AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Receivers, Amps, and Processors › Has Amp technology really improved that much?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Has Amp technology really improved that much?

post #1 of 7
4/12/08 at 7:19pm
Thread Starter 
Just a random thought.... how far has amplifier design come in the last 30 years?

My Father gave me his old Phase Linear 400 series solid state amplifier that he originally purchased in ~1976 (year before I was born). He had this thing hooked up to a pair of Bose 901 Series TWO's for about 25 years before he bought an integrated AVR. It's been sitting in my basement for a few years now. Recently I switched to it for my FL / FR channels and my wife was amazed. She doesn't normally pay much attention to my HT obsession, but she could clearly hear an improvement with this 30 year old amp. This was compared to my Denon AVR internal amps.

The soundstage seems to have improved and the midranges are much clearer (specifically demoed Norah Jones material).

At reference levels, the needles on the VU meters barely move.

Amp I'm discussing is top left.
http://www.phaselinearhistory.stereo...0seriesamp.htm

Is there any reason to bother "upgrading" to a newer separate amp?

Components used:
Denon 4308ci
Definitive Tech BP30's
PS3 / Xbox 360
LL
LL
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 7
4/12/08 at 9:35pm
Short answer no with the exception of a few digital hybrids.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 7
4/12/08 at 9:51pm
0-100Khz wasn't pushing the state of technology 30 years ago any more than it does today.

If we could hear up to 30Ghz then there might be some significant challenges left to solve ...
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 7
4/12/08 at 10:23pm
Seems to me the price of decent amplification has gone down. That's one improvement I have noticed. I don't know of any global improvements to topology or components which would warrant getting a new amp if your old one works perfectly and has sufficient power.

Manufacturers will want you to believe otherwise.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 7
4/13/08 at 5:03am
Amp technology has changed. Amp performance has not. The difference is that today's amplifiers incorporate new chips and other devices that weren't available 30 years ago. That makes them smaller, lighter and cheaper (in real dollars.) Sound and general measurements are the same.

Incidentally, amps don't have a soundstage or "midrange clarity." They simply amplify those characteristics in a recording.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 7
4/13/08 at 7:25am
Thread Starter 
Quote:


Incidentally, amps don't have a soundstage or "midrange clarity." They simply amplify those characteristics in a recording.

It's the difference that you hear that matters... and that's the best way I can articulate the difference. Suppose I could have just said it sounds "neater...."
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 7
4/13/08 at 7:38am
No reason to change if you like the amp.

However...

An amp that's 30 years old (unless it's been recapped/reconditioned) is living on borrowed time, IMO. So, you might want to consider saving up just in case.

Also, some earlier amps didn't have good output protection thus had a propensity to take out your speakers when the amp failed.

You may want to take the cover off the amp and just take a look inside. If you see any of the capacitors bulging or leaking some type of goo, definitely don't use it until it's repaired.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Receivers, Amps, and Processors

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Receivers, Amps, and Processors › Has Amp technology really improved that much?