How important is S/N Ratio....?


Over the years I have owned many amps....rated at different S/N ratios. As a example 80,90,100 or 120 db down....but some sound more transparent than others regardless.Also the higher the rating theoreticly is should sound better....right? Does your amp sound better than the advertised rating? If it does.....tell me 3 things that stand out about your amp.

wavetrader
Wonderful.....I am no tech...but this amp has pull out CB's so the recapping was not that involved...the thing that was a challenge was fitting the low esr power caps. The solder issue you mention is better left to those that make their living...doing such things.

I will have a matching pre-amp with these ultra low noise caps vs a unit with some Nichicon gold installed.....if I get a quantum leap with the ULN type.....well it will be interesting.
Wavetrader - if you do this yourself be sure you know what you're doing. Installing low ESR caps with certain voltage regulators might cause oscillation.
Kijanki.....thanks for the warning.....I am lucky as I have one of the best techs in the country 10 minutes away.
Kijanki.....Let me clear that up....my tech Fred does all this work for me.....We have been friends since 1975. Fred has been doing this professionally for 40 years.
I found it interesting at RMAF that Roger Sanders insisted that more power was better. He was biamping his electrostatic speakers with 600 (top) and 1000 (bottom) watt amps. His reasoning had to do with headroom that would improve dynamics.

Not sure I agree fully, but thought I'd mention it in light of the comments here.