New tube amp

PS. To the OP - bravo!

it's always exciting when you find a piece of gear that sounds so much better than you think it "should" sound. I've always enjoyed over the decades taking the road less traveled with gear and cables and have found that to be so much more rewarding than all the common stuff.

I'm really happy for you that you are loving that amp!
 
Congrats on your new amp!

I have found a negative correlation between my personal sonic satisfaction and ASR measurements. The best sounding gear I have measures the worst. This is really useful as a means to stay away from gear I know will sound like a dead rat being scraped across a chalkboard.
 
MichaelsMinute said:
I've never understood the logic of ASR as a whole. "It sounds good but doesn't measure good". Huh? Not meant at anyone when I say this as I say it in general - but who cares how it measures so long as it sounds good?

What's the alternative? When I have my friends over I say "I know it sounds crappy, but boy does it measure good!"

I only care what my EARS think, not what some piece of equipment says.

As an example they said the Neve headphone amp measured so poor to as tell people to not buy it. Really? I've owned or listened to over 50 different headphone amps the the Neve headphone amp is sensational (and what I currently own/use).

Again, my point is aimed at the whole measurement thing in general, NOT at any one person. :)
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I think most of us need validation when we purchase a new piece. A good review with great measurements goes a long way with many folks. I really dont care how stuff measures, I listen and typically make a decision in a matter of minutes. The trick to do this? Don't listen for bass, midrange and treble, is it musical?
 
W9TR said:
Congrats on your new amp!

I have found a negative correlation between my personal sonic satisfaction and ASR measurements. The best sounding gear I have measures the worst. This is really useful as a means to stay away from gear I know will sound like a dead rat being scraped across a chalkboard.
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Thanks for the kind words bud.
 
On another note.....I notice a bunch of Carver amps for sale after the ASR reviews on the Carver 275 and 250 amps. I assume the guys were happy with the amps before the reviews and after the reviews they decided they suck?
 
Great discussion. I’m wondering if the ASR crowd microwaves their tenderloin filet because it cooks faster?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Mike said:
Great discussion. I’m wondering if the ASR crowd microwaves their tenderloin filet because it cooks faster?
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I agree.

I am a pretty avid cook. I wonder if ASR would tell me even though wifey and I think my cooking tastes good, it actually doesn't because it measures the same temperature as what others cook?
 
Pass makes great gear but in my system the EL34 amp reigns king. I am 100% certain the Pass measures a whole lot better than the Carver. The Carver is so much better ( again, in my system ) there was a small group of people gathered in my front yard holding candles. To be fair, Greg prefers EL34 amps with his speakers. BTW, I was a little hesitant to post this Carver amplifier experience for fear of a public flogging...lol.
 
stereogeek said:
Pass makes great gear but in my system the EL34 amp reigns king. I am 100% certain the Pass measures a whole lot better than the Carver. The Carver is so much better ( again, in my system ) there was a small group of people gathered in my front yard holding candles. To be fair, Greg prefers EL34 amps with his speakers. BTW, I was a little hesitant to post this Carver amplifier experience for fear of a public flogging...lol.
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I LOVE the sound of a good EL34 amp. So far the best amp I've ever had was a modified (upgraded the caps) E.A.R. 834 EL34 push pull integrated. Only 30 watts or so but sounded SO alive and sounded like a million watts. It was absolutely fantastic. I ran a Meridian 508.24 CD player with it.
 
My very first audiophile cd player was the original Meridian 508. That piece proved to me how a single box player can compete with the world of separates. That thing was smooth as heck with not a trace digital glare, it could be a bit too polite at times though.
 
stereogeek said:
So, I have to ask this question. Do better parts ( capacitors, resistors ) always sound better?
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No, not always. Blindly (or deafly) subbing parts based on cost and use of exotic materials can sometimes move the musicality meter backwards. I really appreciate the voicing work meticulous companies like VAC do to ensure all the parts in a component add up to a musically whole result. HOWEVER, upping the budget opens up more possibilities for synergistic combinations, in the never ending pursuit of more musical information. That's why VAC's upper line uses more expensive & exotic parts.

As to the rest of this thread - EL34 is generally a fantastic sounding tube. I wish there were more high-end amps on the market with multiple paralleled pairs of EL34 or 6L6 to make 100+ Watts.
 
It is widely thought that more expensive parts give you better sound. What if your system is really laid back and it needs a bit more highs? A lot of times cheaper parts will not sound as smooth as more expensive ones and have more highs so in this instance cheaper parts would be a better match for the system. This is why system matching is very important. For example....a bright speaker should be matched with a smooth (dark) amplifier. Agree?
 
stereogeek said:
It is widely thought that more expensive parts give you better sound. What if your system is really laid back and it needs a bit more highs? A lot of times cheaper parts will not sound as smooth as more expensive ones and have more highs so in this instance cheaper parts would be a better match for the system. This is why system matching is very important. For example....a bright speaker should be matched with a smooth (dark) amplifier. Agree?
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I agree system synergy is definitely very important beyond just the bright/dark pairing. It seems like there are often intangibles that can affect how system works together beyond what should work on paper.
 
Keeping with the "synergy" theme.....How can two amplifiers from different companies sound completely different if the specs are the same? Synergy is not the answer here.
 
stereogeek said:
It is widely thought that more expensive parts give you better sound. What if your system is really laid back and it needs a bit more highs? A lot of times cheaper parts will not sound as smooth as more expensive ones and have more highs so in this instance cheaper parts would be a better match for the system. This is why system matching is very important. For example....a bright speaker should be matched with a smooth (dark) amplifier. Agree?
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Really??
 
stereogeek said:
Keeping with the "synergy" theme.....How can two amplifiers from different companies sound completely different if the specs are the same? Synergy is not the answer here.
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Hi Stereogeek - not sure I understand your position. Are you suggesting that two different amps from two different companies that have the same "specs" (I assume by specs you mean watts? Not sure what other specs could be exactly the same) but different topologies and internal parts will sound the same?

This is a sincere question aimed at a cordial discussion and not meant to be an arrogant forum putz trying to start a fight. I sincerely want to understand your point and am not saying you are right or wrong.
 
stereogeek said:
Keeping with the "synergy" theme.....How can two amplifiers from different companies sound completely different if the specs are the same? Synergy is not the answer here.
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BINGO! My ears are the only measuring instruments that I trust. With that said, I will look at certain numbers. Generally,

- Higher wattage amps that double output into 4 ohms from their 8-ohm spec usually work well driving my Maggies.

- Higher dynamic range DAC's tend to sound good to me.

- A sealed subwoofer with the same specs as a ported one sounds very different to me.

My process of watching or reading reviews, then seeing if some key numbers match with my experience are good and helpful first steps, but they mean ZERO to me if the item being auditioned doesn't pass the hearing test. I should add that personal experience and reputation of both the brand and the dealer are important considerations to me when deciding what to audition.

Not trying to bash ASR, and I know some people find them useful. But out of curiosity, I have looked at a few of my favorite pieces of equipment over the years. Well, guess what - the stuff that sounds best to me often scores low on ASR's measurements. So my bottom line is that measurements can be useful, but they can't even begin to predict exactly how something will sound in my system and my room. Thank God that I have two built-in instruments that can do exactly that, and very reliably.
 
JCS123 said:
Well, guess what - the stuff that sounds best to me often scores low on ASR's measurements. .
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I agree 10000% with this. If ASR says stay away from something, that generally means I will love it and it will sound great to me.

The Neve headphone amp is a perfect example. ASR literally said they cannot recommend it due to measurements and after having owned/listened to over 50 headphone amps it is the best I have ever heard.
 
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