amplifier question

how well has amp technology moved on say the last decade?
would a 6 year old pre/pwr worth say £3000-£4000 be outclassed by todays £1000 intergrateds?
any opinions please

 

WHF (for example) gives the impression that technology moves at a rapid pace regarding amplifiers - a 5 star amp from six months ago now only gets four stars in the face of new competition etc.

It's simply not true.

A 3k pre-power combo from 6 years ago should still see off a newer integrated at half the price or above.

Separating out the pre and power stages of amplifiers and sitting them on a decent rack and well apart from each other - racks are an area where significant musical gains have been made in the last four years - will undoubtedly give you more pleasing music.

The latest Densen B100 Mk 5 will still be inferior to a B200/300 from 5 years ago no contest.

The latest Nait 5i will still sound inferior to a Nap 72/140 from 7 years ago.

 

I agree. Also, has technology kept pace with inflation, you used to get a lot more for your quids.

A guy I know told me he had upgraded his 3 year old £300 cdp, I said great, what did you get, the model he quoted turns out to be a new £300 cdp.

Still, he "thought it sounded better"

 

I would say that digital amps excepted, there has been no advance in amp technology over the last 10 years. There is no way a 6 year old £4K amp would be outclassed by a new £1K integrated.

Do not believe what you read in comics such as What Hifi?

 

thanks for the comments chaps
i have the chance of pre power and power supply 6 and a half years old hardly used (genuine) it's a roksan l 2.5 pre s 1.5 power and ds 1.5 power supply all boxed mint etc. £900.
i have listened to this amp combo and it killed a multi award winning £1500 amp. i just thought i would ask what other forum members thought.

 

Make that 30 years, Robbo - I still love my vintage Quads (33/303 and 44/405-2) and they continue to make a wonderful noise.

 

Agree, digital amps are really different... :MILD:

 

all you have to do is listen to something like the marantz model 9s, or the model 8b from the early 60s, to know that amplifier technology hasn't really progressed very much. of course even now the model 9s will set you back a cool 10k...

 

I would actually say that amps have improved, but just not at anything like the rate that the press state.

For example, my Cyrus 2/PSX cost £500 13 years ago. Take into account inflation, and you're looking at around the cost of a Naim Nait 5i now. I simply don't see the Cyrus 2 getting even close to a Nait 5i.

Within own brands, I do prefer the new to old kit for Naim gear. So I think that the 200 gives the 180 a good kicking and is on the doorsteps of an old 250, despite costing a good deal less (new RRP).

All my opinion of course.

 

Well guys,
the new amplifiers are of course better than any others in the past. They shine more, sometimes they cost more so they must be better.
Every year (sometimes half a year) I go and buy a new one.
You cannot immagine what you are missing when you buy everytime a newer, more expensive one:
you come home, your're smiling as you never did before, you're heart beats like heck and when you unpack the 'baby' you're nearly crying. What emotions guys.....
Then you connect it and ... whow: it's much better than the previous one.
I must always say thanks to the magazines, reviewers who every month keep me updated with the newest 'baybies' which are always better than the previous ones. This is a wonderful world isn't it.

regards

titian

PS: thanks for you all to spend your worthful time reading my bulls***

 

Robbo is clearly wrong. Amplifiers have progressed very significantly in the past few years, thanks to the rise of the blue LED. You can now get amps with blue LED technology for as little as £250, and they offer a clear improvement over their less well endowed brethren.

 

Wow! can I retro-fit them to my Quads, Isaac? Will my quality of life soar? Will I be able to throw away my ear trumpet? Will cables suddenly sound different? Will Satan suddenly start shopping for fur coats?

 

Absolutely. All hail the blue LED! All hail the blue LED!
:notworthy
:kneel:

 

Ronaldo

I run a second system powered by a 1986 Naim 32.5.

It will still see off 95% of the amplifiers on this planet.

There are some very good old amps out there.

Regards

Mick

 

i think in this discussion it is more valuable to compare what you get with a notional £500. ie £500 of new equipement vs vintage.

clearly spending £500 on vintage you are going to get far better equipement than you will spending it on new, due to depreciation, etc.

the rate of depreciation on equipement values is no where near the rate of development. that's the key point.

 

Being nosey, Mr Parry, but I also use a 32.5 and was wondering what the partnering equipment for this pre is in your house?

Thank you in advance,

Chris.

 

The University of Bums of Seats (UBS) have done extension research into how the firse of the blue LED as affected soudn quality of amplifers. Apparantly the blue LEDs use less energy (about 0000000.6%) so this energy can be used for music making instead.

According to the report published by the university, amplifers with gold finish sound better due to some material in the paint that acts as a dampener.

The final huge improvements of amplifers in recent years the fitted plug these are designed purely for sonic reasons and improve the bass peformance dramatically.

You can find this report here

http://www.cynicalbastards.com/ubs/

 

Overall the sound quality, reliability and asthetics of amplifiers at any given price point is far better than it was even 10 years ago.

Obviously some older, more costly amps and the odd "classic" design give excellent results and offer S/H value for money way in excess of a more modern but modestly priced design.

One only has to look at the internal build quality of many modern amps to see that improved QC, leaner production costs and increased competition in a shrinking 2 channel market, allied to better quality modern parts has improved the lot of music lovers greatly from a value for money perspective.

Far more endemic is the belief that bright and detailed is how hifi should be and that means, to my mind, many older amps sound far more acceptable in the long term, perhaps this is one of the reasons for the resurgence of valves?

 

Not all modern kit is bright, but well-balanced kit takes a bit of finding. It is possible to have detail without brightness (see my sig).

 

Do your self a favour, listen too some older pre/power combi's

They may no longer be fashionable or have blue lights but who care's, stick to known marques & buy at sensible prices you should'nt go wrong.
for instance
I had one of the latest AVI Lab integrated a while ago....very good it was too, but my 10 +yr old krell/ARC combi completely blows it away.

IMO take everything in any of the hifi mag's with a huge pinch of salt

Good hunting