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77707777770777 t1_jcweyty wrote

Reply to comment by podaypodayson in BIFL home audio-the McIntosh MC275 by podaypodayson

Do you think that someone who has at best heard, in terms of home speaker setups, just stuff like bose from the 90s and on wards would actually hear much of a difference?

They few times I have know "audiophiles" they just turn stuff up way too freaking loud.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcwhhlp wrote

In this case? Yes, with a “but”

I replaced the amp in a nice ($1200)Denon receiver with the MC275, and the difference was instantly noticeable, and far more pleasing to my ear.

That said, tube amps tend to be less accurate than solid state amps, so while it may sound better to my ear, it’s not as close to the original recording as solid state. Think of it like Vaseline on a camera lens. It hides imperfections, but isn’t necessarily true to the original source.

There are more modern tube amps that most would agree sound better than the MC275, but they’re in the same price range (if not higher), and don’t have the same aesthetic appeal.

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SlightComplaint t1_jcxiar0 wrote

Also bear in mind the speakers themselves have higher distortion factors than the amps. And I think that's just physics. You can swing an electrical signal far quicker than moving the mass of a speaker cone.

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HeywoodJaBlessMe t1_jcyu60o wrote

Nope.

The differences between quality amplifiers is vanishingly small. And the closer to perfect they are, the more similar they sound.

Amps are one of the last places to spend your money when designing a home audio system.

In terms of sound quality importance the order is: speakers, room, source, amp, interconnects.

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