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[Josh Billings]

I've always tried to get the best I can get for my budget, but I've always wondered what makes an expensive amplifier better than a cheap amplifier?

Like given the same wattage what makes one amp "better" than the other? I've seen stuff like damping factor, crosstalk, THD, etc. And I know some amps have features like DSP that dumb amplifiers don't have (Which definitely justifies the expense). Also I can understand weight savings in some amps. But for a lot of weekend warrior people, they'll take a few extra lbs in the rack and save a few hundred dollars. Like what makes the I-Tech so much better than the XTI series from Crown? Or even lower down, the XLS series?

Just curious where we hear the difference and what I should be looking for in a quality amplifier?

Thanks for all your feedback

Josh Billings

[Taylor Hall]

This is very much a 'get what you pay for' segment of our business. While two amps may be rated for the same power (assuming the factory is at all accurate in its measurements and that those measurements are done with any modicum of real world use in mind), how they deliver that power can be very different.

To use your i-tech vs XTI example, both are very competent amps, but if you A/B them you will hear a very noticeable difference (or feel it if you're powering subs). The i-techs are capable of everything the XTI can do and then some, all while tapping its foot waiting for you to actually try and push it.

So really it comes down to your application, budget, and what you're trying to achieve with a better amp.

[Ivan Beaver]

There are several things to consider.

One is the quality of the build and how long the amp will last.  Little things like how much glue is used to hold parts in place, the strength of the chassis, quality of the jacks and pots and switches etc.

On the performance side of things, modern amplifiers are not measured the way older amplifiers were.  And even then, many did not meet published specs.

Today, it is often how long an amplifier can actually produce its rated power.

The power is rated in bursts, and not everybody uses the same burst signal, so you can get different ratings with the same amp, depending on the length of the burst.

Cheaper amp cannot produce as much power for as long, even though the ratings may be the same.

This does not matter with some styles of music, but is huge for other styles. 

So it depends on what you are using the amp for, how you care for it and so forth.

[John Roberts {JR}]

I've always tried to get the best I can get for my budget, but I've always wondered what makes an expensive amplifier better than a cheap amplifier?

You are beginning with an ASSumption that more expensive amps are "better". Further what do you mean by "better"?

Modern amps are night and day better than they were even a decade or two ago and by better, I mean smaller, lighter weight, lower cost. Amp performance was already better than most people can hear decades ago.

Sometimes amps cost more because they are hand built, one at a time by virgins wearing snappy uniforms, far far away.

Like given the same wattage what makes one amp "better" than the other? I've seen stuff like damping factor, crosstalk, THD, etc. And I know some amps have features like DSP that dumb amplifiers don't have (Which definitely justifies the expense). Also I can understand weight savings in some amps. But for a lot of weekend warrior people, they'll take a few extra lbs in the rack and save a few hundred dollars. Like what makes the I-Tech so much better than the XTI series from Crown? Or even lower down, the XLS series?

Yes, features that increase capabilities (like DSP) will have a cost. Sometimes the features are more subtle like longer warranty.

Just curious where we hear the difference and what I should be looking for in a quality amplifier?

Most amplifiers operated in the linear region (not clipped) will sound pretty similar.

Thanks for all your feedback

Josh Billings

Thanks for asking, you will make an advertising salesman somewhere happy, knowing you are out there willing to be fed a sales pitch.

JR

[Chris Grimshaw]

IME, the difference is this: when push comes to shove, the expensive amps will keep hammering on, while the cheaper ones have gone thermal and shut down.

Having gone from a rack of budget amps (Behringer iNukes and a DCX2496) to Powersoft T-series, there is an improvement in sound quality if you're paying attention (the Behringer rack was like listening to JPEG compression). The average punter is unlikely to notice.

The things I notice, though, are:
- Power density - once they're all racked up, I'll have 10x channels of amplifier, 15KW total, in 3U.
- The DSP is much better - FIR, advanced limiting, etc etc.
- PFC and optional mains current limiting. Useful stuff that'll help you survive a gig in less-than-optimal conditions.

Chris

[Caleb Dueck]

I've always tried to get the best I can get for my budget, but I've always wondered what makes an expensive amplifier better than a cheap amplifier?

Like given the same wattage what makes one amp "better" than the other? I've seen stuff like damping factor, crosstalk, THD, etc. And I know some amps have features like DSP that dumb amplifiers don't have (Which definitely justifies the expense). Also I can understand weight savings in some amps. But for a lot of weekend warrior people, they'll take a few extra lbs in the rack and save a few hundred dollars. Like what makes the I-Tech so much better than the XTI series from Crown? Or even lower down, the XLS series?

