What's so special in Hi-End/Hi Current Amplifier

[oracle1974]

Why 100? What is the significance of this number?

In principle, one can state that a good amplifier should have a powerful power supply and a high damping factor. The damping factor describes the ratio between the impedance of the speaker (e.g. 8 Ohms) and the output impedance of the amplifier (e.g. 0.08 Ohms). For our example the damping factor equals 100 which is a quite reasonable value. The higher the damping factor the better is the control of the amplifier over the speaker’s own behaviour.

A well-designed power supply allows high current stability resulting in a dynamic, uncompressed reproduction. But damping factor and current stability are only two of a hundred sound relevant criteria.

Gauder Akustik - OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Lautsprecher, Box, HighEnd, High End Lautsprecher, Made in Germany, Lautsprecher Manufaktur, Kermik Chassis, Diamt Chassis, Testsieger Audio, Testsieger stereoplay, Gauder Akustik, Arcona, Berlina, Vescova, Cassiano, FRC, Clearwater,

www.gauderakustik.com

 

[mpw]

In principle, one can state that a good amplifier should have a powerful power supply and a high damping factor. The damping factor describes the ratio between the impedance of the speaker (e.g. 8 Ohms) and the output impedance of the amplifier (e.g. 0.08 Ohms). For our example the damping factor equals 100 which is a quite reasonable value. The higher the damping factor the better is the control of the amplifier over the speaker’s own behaviour.

A well-designed power supply allows high current stability resulting in a dynamic, uncompressed reproduction. But damping factor and current stability are only two of a hundred sound relevant criteria.

Gauder Akustik - OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Lautsprecher, Box, HighEnd, High End Lautsprecher, Made in Germany, Lautsprecher Manufaktur, Kermik Chassis, Diamt Chassis, Testsieger Audio, Testsieger stereoplay, Gauder Akustik, Arcona, Berlina, Vescova, Cassiano, FRC, Clearwater,

www.gauderakustik.com

Naturalness of reproduced music would imply that the high damping factor of the amp should be liked by the transducer/ speaker.

Do all speakers like high damping factor amps ?

An amp with the highest damping factor has the strongest whip ?

 

[keith_correa]

The damping factor describes the ratio between the impedance of the speaker (e.g. 8 Ohms) and the output impedance of the amplifier (e.g. 0.08 Ohms). For our example the damping factor equals 100 which is a quite reasonable value. The higher the damping factor the better is the control of the amplifier over the speaker’s own behaviour.

What makes 100 reasonable as opposed to 20 or 50?

 

[mpw]

What makes 100 reasonable as opposed to 20 or 50?

@keith_correa

The answer may lie in the materials used to make a speaker in the say.. 1970's vs current.

Earlier speakers were made of paper maybe but now we see newer materials.

Current materials might need more bamboo

)

than earlier speakers

Am just theorizing...not sure

 

[keith_correa]

@keith_correa

The answer may lie in the materials used to make a speaker in the say.. 1970's vs current.

Earlier speakers were made of paper maybe but now we see newer materials.

Current materials might need more bamboo

)

than earlier speakers

Am just theorizing...not sure

Still isn't the answer to my question.
And, speaker driver material has nothing to do with anything here.

 

[mpw]

Still isn't the answer to my question.
And, speaker driver material has nothing to do with anything here.

If we view the speaker as something that draws current from an amp rather than the amp pushing amps to the speakers....then ??

 

[oracle1974]

Naturalness of reproduced music would imply that the high damping factor of the amp should be liked by the transducer/ speaker.

Do all speakers like high damping factor amps ?

An amp with the highest damping factor has the

Naturalness of reproduced music would imply that the high damping factor of the amp should be liked by the transducer/ speaker.

Do all speakers like high damping factor amps ?

An amp with the highest damping factor has the strongest whip ?

Probably, the damping factor has to be adequate for the speaker to reproduce the frequency as desired. If it is high or low the natural frequency frequency response may get impacted.

 

[keith_correa]

If we view the speaker as something that draws current from an amp rather than the amp pushing amps to the speakers....then ??

This is closer to the truth and clears a lot of misconceptions behind damping factor. Even so, this also leaves much out but is still much much better than a lot of oversimplified explanations.

Damping Factor and Why it isn't Much of a Factor

Few specs are as poorly understood as amplifier damping factor. The suggestion in the spec is that the closer to a short circuit the amplifier’s outpu...

www.audiofrog.com

 

[bornfi]

This is a tough one. Like I have the amp from Karan Acoustics and at times I have played changing it with Krell and NAD and I just do not like how Krell and NAD present the music but never cared to analyze as to what those factors are.

But if I give it a try now, here is how it would look like.

A piece of music is very complex and if you take just 10 seconds of any track and analyze that it consists of 1000s of notes and in order to render it well, each note must progress and decay with their own natural speed. This is one of the several other aspects I noticed.

Then there is the power to liberate sound from speakers. WIth NAD and Krell I can feel the speakers while with Karan, speakers just disappears.

But as I mentioned in the beginning that this is a complex subject, at least for me.

I admitted this somewhere that when I bought Karan and listened to it for the first time, I thought I made a mistake but today it right opposite - probably one of the best investments.

 

[surfatwork]

What makes 100 reasonable as opposed to 20 or 50?

This was my question too.

Did some reading and found the article below.

Damping Factor: Effects On System Response

Much ballyhoo surrounds the concept of "damping factor." It's been suggested that it accounts for the alleged "dramatic differences" in sound between tube and solid state amplifiers. The claim is

www.audioholics.com

 

[keith_correa]

This was my question too.

Did some reading and found the article below.

Damping Factor: Effects On System Response

Much ballyhoo surrounds the concept of "damping factor." It's been suggested that it accounts for the alleged "dramatic differences" in sound between tube and solid state amplifiers. The claim is

www.audioholics.com

Audioholics is saying the exact same thing as in the link I posted. But everyone wants "simplistic" answers when the answer is not as simple as they want to believe in. The numbers that are so casually thrown about about damping factor are meaningless unless understood holistically. But who wants holistic? Definitely not us "audiophiles"!

 

[spirovious]

What l found that too much damping factor with certain speakers will have a lot control on drivers which may cause less bass.
I am not going technically,but when l tried different power amps with same speakers, I found this.Much more damping factor may restrict cone movement when its actually needed to produce thump.So pairing of correct amp with correct speaker is needed.Demo is the best way to find it.