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Do AMPs actually vary in sound signature or is that snake oil? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by General-Wrap-7858@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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I've seen people state both that they so not influence the tuning as long as they deliver the same power and others stating that they can make headphones "sound warmer" or "brighter". I don't see how that would happen though and a lot of audiophiles just hear things that I feel aren't there, like some noise difference between the Apple DAC Dongle and a 500 EUR DAC using an off the rack chip.

Take this comment from ASR:

Amps are more likely to make an audible difference than most DACs, but that certainly doesn't mean there are audible differences between most amps

I'm talking purely about AMPs here, not a DAC combination.

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[–] JAaSgk@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yes amps vary alot in sound. For all nearly flat measuring headphones you will always hear the headphone ofcours but at way different technical levels. I am not even arguing with anyone who says otherwhise anymore. They clearly havent tested alot.

[–] JAaSgk@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Just to clarify: you wont hear differences in the noise flor between most dacs. Thats totaly beyond human capabilitys. Even if Rob Watts claims his noise flor modulation at -300db makes a difference. An amp that measures perfectly flat however can sound warm if it has alot of distortion in the upper frequencys.

[–] AnOldMoth@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can you explain why those differences go away entirely when you blind and level match the testing?

I'm a recording engineer, and I've tested dozens of amps and DACs properly with several people who definitely claimed a night and day difference between source gear, yet couldn't even get a 60% accuracy rate on correctly telling them apart.

They only heard the differences when they knew what they were listening to. I've done this several times over the years, and my findings line up with the actual research done.

Frankly, you perceiving a difference just listening isn't really proof of anything do to how incredibly easily influenced human hearing is, it's incredibly fallible.

[–] JAaSgk@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Yes I have a theory why but I cant tell for sure and still have to test it myself. Anyways I am not willing to discuss this topic. There is no point in arguing. Neither of us can be convinced by the other persons words.