RE: Ask an Audio geek
March 31, 2016 at 4:40 am
(This post was last modified: March 31, 2016 at 4:54 am by Alex K.)
@Kosh
I have a pair of relatively low sensitivity custom made Dynaudio-equipped 2-way speakers and have driven them with a nice albeit obscure English solid state amp for many years (Magnum IA 170). They turned out to be too difficult though - they don't really open up with the 170 and I even got it to switch off with heavy material once. Now my parents have the 170 beautify their stereo. I use a Rotel RB-1572 and hence now have enough power to orbit my living room, which brings me to my question. What's your opinion on switching amps versus conventional solid state. I went with switching technology largely because the tech geek in me wanted to check it out, but I think the sound is flawless. You, having the polar opposite in terms of power amp philosophy in the Rotel lineup, must have an opinion on that
My first amp ever which I used with simple self-built speakers was an 80s Dual, in case you know that brand. My first real system to speak of consisted of the NAD310, a quirky small hybrid amp which I have mentioned elsewhere here because it has paired bipolar and field effect transistors, which is a lot of fun to listen to, and a Marantz CD 6something as the source. The speakers were a pimped DIY Isophon kit, before that a simple DIY Visaton kit. Nowadays the power amp is fed by an NAD 165BEE and that in turn by an obscure USB-soundcard and D/A converter. I have a big Thorens (the BEE has a good phono stage) but rarely use it nowadays.
I have a pair of relatively low sensitivity custom made Dynaudio-equipped 2-way speakers and have driven them with a nice albeit obscure English solid state amp for many years (Magnum IA 170). They turned out to be too difficult though - they don't really open up with the 170 and I even got it to switch off with heavy material once. Now my parents have the 170 beautify their stereo. I use a Rotel RB-1572 and hence now have enough power to orbit my living room, which brings me to my question. What's your opinion on switching amps versus conventional solid state. I went with switching technology largely because the tech geek in me wanted to check it out, but I think the sound is flawless. You, having the polar opposite in terms of power amp philosophy in the Rotel lineup, must have an opinion on that
My first amp ever which I used with simple self-built speakers was an 80s Dual, in case you know that brand. My first real system to speak of consisted of the NAD310, a quirky small hybrid amp which I have mentioned elsewhere here because it has paired bipolar and field effect transistors, which is a lot of fun to listen to, and a Marantz CD 6something as the source. The speakers were a pimped DIY Isophon kit, before that a simple DIY Visaton kit. Nowadays the power amp is fed by an NAD 165BEE and that in turn by an obscure USB-soundcard and D/A converter. I have a big Thorens (the BEE has a good phono stage) but rarely use it nowadays.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
