Stereo amplifiers do differ —but not as much as some think

Q: You wrote in a previous column that you do not think all amplifiers sound the same. Do you think there are extremely large differences in amplifier sound? I have read both sides of the argument, that there are no differences or there are very large differences.

A: I don't think all amplifiers sound the same, but nor do I believe the differences are as immense as some audio publications would lead one to believe.

The key is matching an amplifier to the speakers. Different makes and models of speakers work well with different kinds of amplifiers. I will use two of my favorite speaker brands as examples. Both sell for the same price and offer exotic technology and amazing sound, but have very different amplifier requirements.

I have used Ohm Walsh speakers (www.ohmspeakers.com) since I was in college. Ohm Walsh speakers use a unique, patented driver that reproduces almost 100 percent of the audible spectrum. The sound is stunningly clear and natural, and they produce a 3-D soundfield that can be enjoyed from almost anywhere in the listening room. They sound spacious and have precise stereo imaging, which are typically mutually exclusive qualities.

The $1,400/pair MicroWalsh Tall floorstanding speakers have a 4-ohm impedance and only make 85 decibels for every watt of power fed into them, when measured from 1 meter away. This means you need a high-current amplifier (high current for the 4 ohms) and a lot of watts to get them to a good, satisfying volume. Walsh speakers also benefit from a high "damping factor." A simple definition is an amplifier with a high damping factor exercises very tight control of the speakers's voice coils, which is very desirable due to the electrical and mechanical properties of Ohm's Walsh driver. All of these factors point to a high-quality solid-state amplifier of at least 50 watts, preferably from a company like NAD, Parasound or Rotel.

The $1,400/pair GoldenEar Triton Seven tower speakers (www.goldenear.com) are another of my favorites in the under $1,500 per pair category. They use a special tweeter called a High Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFR) which sounds incredibly, open, detailed and dynamic. GoldenEar makes the best soundbar I have heard, as well as my favorite bookshelf speaker, the GoldenEar Aon 3.

The Triton Sevens are 8-ohms impedance and make 89 decibels per watt. They can be powered by as little as 10 watts. Though a solid-state amplifier will work fine, these speakers are a very nice match for warm-sounding tube amplification. If I was building a system with Triton Sevens I would pair them with a moderately priced tube amplifier and enjoy some very sweet sound while adding a touch of the exotic to my system. It's cool to have an amp with glowing tubes here in the 21st century.

Each system would sound stunning, though using completely different amplification approaches. A low-powered tube amplifier would not be an ideal match for the Ohms, though, due to the low power and low damping factor of a tube amp.

I put my money where my mouth is. My Ohms are driven by high-power NAD solid state amplifiers, and I power my office's GoldenEar Aon 3 speakers with a Neuhaus Labs T-2 tube amplifier.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get more recommendations and read past columns at www.soundadviceblog.com.