Speakers and amplifiers show audiophiles are confused.


An audiophile buys a pair of speakers for $50K or $100K then asks what amps make them sound best. That’s about as smart as marrying a girl without knowing her personality. What are the specs that will insure your expensive new speakers and amps will work optimality with each other? There’s got to be an app for that, well no there isn’t because there are too many variables and companies don’t present their specs in a standard ways. Why is it that speaker and amplifier manufactures don’t recommend specific amps for their speakers? Beyond power, impedance, and making your own crossovers how do you choose amplifiers to get all the potential out of your speakers?

128x128donavabdear

@hilde45,

Inquisitive Forum Poster. I’ve done business with this Gentleman. 

Straight shooter 

Audiophiles confused?

Experienced ones not likely.

Why is it that speaker and amplifier manufactures don’t recommend specific amps for their speakers?

You can always buy same brand speakers and amps, easy manufacturer recommendation.

I once bought a Parasound amp and called the manufacturer for speaker recommendations. Richard Schram (owner) spent about 20 min with me discussing the speakers they use at shows, what he uses, etc. Great experience.

@ghdprentice Was your pinky sticking out while you were writing that response?  We are contemporaries but I have never been satisfied with constraints.  Live music lives and breaths dynamics…tea totaling doesn’t quite do it for me.  Whether it’s Shostakovich’s 5th or Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, I need to feel it and connect to it …it’s a contact sport baby!

op you are going about this the  wrong way amps have a personality so do speakers 

some amps are warmer some are brighter you have to listen

we have two amplifiers in our shop both are 300 watt class ab one sels foe 13k the othe 22k they dont sound the same

 

your best bet is doing research on electronics in your price range reading reviews that describe how the electronics sound not measure

 

our rule of thumb bright speakers require warmer electronics while warmer speakers require brighter electronics

 

our advice after 40 years 

1 select the speakers first 

2 match the electronics to the speakers 

3 flavor by choosing source components dacs and cd players also have a personality r2r dacs are generally softer in the top end akm ess more detail

 

burr browns also tend towards wamth

then choose cables power conditioning to tune sound further and of course trt the room for slap echo and first order reflection types 

Dave and Troy

Audio intellect nj

40 year hifi veterans