which amp would be "better"

[Galliardist]

I asked the opinion of my grandfather (an engineer) which worked as an engineer at the soviet space program, he said it will help to isolate EMI, but won’t make a hear-able difference.

So, why not listen to the important bit of that answer? It won't make an audible difference.

As it happens, I suspect that nasty EMI will just go through the wires, or round the edges of those pieces of wood anyway.

 

[mightylightbringer]

Such as?

Cd player, cassette deck, and tv.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

I'll agree, but again I can't find any independent measurements...

Why do we need measurements?

The Yamaha would for sure measure completely transparent and would with all likelihood meet or slightly exceed specifications.

If the YBA A200 is somewhat competently built it would probably also be transparent.

The choice is then to purchase what makes most sense to the individual. The logical objectively choice would not be the YBA A200 but that's up to the OP.

 

[mightylightbringer]

So, why not listen to the important bit of that answer? It won't make an audible difference.

As it happens, I suspect that nasty EMI will just go through the wires, or round the edges of those pieces of wood anyway.

But it is better than nothing, some protection from EMI is always welcome.

 

[voodooless]

Cd player, cassette dack, and tv.

So the normal kind things any audio lover would have around… I’d say nothing special and no amount of wood glued on random parts will help in any way. The enclosure is made of metal, it’s basically a Faraday cage and will shield for EMI just fine on its own.

Effective EMI resistance is the result of engineering, not gluing wood bits on. Sadly the engineering you cannot see, so it’s hard to create a nice story around it.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

So, why not listen to the important bit of that answer? It won't make an audible difference.

As it happens, I suspect that nasty EMI will just go through the wires, or round the edges of those pieces of wood anyway.

EMI on your wood is never a good thing.

 

[Galliardist]

Why do we need measurements?

The Yamaha would for sure measure completely transparent and would with all likelihood meet or slightly exceed specifications.

If the YBA A200 is somewhat competently built it would probably also be transparent.

The choice is then to purchase what makes most sense to the individual. The logical objectively choice would not be the YBA A200 but that's up to the OP.

I'm not going to say "you can buy this" unequivocally to anybody without the knowledge that it will work.

I've seen enough scam specifications and poor products down the years to beware even of a usually good company like Yamaha. You've been on ASR for 18 months and two and a half thousand posts - have you learnt nothing?

And with those speakers, I'd be paying for the next level of power, which means realistically that I would recommend a class D amp that the OP here would never buy. The answer I gave and he liked, said the same about the YBA and I asked what else was available for a reason.

In the absence of measurements, the only way to proceed is a proper demonstration in a fairly large room at high volume with the relevant speakers, before buying.

 

[Chrispy]

Cd player, cassette deck, and tv.

Why would those be a problem?

 

[Deleted member 48726]

I'm not going to say "you can buy this" unequivocally to anybody without the knowledge that it will work.

I've seen enough scam specifications and poor products down the years to beware even of a usually good company like Yamaha. You've been on ASR for 18 months and two and a half thousand posts - have you learnt nothing?

What does the time spent on ASR have to do with experience and personal knowledge? -Very odd way to look at things IMO. Like that is a criteria for knowledge.

Anyway; The Yamaha will perform as to spec. and be transparent because so it is with all their amps based upon the same design.
I guess I need not link to all the tests here and externally, as you have been here nearly 31 months you probably already know..

 

[mightylightbringer]

Upon initial inspection of the internal components captured in the above image, it seems evident that the power supply transformer and heatsink appear relatively undersized for the purported 165W/4Ohm power output.

taken from their website: "Linear power supply with high performance
transformer 330VA"

 

[voodooless]

taken from their website: "Linear power supply with high performance
transformer 330VA"

Since an AB amp has at best a 78% efficiency, you’d need a 420VA transformer at the least. Sure there are some reserves, but the mere fact that 330 is 2x165 (which happens to be the max power), seems suspect.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Since an AB amp has at best a 78% efficiency, you’d need a 420VA transformer at the least. Sure there are some reserves, but the mere fact that 330 is 2x165 (which happens to be the max power), seems suspect.

