Trevor Wilson wrote:
"Keith G" wrote in message
...
"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
.. .
"Keith G" wrote
Arcam? No idea - I've just bought a brand new Denon PMA-655R amp in my
'SS revisited' quest for best sound from the smaller of the Firewood
Horns!! (Bloody SS seems to grip the smaller, less sensitive drive units
better!!) I am under the impresion that it's an OK amp with a
particularly good Phono Stage - anyone care to confirm or shoot that
down?
**Personally, I would spend the same Bucks (Squid) on a Rotel, as your
Denon fairly 'screams' in the HF. IOW: It's just another Asian amp, with
a pretty face. Now, if you'd dropped a few more Squid for the PMA1500AE,
then THAT is a whole 'nuther cricket match. It is a very bloody good amp,
with an excellent phono stage. And I'm here to tell you that I am not a
lover of MOSFET amps, but the PMA1500AE is pretty damned good. As usual,
with all the recent generation Denon tuners, it's matching partner is an
absolute gem. In fact, the new Denon tuners make some of the old
stalwarts (Yamaha T2, Tandberg, et al) sound pretty damned ordinary. And
they don't cost the Earth either.
So, in short, you should have spent a few more Squid for something really
nice, instead of another (ho-hum) Asian amp.
OK Trevor, thanks for that - most interesing, but 'few more'..? Bugger,
the 1500AE is over *double* what I paid for the 655!!
**It's well worth it. In fact, you might find yourself selling off some of
your glass things to pay for it. It is a very good amp.
I don't follow this, and remain pretty confused about the whole SS
pantomime. Apart from build quality (that 7-odd kg has to go somewhere)
what has that amp got that improves the way it amplifies, and hence sound?
On the one hand, I gather from technical people on this ng that all amps
which 1) drive a 2 ohm load at 3 times the maximum 8 ohm power (100W 8
ohm, 300W 2 ohm at 1% THD for 3 seconds for example); *and* 2) are
properly designed and manufactured (nearly all of the big name stuff
nowadays), will sound identical. I doubt any Denon achieves (1) btw.
On the other hand, it's not hard to find plenty of reviews and anecdotes
that suggest amplifiers at a given spec do sound different.
Curious - is there any defining factor in your opinion?!
My curiosity here was to compare the Denon with the Argos POS I have been
using (having compared CDPs) and I have reduced this stack:
http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/cdpcompare.JPG
To this:
http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/denonstack.JPG
(See how the 'spares' are created!!?? :-)
And I tell you summat - listening askance, with my back turned and eyes
shut at midnight on a foggy day and somebody else working the throttle, I
couldn't tell 'em apart!! The '30W' Argos amp weighs 5.3 kg and costs 60
quid, the '50W' Denon weighs 7.0 kg and costs 250 quid (list)!! (Where do
they get these bloody power output figures from? - I got an 8 watt 300B
SET that will blow *both* of them into the weeds!!)
**Yeah, sure.
Well, possibly! Comparing a 100W valve amp and a 140W SS - the valve amp
is simply louder.
Go figure (as they say)...!!
(OK, The Denon sits at 50% volume while the Argos amp is at 90% into the
stubborn little horns....)
Incidentally, I can see why SS users might not like horns - there is a
tendancy to a little 'honkiness' with them that you don't get with
valves...??!! But, contrary to what one or two here would have you
believe, us 'valvies' are not so bigotted - I love these amps and for a
few weeks in every year, it's nice to run an SS amp and soft top car!!
(Well, the days of me having a nice little soft top in the barn are long
gone, but I can still afford an SS amp or two!! :-)
**Then choose a decent SS amp.
Here's my last bit of Show N Tell for the day - the kid (my oldest) in
this car is 30 now!!
http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/softtop.JPG
**Oh dear. I was hoping for a Morgan, at least. MGs are so passe'. They
always sounded better than they went. Back in the day, one of my mates owned
and MGB and the other a Datsun Princess. The Datsun could easily pull 120MPH
and the MG, well...... Not so fast. Let's not even get started on oil leaks.
Did Pommy car builders ever manage to build oil seals which, well, sealed?
And this is from one who has owned four Escorts. Not one of them could keep
the oil where it belonged.
Now back to earth with a bump - I gotta go and make a start on the fascia
boards and guttering now!! :-(
**Don't get me started. I just moved to a new home and we now live the most
beautiful part of Sydney. Lots of trees (and possums, Magpies, Cockatoos, et
al). The gutters glog every fime mins or so. Since it is a two story place
and I don't espically enjoy crawling around the roof 5 Metres off the
ground, I got a quote for this fancy new non-clog guttering (it really is
very clever stuff).
http://www.easyflow.com.au/
Better than clever, actually. It's brilliant. FIFTEEN GRAND!!!! Yikes! Nice
product, but jeez. Maybe I'll keep climbing ladders for a bit longer.
Leaf blockage?
Rob