"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...



Do you think most off the shelf amplifiers are designed to be driven
hard continuously,

Depends on what's meant by "hard and continuously". If you mean "full
rated power with a sine-wave" then no, most off-the-shelf domestic
amplifiers are not designed to be used that way and will overheat. Of
course by the time that happens the speakers will have long since
perished!

and if not, how is the sound affected?

**Yep and not at all. Unless it is utter crap, of course.


I still don't understand this 'all modern amplifiers sound the same'
thing - hence the question!

**Few people actually say such things. Amplifiers may sound different for
a variety of reasons. Mostly when they are presented with abnormal
operating requirements. Some amplifier cope better with being asked to
operate beyond what many designers consider 'normal'. Then there's these
quite silly SET amplifiers. They are deliberately designed to distort.


Oh but think of the advantages of SET amplifiers! Apart from all that 2nd
harmonic distortion adding "musicality", the endless fun that can be had
debating the sonic improvement that can be got by using different sorts of
filament supply etc. and the useful way they can remove unwanted weight
from your wallet; the *real* advantage is the status value, after all how
many other people use them? and don't they look pretty?

**No. They look silly. I was building and using them 40 years ago. They were
cheap crap then and they're expensive crap now.

[Remembers the time when I brushed my wrist against the top cap of an 807 -
Still have the scar]


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au