Yeah, that seems off.

 

[Leeken]

For a low ohm speaker,none of the 3 would be my choice,I’d be looking for something which doubles power as ohms half.
the musical fidelity pair give no specs on that,the yba fails by a long way,even my purifi based amp achieves it easily.

 

[pewe]

I also have the Elac Solano BS283 speakers and right now I'm looking for a two channel power amplifier. No doubt about it, I will definitively will get a Hypex class d amplifier. IOM, Audiophonics etc. seems to have great options, especially if your in Europe. I will probably pair it with the upcoming Wiim Ultra, since I only need streaming and hdmi for my TV. Subwoofer out with high pass filter and equalizer is a really good bonus as well.

But a good, powerful amplifier will be the heart of that system.

 

[Mart68]

I don't think thats true, a "good" amp is subjective. in your opinion a good amp is a neutral amp, but other people would like a little warmth out of their speakers, also a neutral amp might also make certain speakers fatiguing.

pretty much all solid state amps are 'neutral' - 'warmth' is a function of frequency response and all three amps you have listed have a flat FR within the audible band.

yes you will read on forums and magazines people talking about about 'warm' amps, 'bright amps' and so forth. The important thing to take away is that those people have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

Of the three I would get the MF M3Si. The YBA looks okay, it will certainly drive your speakers fine, if you really want that one for no concrete reason then get that.

if you then want a warmer sound do it properly with analogue or preferably digital EQ. And treat your room if you did not already do that.

 

[EdW]

But it is better than nothing, some protection from EMI is always welcome.

Sorry - this is complete hokum! In a different context it reminds me of how the author and humorist,Mark Twain and his entourage, whilst climbing the mountains near Zermatt carried umbrellas as protection against avalanches.
On a more serious note, before I retired, I and my colleagues routinely tackled the problems of interference within mobile phones. We were looking for isolation levels >160dB in some cases. Strange to report we didn’t find it necessary to resort to wood.
EDIT: typo

 

[EdW]

Cd player, cassette deck, and tv.

These should not cause interference. You might get issues with WiFi bases etc. adjacent to badly designed audio gear though. The interference would be pretty obvious and a larger physical separation usually fixes the problem.

 

[Galliardist]

For a low ohm speaker,none of the 3 would be my choice,I’d be looking for something which doubles power as ohms half.
the musical fidelity pair give no specs on that,the yba fails by a long way,even my purifi based amp achieves it easily.

No amp truly doubles, and if you find one that says it does, it is probably understating its power into 8 Ohms. I'd agree that a Purifi module correctly implemented will get pretty close, of course.

Nor is it necessary to have an amp that doubles or comes close to that, as long as it is up to the job of driving the speaker it is connected to. As I said, only measurements will allow us to answer that question for sure. An extensive audition will answer the question for the listener concerned, so that I guess would be the next step with the YBA unless someone has one and the wherewithal to measure it.

 

[Galliardist]

What does the time spent on ASR have to do with experience and personal knowledge? -Very odd way to look at things IMO. Like that is a criteria for knowledge.

Anyway; The Yamaha will perform as to spec. and be transparent because so it is with all their amps based upon the same design.
I guess I need not link to all the tests here and externally, as you have been here nearly 31 months you probably already know..

Your trust is... touching.

I've had my fingers burnt in the past that way. I learnt my lesson. I don't care how mighty the brand's reputation is, or how good every other product they produce is. The next one can always be a dud.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I asked the opinion of my grandfather (an engineer) which worked as an engineer at the soviet space program, he said it will help to isolate EMI, but won’t make a hear-able difference.

Your grandpa is right. No audible difference whatsoever. It is more a gimmick.

Get one of the Hypex, NC based class D amps from eg Audiophnics (Europe). (There is no audible difference, provided you listen level matched and blindly).

Otherwise get the most powerful of the amps you selected.