Which audio companies have solid engineering chops?

[Cosmik]

Capacitor output is no different to other utilisation of capacitors - it has to be correctly applied by design.

Sort of. But "correct" design involves choices. For example, power amplifiers should be direct coupled because you don't want grotty electrolytics in series with the output (they're all grotty).

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Here is another possible candidate in the solid engineering category - Morris Kessler's ATI family, including ATI, SAE, BGW, Theta, etc., and recently Datasat. I have no recent experience, though I was a pre-ATI Theta owner. Siggy Linkwitz has liked his amps over the years.

 

[TBone]

Here is another possible candidate in the solid engineering category - Morris Kessler's ATI family, including ATI, SAE, BGW, Theta, etc., and recently Datasat. I have no recent experience, though I was a pre-ATI Theta owner. Siggy Linkwitz has liked his amps over the years.

I ran an ATI 1502 amp for years and truly loved it. I've entertained much more expensive amps post ATI, yet still remember it having a very nice, sweet and perhaps slightly soften top-end (which paired nice with many CD players back then) and more importantly, an excellent tight/controlled bass (unlike some amps that have passed thru my system). Built like a tank, superb bang for the $.

 

[amirm]

ATI also manufactures amplifies for other companies....

 

[c1ferrari]

Studer, BAT, Pass

 

[Wombat]

Studer, BAT, Pass

Your keyboard appears to be stuck on 'blue italics'.

 

[c1ferrari]

It does warrant the additional effort!

 

[Occamsrazor]

I would also include Bruno Putzeys of Hypex/Mola-Mola/Kii....

 

[Selcuk Turkoglu]

I'm surprised no-one has said Accuphase yet.

 

[stunta]

I would also include Bruno Putzeys of Hypex/Mola-Mola/Kii....

Is Hypex expanding its business into snake-oil territory? Look at the prices on these cables - https://www.hypexshop.com/shop/shop.jsp?groupID=127

 

[RayDunzl]

High quality snake oil is much more expensive...

https://www.masterbuiltaudio.com/ultra-line-audio-cables

 

[fas42]

Is Hypex expanding its business into snake-oil territory? Look at the prices on these cables - https://www.hypexshop.com/shop/shop.jsp?groupID=127

No ... important aspects of construction have been addressed in the making of these - if I was forced to use a pricey "audiophile" cable I would probably pick these.

Custom manufacture will always cost, irrespective of anything else.

 

[Wombat]

Studio quality cable/interconnects at studio budget prices is more than sufficient for domestic usage IMO.

 

[stunta]

No ... important aspects of construction have been addressed in the making of these - if I was forced to use a pricey "audiophile" cable I would probably pick these.

Custom manufacture will always cost, irrespective of anything else.

Can you please elaborate on the important aspects of construction? What is important here and why should one pay the premium for it? Are there measurements to back up this claim? Are there known audible differences with let's say Blue Jeans cables that cost a lot less and generally considered good enough.

 

[sergeauckland]

Maybe there's a slight conflict between "solid engineering" and "hi fi"..? In a recent review of a DAC, Amir was critical of its capacitor coupled output, but one way of protecting an AC output against short circuits to DC is to couple it to the outside world via a capacitor. It also protects against faults in your circuit propagating down the line into a power amplifier with DC coupling and blowing up the speakers (or worse?).

(I am not saying that that particular product used capacitors for this reason, however. The same product seemed to use a double sided PCB when it really should have been at least a four layer. The cost savings are presumably significant for a budget device, but can you then call it "solid engineering"?).

At one time Quad used to say their amps were "Unconditionally stable into any load", and they were used in professional applications as 'workhorses'. This, in itself put many hi-fi enthusiasts off the brand, and they couldn't get out of their heads the idea that the output was woolly, restrained, over-protected, dull. If you want to make an electronic circuit 'bullet-proof', it will require extra complexity that hi-fi enthusiasts will shun.

Surface mount devices are much more reliable and produce electrically superior circuits compared to through-hole leaded components, but hi-fi enthusiasts are convinced they "suck the life out of music".

When choosing my amps, the first priority is that they be reliable and bombproof (or should that be idiot-proof?) I expect to be able to put a screwdriver across the 'speaker terminals at full power, and not have any worse effect than a burnt screwdriver and possibly blown fuses. That they should be unconditionally stable into any or no load, is taken as read. I can't be dealing with finicky products that require special cables to keep them stable or self-immolate with a misplaced screwdriver.

After that, I expect the circuits to be serviceable. I know that surface mount is more reliable, so perhaps that's less of a requirement, but trying to repair stuff with tiny components and/or unidentified chips drives me nuts. These are reasons why I personally rate Quad's products very highly. There's no reason why a well-protected stable amplifier would sound wooly, dull etc. Just look at the measured performance of a Quad amp, and within their stated design limitations, they are as transparent as anything else.

As to sucking the life out of music, how do they do that and where does the music all go?

S.

 

[Bjorn]

I don't think Yamaha has ever produced a bad unit. Can't dislike a company that not only makes motorcycles, grand pianos and hifi gear, but actually does all of it well.

I disagree after have a had and tried several of their surround receivers. They all had high distortion. LTS reviewed one and found it to have definitive audible distortion. Denon and Marantz performed much better in the same test but where not transparent either.

 

[beeface]

If there is one thing we've learned recently, it's that Topping obviously make the most well engineered audio products in the world : )

 

[SchwarzeWolke]

Lake People/Violectric seems to be a good company. They have a proven track record in professional audio gear.
JDS Labs seems also reliable to me.

 

[svart-hvitt]

Lake People/Violectric seems to be a good company. They have a proven track record in professional audio gear.
JDS Labs seems also reliable to me.

Have you seen measurements of Lake People/Violectric?

 

[SchwarzeWolke]

Have you seen measurements of Lake People/Violectric?

To be honest: No. I don't know why nobody is measuring them. Maybe, all the data provided by Lake People themself are seen as sufficient enough.