Just curious where we hear the difference and what I should be looking for in a quality amplifier?

Thanks for all your feedback

Josh Billings

I'll second the "you get what you pay for" line, especially on subwoofers.  PFC and power output vs time as Ivan mentioned are the two biggest differences.  DSP/converters quality if comparing two DSP amps is another potential big difference. 

Put Powersoft X series, Linea, and various cheap amps all with the same rating - on the same subs.  Log power consumption and how "spikey" it is on kick hits.  Listen, both on big kick hits and also sustained synth lines. 

[Luke Geis]

There is still a matter of GWYPF, but the gap has closed considerably in recent years. Today's amps are light years ahead of yesteryears budget offerings and from a sonic standpoint very close to the best of the best. What separates them is overall build quality and ruggedness.

A tour-grade amplifier is such because you can depend on it to flog away day after day, year after year. Tour-grade amps tend to have much better power supplies that provide much cleaner and more reliable power to the rails. Power density is another + to the tour-grade stuff. They tend to be able to get much more power in the same space and maintain reliability in doing so. Most of it comes down to the power supply in the amp.

Power factor correction is one thing, but higher-end amps also have more storage capacity in the form of capacitors and typically a much higher degree of heat management. The ability of the amp to convert, correct and maintain power to the rails is what makes them so much better. How this relates to sound quality is subjective. Some prefer the sound of big iron for subs and digital options do tend to have a tough time dealing will large amounts of low-end power being utilized for prolonged periods of time, but that doesn't mean that they can't do it and don't sound good doing so. The metric is changing between the budget and tour-grade stuff and the difference is still there, but the quality of sound is probably the one thing that is now closest. Between noise floor, actual sonic quality and how the amps perform when used well within their abilities, the gap is very small. The differences will begin to show when the amps are utilized at or near their respective performance limits.

[Scott Holtzman]

I've always tried to get the best I can get for my budget, but I've always wondered what makes an expensive amplifier better than a cheap amplifier?

Like given the same wattage what makes one amp "better" than the other? I've seen stuff like damping factor, crosstalk, THD, etc. And I know some amps have features like DSP that dumb amplifiers don't have (Which definitely justifies the expense). Also I can understand weight savings in some amps. But for a lot of weekend warrior people, they'll take a few extra lbs in the rack and save a few hundred dollars. Like what makes the I-Tech so much better than the XTI series from Crown? Or even lower down, the XLS series?

Just curious where we hear the difference and what I should be looking for in a quality amplifier?

Thanks for all your feedback

Josh Billings

Josh,  what level are you talking about?  If an XTI is at the high end of your budget then my suggestion is to run powered speakers.

Larger touring systems like the Crown Itech HD's are systems, with presets and limiters designed to work with different loudspeakers.   

You don't get that kind of processing and factory support with an inexpensive amp.

Then there is the issue of low end passive speakers.  They don't exist like they used to.  The JBL SRX being a notable exception.

If you go with a powered speaker you get far more advanced signal processing and an integrated system designed to extract the most performance from given components.  It is unlikely you will achieve similar results "rolling your own"

[Dave Pluke]

Between noise floor, actual sonic quality and how the amps perform when used well within their abilities, the gap is very small. The differences will begin to show when the amps are utilized at or near their respective performance limits.

Yep!  Push 'em hard for a long time (12 hour outdoor Summer festival, for example) and see which ones perform.

In addition to ridiculously inflated specs (10gazillion "burst" watts bridged into 2 ohms for 1ns at 1kHz), I've noticed the input sensitivity tends to be higher on lesser expensive amps. Perhaps this gives the illusion of having more power, but on some amps I've had to turn down the channels running HF to cut the hiss.

Dave

[Jamin Lynch]

I've always tried to get the best I can get for my budget, but I've always wondered what makes an expensive amplifier better than a cheap amplifier?

Like given the same wattage what makes one amp "better" than the other? I've seen stuff like damping factor, crosstalk, THD, etc. And I know some amps have features like DSP that dumb amplifiers don't have (Which definitely justifies the expense). Also I can understand weight savings in some amps. But for a lot of weekend warrior people, they'll take a few extra lbs in the rack and save a few hundred dollars. Like what makes the I-Tech so much better than the XTI series from Crown? Or even lower down, the XLS series?

Just curious where we hear the difference and what I should be looking for in a quality amplifier?

Thanks for all your feedback

Josh Billings

A DJ will have a harder time destroying an ITech than an xti or xls.

[ProSoundWeb Community]