2. amps-preamps
  3. 1370650847

Do amps have a sweet spot?

What I mean by this is do amps have an output range at which they sound better? The reason that I'm asking is that I'm now running some very small speakers (Minuet Supreme Plus) and they're probably the least demanding speakers I've had; but I've found that my setup sounds better when I have the volume turned up.

Out of curiosity, I took my Minuets to my local shop and hooked them up to an NAD C326BEE. I thought it sounded pretty darned good at "normal" listening levels. I almost bought it, but then I decided to start cranking it up to what I would call "rockin" levels and the amp started to clip. If it could have played louder, I would have bought it.

So...is it usual for an amp not to open up until you start pushing it?

My current amp is an Aragon 2004.
tonyangel
tonyangel OP
309 posts
 
Thanks guys. At least, I now know that I may not be crazy.

I really can't explain the love affair that I'm having with this Aragon. I do know that it's really OLD and out dated. I suppose there's just something to a two channel 100 wpc amp weighing 40lbs.

Still, I did like what I was hearing out of that newer NAD model. My dilemma (isn't there always one of these?) is that NAD's top of the line classic unit is $1500. I really don't need a pre amp. Mine is a NAD C162 and is pretty nice. My dilemma is what sort of amp to go with. I've been very interested in the Class D offerings. I also have to decide how much power it is that I really need.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the comments.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,854 posts
 
Not alone so much, but in practice along with the rest needed to make music, yes.

The "sweet spot" regarding human hearing is overlooked. We hear better ie our ears have a flatter frequency response at louder volumes. That's probably the biggest and most common factor. Next would be specific amp/speaker matching and room acoustics, which varies more case by case.
Post removed 
tonyangel OP
309 posts
 
The guy at the shop said that it was the amp soft clipping. I don't know much about that because I've never had an NAD amp with that feature before.

I know it wasn't the speakers. They sounded very in control and clear, right up to the point where the signal started going in and out. Besides, I've had the speakers up to higher levels in my den, which is larger than the listening room at the shop.
runnin
397 posts
 
If he said the NAD was soft clipping it's because he had the clipping switch on the back on, which limits the amp at full output. Can't blame him because a salesman wants to protect his gear. What I'm surprised about is that you would want to crank those little 3 inch woofers so much!

Oddly enough I've got both the Nad c162 and C326BEE. Pretty good stuff for the price but if you want more than the 50 wpc C326BEE can give you, remember that 100wpc will only get you an additional 3 decibels of volume over the 50 wpc. I found that the newer NAD sounds a little more open than the C162.
More to discover