PristineSound
Major Contributor
Just like when did 120 SINAD is needed? Or when 100 SINAD is not enough?
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Why use monoblocks?
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Holmz
Major Contributor
How much channel separation can one actually hear?
The sound does both wrap around the head, as well as travels through it.
It is not like the left ear only hears the left hand speaker and visa-versa.
It is somewhat of a wank-fest to assume that anything more than maybe 30 dB is needed:
Page 14: https://courses.physics.illinois.ed...Notes/P406POM_Lecture_Notes/P406POM_Lect5.pdf
Holmz
Major Contributor
Mostly when the marketing department needs something semi-factual to point to.
Thread locked until poor Rick gets to it. You all know better than to get personal.....
Thread clean up has been enacted and is open again.
Please stick to facts and avoid personal attacks!
I would maybe be a bit concerned about the extra draw of two mono-blocks only if they are used for constant background music to which no one is really paying attention. The single box amp would be better for that application due to its single supply using a pinch less electricity. For attentive listening, after which the amplifiers are turned off, the mono-blocks would be fine. I have a Bryston model 4B-ST, which is a single box amplifier, but upon inspection, I found that it has two separate toroidal power transformers and related sets of supply components. It's two complete amplifiers sharing just the chassis, power switch & cord. I got that amplifier from a previous owner in non working condition. Poor thing had bipolar disorder. Valium did not help that amplifier. I had to replace output BJT's on it.Who cares!?
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Indeed.
Laughs in vinyl channel seperation of 20dB
On a more serious note, it's easy to test this, how much it really matters. Play some music at your usual listening volume and then some. On source level, simply disconnect one channel, and on speaker level disconnect the other. That way all you get to hear is the actual crosstalk of your chain. Congrats if you can even hear it at all without creeping into your speakers.
Then compare that ever so faint crosstalk to the full volume and then decide whether it matters at all. Brotip: it doesn't, even with "really bad" channel seperation of 40-50dB or so. You'll still get immersive stereo sound with clear imaging.
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PristineSound
Major Contributor
Most of us North Americans don't care too much about power efficiency, because energy cost is relatively cheap here. But in some parts of the world, energy cost can add up, so if you are in this hobby in a place where energy cost is expensive, you just have to account for that, especially for those who believes in Class A amps.
No different than people who are into auto sports, you just have to account for the gas.
Class D would be the way to go if energy is in tight supply. The Bryston 4B-ST is class AB, so not as efficient as class D but not as power hungry as class A.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
100%
I have a Hypex, I know it's efficient, but like you said, if energy is not in tight supply, of course it wouldn't make any noticeable difference in a standard household electric bill in the US.
That also greatly depends on the pre amp though.monoblocks -> almost total channel separation
*almost because they’ll still share the power grid
olds1959special
Major Contributor
It’s better to use long interconnects than long speaker cables.
Great response but that last paragraph is debatable.
I have a simpleton question about the use of monoblocks that has not been addressed yet...
We got close to my Q when this was posted:
In the days of old,
when power tubes were gold,
and the KT88s' quality were not that particular,
we'd shoved them in the sockets perpendicular,
... expecting the oracle of a miracle!
[improvised from a university men's bathroom limerick (aabbc)]
We got close to my Q when this was posted:
How does a pair of monoblocks deal with channel imbalances, that may become more likely?
In the days of old,
when power tubes were gold,
and the KT88s' quality were not that particular,
we'd shoved them in the sockets perpendicular,
... expecting the oracle of a miracle!
[improvised from a university men's bathroom limerick (aabbc)]
Sokel
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I would narrow that to Purifi, and not the most powerful ones.
These are the only kings in efficiency at usual listening levels.
The rest not so much, they can easily waste 20-30W of power doing nothing or powering 1-5W .
even with monoblocks, crosstalk (if it matters) greatly depends on the preamp.
preAmps = small signal amplification
powerAmps = large signal amplification
So? They amplify what they got from the preamp, of course. But if the preamp has poor channel separation, having monoblocks doesn't in any way magically fix it. It'll amplify it.
Basically a monoblock by itself has zero relevance in establishing channel separation, spec wise.
Well designed stereo power amps will have the exact same result.
Don't take this as me opposing the use of monoblock poweramps for several other practical reasons that have been already discussed.
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