannel) that to be honest, it is not something to worry about for me at all.
 

restorer-john

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Big meters!

For Class AB, two pairs of speakers minimum, switchable BTL mono, level controls or gain switches, proper heavy duty power switches and/or slow start. 100wpc@8R minimum, around 200wpc@8R ideal, all at low distortion. Wide bandwidth. Big internal power supplies, huge transfromers and a ton of output devices.

Ad did I say big-#ss meters? ;)
 

bluefuzz

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1. Price - if I can't afford it then it's not under consideration
2. Specs - it needs to have enough power for the job with low distortion etc.
3. Æsthetics - not a huge consideration but I would never buy anything as despicably ugly as McIntosh gear. Though that would probably get excluded by price anyway ...
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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Well Thanks for chiming in , I always purchased class A/B B&K and Hafler and Crown ...guess I am old school
A/B topology, MOSFETS, stiff regulation...old school gets the job done well, even if a bit inefficiently. Seems many seek what's new over what simply works.
 

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iMickey503

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What do you look for in a Home Power Amp , Specs , Aesthetics , Amp Class "A" or "A/B" or "D"

Trying to find out what most people are actually buying as far as just an Amplifier and what their criteria is for actually making the purchase.......trying to learn and help me to NOT make a mistake......

What Mistake are you going to make? I am Genuinely curious. It's not Like Pregnancy. You can take it back if you don't like it. :)

Dare I say this. But... This JiiPee is right about 50W being a good solid number as long as your speakers play nice and match up to your amp. Obviously you need more if you want to go into the Danger zone!
Unless You like Your amplifiers hot and heavy, I'd stay away from class A. Regarding specs, 50W per channel is easily enough for me, but everybody needs to find out themselves what's enough for their purposes. For power amps, I'd like SINAD to be at least 70dB in the 1W to 50W power range. (60dB could be enough, but I like to have some margin just to be sure).

Ideally, I'd like power amps to be integrated into speakers with DSPs to handle crossovers and equalizatios
Not to hot on the idea of speakers having all that gear inside of them. Fine for monitors. Might be fine for most folks. Not for me. I like to keep my parts serpreate. This becomes more of an issue with home theater installations. Going fully active with 14 speakers is possible. I just don't see it being practical. But that 50 Watts per SPEAKER seem perfect as not a ton of drivers out there take 50 watts so well without going above 1% distortion. Hence my love for Line arrays and multiple driver speakers.


In the end? As long as you don't get your Amp from from some dude that sells them from the back of his Honda Civic in the back of the Walmart parking lot? I think you'll be fine.

WORRY about your SPEAKERS and SPEND that money there! And I think this works for most people.
I may not be able to tell one amp from each other. But I can HEAR without a doubt in my mind a low quality speaker to a well designed one. even more so with drivers. Subwoofers are a Toss up at low volumes and below 60 Hz for me. Its when you get them moving and can hear something Other then the Bass notes is where I start bitching.

The thing is? You can get a $99 amp and be Just fine and dandy. Not so with a $99 speaker. Speakers are where every single bit of the Magic really happens. If you speakers suck? Who cares if your Amplifier has Good parts. You are never going to hear it if you speakers are just not up to the task. Let alone getting them set up right in your room.

Hence why there are so many people into headphones. Everyone can tell one set from another. They may not be able to tell you what brand it is. But they can tell they all sound different. Not so with Amplification or even DAC for most of the public.

Hell even power is not a problem anymore.
I don't know how they did it. But these days? You can get 160,000 WATT AMPLIFIER for $680 bucks with a 95dB S/N ratio.
And look at it? THere is nothing in it!

71JCfzJMSbL._SS400.jpg

Man.. I'm tempted to buy this and send it to AMIR. I'm sure he has a Outlet for 300VDC. Or can just hook it up to his electrical box with some Full bridge rectifiers. My point is? Amplification has been tackled. Worry about your DAC, your Source, and your speakers and your setup.

By the time you get all that right? Only then will you really be able to tell where your Amplification is weak at and spend money to suit.


I'd also caution about Used gear. That great amplifier from even 10 years ago may not sound all that sweet today. Caps and parts inside do age. I have heard it from my TEAC and Kenwood Home Receivers. If you like vintage? Plan on at least a Capacitor refresh. Same goes with Speakers that have electrolytics.

And this crap you can't hear a Capactor? BULLSHIT! I know what a Bad and worn one sounds like!
In fact, I'm pretty sure Danny makes a TON of business on this fact alone for speaker crossovers. The same thing that causes drift in Crosover parts also makes its ugly sound known in amps that may use this stuff in their output stage. Not so much of an issue in the power stage but its something to look for since you asked.

And while on the Subject? Do you really have your listening room perfect? I would wage a Bet that there are still things that you need to take care of there first before you make the final choice on amplification. Room treatments, Getting familiar with REW and a measurement microphone etc.

1. Price - if I can't afford it then it's not under consideration
2. Specs - it needs to have enough power for the job with low distortion etc.
3. Æsthetics - not a huge consideration but I would never buy anything as despicably ugly as McIntosh gear. Though that would probably get excluded by price anyway ...
55968268.jpg
 

Head_Unit

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Specs , Aesthetics , Amp Class "A" or "A/B" or "D"
Yeah, somewhat, Class D by now. To suck less power out of the wall, more efficient, cooler running. IF well designed. Really like an ATI 525NC we're running. The hybrid of advanced Class D with old school beefy power supply appealed to the engineer part of my brain, and it just sits at room temperature even cranked up.
 
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