Focal amps: listening test

[AAAAAAA 10+ year member]

How you feel that day and your own expectations can definitly play a role on your hearing. Really.

 

[valter 10+ year member]

How you feel that day and your own expectations can definitly play a big role on your hearing. Really.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif Freshly washed/waxed car is also running better //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

That's absolutely true. But why that frequency response of tube amps, which is so complicated due to fact that it depends on speaker impedance, which is also function of frequency, is so pleasant for a lot of people //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif It's psychological, I guess.

Cause the salesman or some audio snob told them it sounded good. It's pretty easy to make a solid state amp sound just like a tube amp, simply wire a 100 ohm resistor in-line with the speaker. Effectively kills the damping factor of the amp and now it sounds nice and "warm" like a tube amp.

 

[FoxPro5 5,000+ posts]

It's psychological, I guess.

Something about that statement makes me giggle like a little girl.

To borrow a frequently used statement, the only way that Focal amp should make a noise is when it hits the ground.

But you are absolutely 100% correct, you get what was sold to you. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Great user feedback on that amp though. Thnx for sharing.

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

You guys that think solid state amplifiers sound different are crazy... why not just burn your money?! Please listen to squeak and hellotaxi.

For one thing, one of the best, lowest distortion mids I have ever heard to this day had a distortion specification of 3% - that will effectively mask the significantly lower distortion of any amp or head unit... in other words, you can't hear the difference in amps set the same and unclipped, it's scientifically impossible.

Put your money where it counts, in things that will make a difference... installation, speaker placement, and speakers.

 

[Keyser Söze 10+ year member]

They do sound different, every single one of them...even two of the same amps from the same manufacturer.

The question, is why? What's the cause? Is it what the amp manufactures claim? Audiophile sound? Low tollerance parts? Silver-plated and rhodium-infused super MOSFET 2000's?? Nope. What has yet to be shaken is the following prediction: all amps that measure the same in terms of distortion, gain, power, noise and frequency response will sound the same.

EDIT... broken record...Squeak already said it ...twice.