Do speaker amps have similar effects on the sound as headphone ones?

For a month or so I've been reading about speaker stuff. The most notable difference so far is the lack of amp traits for speakers. completely different from the headphone side. Any thoughts why I never see this brought up?

 

Maybe you're reading the wrong magazines. https://www.stereophile.com/content/recommended-components-2019-fall-edition-power-amps

 

$30,500/pair

lmao wtf

 

Individual amplifier character can be described somehow, but individual interaction of amp with specific speaker and speaker with room is much more significant and measurable, and verbal description assumes some "common neutral reference" which is absent for most of us.
Really good amp for passives is not cheap anyway.

 

Congratulations! You've completely avoided all the audiophools out there!

But no, I'm not an everything-sounds-the-same man, and I guess you must have avoided some useful stuff as well.

 

I think different amps do sound the same, if...

You know the impedance of the speaker is within the capability of the amp, and

The amp provides sufficient headroom vs the speaker’s efficiency, and

The noise/distortion of the amps are similar.

If one amp sounds, for example “warmer” than another, I suspect one of the above things isn’t right with one or both amps.

So I don’t like those reviews in Stereophile mags because I’m left wondering why.

 

Is this based on your own exhaustive experience or, just your sentiment? If you have indeed tried multiple amps, please do share your findings and results, as it would make a useful data point.

 

The best example recently was attempts to use (only two channels of) a Yamaha RX3030 to drive a PAP pair of nominal 8 ohm woofers in parallel on both sides. It simply can’t. Sending exact signal to an external Hafler XL280...bass punch arrives. That same Yamaha driving the Tangband W8-1808 fullrange...you cannot year any difference between it and the Hafler.


Those woofers aren’t 8 ohms at just above 100 hz, they are just south of 6. That’s why the Yamaha can’t cope, and the Hafler can.


It’s also why I like using one amp channel per driver, with electronic cross. Almost any amp can cope with the near pure resistive load that results, and it drives a lesser bandwidth, reducing IM artifacts.


What annoys me is DAC cost. I have no clue or predisposition on how important DAC quality and price is...and to maximize speaker performance, I need a quality multi DAC solution that doesn’t cost as much as a car.


Is default hostility normal in here?...maybe I should leave?

maybe I should be more hostile? Tell me.

 

Blanket statements/generalizations are often questioned, when it is presented without any additional info, especially when you are a new-comer, as we are not familiar with your preferences and background. If only, you had added your findings to your former post, we wouldn’t have had the need to have this conversation.