Boxcarman: Absolutely brilliant. It's nice to know vaudeville is still alive!
Background noise.
I was just reminded of how critical the ambient noise level is to appreciating a good system.
Because the air quality has not been that good over the last week. I had turned on my air cleaner in the next room, on low, about 25 feet away from my audio seat… and 33’ from my speakers. The air filter is not noisy and set on low. I do not notice it when not listening to music while sitting in my audio chair.
I was listening to a vinyl album I know well. I appreciated that I could not hear a bit of surface noise, not even a little. But it seemed like something was missing… the full dynamics of the album.
Finally I remembered the air filter was on. I turned it off. Wow. What a difference. My system’s noise floor is way below my room’s with the air filter on… even though it is really difficult to hear the air filter without the system on.
Ambient noise is really important… even when at the threshold of perception. Distant refrigerators, laundry… or air conditioners.
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Thinking further along the line of low levels of background noise, I dawns on me that different systems have different presentations of low level detail. I am thinking of the recording venue. Let’s assume a symphony hall for the moment. I used to listen at the symphony to just the reflections of the sounds. So, if the violas would abruptly start playing I could hear the sound reflect off the sides of stage left, then the ceiling and then blend from the same sounds reflecting at the back of stage. These are pretty sublet and only a small number of db above background. One my major realizations were that many systems overemphasize the venue of the recording. So say these reflections were 5db above the background… my current system would represent them as about 5db. But a lot of systems… my last generation included would represent them as 10db above the background. This is what I consider details forward. An overemphasis on quiet detail. Thirty years ago, I would have chosen this as “better sounding”. My thought is that these two systems would sound very different in rooms with different background noise levels. Assuming the same character of sound in a noisier room, one would probably identify the 10db venue as better balanced because the details would not be drowned out. One more variable in evaluating systems. Better and better equipment tends to get better at presenting all sounds proportionally (I think… assume.. in general). So if you don’t make sure your audio environment is up to the challenge, you could be losing a lot. Maybe by accident, I have worked at more and more aspects of sound as my system has improved… so I now have the best quietest audio room I have ever owned. I am not adding, change volume… because that adds a bunch of additional variables.
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I guess the best solution to avoid the fan noise from the amp is don’t buy them. Keeping the working temperature under control for an amplifier and prevent it from overheating is part of design process. A well designed amplifier should not rely on both heatsink and fans for thermo control even Class A. When I see an amplifier has heatsink but is still equipped with fans like Emotiva or Crown, I will turn away immediately even the price point is attractive and even the saleman / reviewers tell me you will probably not hear them. |
@lanx0003 Wrote:
What Emotiva amp do you own that has a fan for cooling. Mike |
Hi, Mike The 1st image is from the most economical amp BasX A2m. (50 wpc into 8 ohm for $350; class A/B). The 2nd image is from BasX A2 (160 wpc into 8 ohm for $500; again class AB) which I was interested but turned away because of the internal fans). If my memory serves well, the price was even cheaper before. I called the company to confirm and ask the sales if the fan noise can be heard. Of course, during the playback you do not (go figure) but how about when the music quiet down? I am not sure for their higher end models XPA series because the stock pictures do not show. You could call Emotiva to find out if interested.
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