What makes a quality amplifier?

[iSteven 10+ year member]

What makes a quality amplifier? How could some people look at an amplifier or look under the hood of an amplifier and know if this is a good amp. I want to learn more about the topic, also my old broke amplifier used to be a sony xplod. could anyone use xplod amp as an example of what makes it bad?

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[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

most good amps are usa , korean, japanese built there are a few others that are italian ,german made .most chinese made are junk ,with the exception of a very few

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

For one, look at the fusing. With the exception of some very efficient amps, fuse rating x10 = somewhere around the wattage the amp really puts out. So if your cheap "6900w amp" is rated at 150a, it's putting out somewhere around 1500w most likely. This isn't always true, but it's a good reference point.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

For one, look at the fusing. With the exception of some very efficient amps, fuse rating x10 = somewhere around the wattage the amp really puts out. So if your cheap "6900w amp" is rated at 150a, it's putting out somewhere around 1500w most likely. This isn't always true, but it's a good reference point.

you can also look at the power /ground inputs ,also the amp guts is a dead give away ,some just look built stronger

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

One of the best amps I've ever used is made in China. Also there's some junk amps from Korea.

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

One of the best amps I've ever used is made in China. Also there's some junk amps from Korea.

This is also true. Generally Korean amps are higher quality than Chinese amps, but this isn't always the case. You really have to look at each amp on an individual basis.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

This is also true. Generally Korean amps are higher quality than Chinese amps, but this isn't always the case. You really have to look at each amp on an individual basis.

agree the vfl min amps and the powerbass xta amp are built n china ,both are great amps that put out a lot of power

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

agree the vfl min amps and the powerbass xta amp are built n china ,both are great amps that put out a lot of power

I believe the new CT sounds amps are the same as RD amps and they're made in China as well... We'll see how they do in a couple weeks

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

I believe the new CT sounds amps are the same as RD amps and they're made in China as well... We'll see how they do in a couple weeks

reverse engineered and no real world testing on them ,looks like diablo technologies all over again .just sayin

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

reverse engineered and no real world testing on them ,looks like diablo technologies all over again .just sayin

Probably so. I'm personally staying away from them. Flatline is my favorite out of all the upcoming amp companies so far

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

Probably so. I'm personally staying away from them. Flatline is my favorite out of all the upcoming amp companies so far

so am i ,my quote came from a very reliable source ,i also like the flatline amps as well as the ampere audio amps.kind of waiting on the new tantrics tho

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

so am i ,my quote came from a very reliable source ,i also like the flatline amps as well as the ampere audio amps.kind of waiting on the new tantrics tho

Ampere seems to be the same as the v1 Sundown amps so very solid. I'm sure tantric will do well with their amps like all the rest of their products too

 

[Oraclem19]

Would it be in bad taste to start a thread composed of guts of amps? Start to compare a few of them, part numbers(this may be in bad taste), transistor and op amp capabilities, and really try to determine what makes a good amp? Having this knowledge on a consumer level or beginning distributor could lead to being able to have someone purchase one new amp from a new company and being able to grade what quality should be like without having to rely on human ears for distortion detection in the tenth of a percent range.

Just not sure if manufacturers would be against this as so many amps are made in the same factories and the same area, my only argument against that is any company could purchase a competitors amp and slap a label on it if they wanted *COUGH*.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Would it be in bad taste to start a thread composed of guts of amps?

There's an entire web site dedicated to this. The problem isn't just looking inside amplifiers, it's all the wannabe experts who think they know what makes an amplifier "good". There are very few people on forums whose knowledge of amplifier design I actually trust to judge an amplifier by looking at it. You have to be able to put aside bias and call it as it is.

We don't rely on hearing to measure distortion. Human hearing can't distinguish distortion in tenths. That's verified with machines. What our hearing is good at is picking out differences. Very minute changes can be recognized, but not quantified.

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

Exactly. You can't look at a picture of the inside of the amplifier, and determine the tolerance of the parts that are being used.