mikebse2a3

I enjoy this hobby from both the musical as well as technical aspects and have always done this for about 50 years now🙂.... and I have come to the same conclusion that while we desire perfection we must also accept it’s not possible and thus ultimately our systems must allow the music to move us or why bother..??? miketn

For the record I don’t believe in any amplifier type being the best because I currently own examples of Single Ended Tube, Single Ended SS, Class A P/P Tube, Class A/B SS and Class G and all these amplifiers perform excellent with my Jubs/K402/TAD4002 systems. So my advice is use your ears as the main guide in what amplifier has the best synergy with your system, room and your personal taste in sound reproduction that you desire. Like anything we humans adapt and refine our taste and desire over time and it will be and should be a part of the journey for any newby to audio. Experience as much as possible while keeping an open mind and pay attention to the details along the way because they can and will alter your experiences especially if not controlled and accounted for. miketn

All amplifiers add distortion so it’s more a matter of which has distortion that’s more psychoacoustically imperceptible or acceptable versus other types of distortion of known or unknown types to the individual IMHO. Yes some tube amplifiers (single ended tube or SS types for example) will interact with the loudspeaker impedance and the result is often a max of 1db to 2db shift in portions of the frequency response of the combined amplifier + loudspeaker equating to a small but perceivable change in the tonal balance. This type of distortion is often very benign and is much more acceptable versus for example many SS amplifiers that can sometimes exhibit an edgy type of distortion in the higher frequencies often perceived as excess sibilance of “S”, “T” and “Z” type sounds and this causes a lack of clarity also versus amplifiers that do not exhibit this type of distortion. I have heard this edgy type of distortion in both Tube and SS Type amplifiers also so a blanket declaration of any general type of amplifier is misleading and wrong wether it be SS, Tube, Class A, Class A/B, Class G , Digital, Single Ended or Push Pull. Also when one says “Linear” it often doesn’t actually cover all aspect of performance when you see test published of amplifiers which are rarely performed under signal and load conditions that they have to perform with when reproducing music so linear is a very relative term and thus limited in describing the performance of an amplifier at the present time we live in. One other thing that has in recent times been spread (ie: Carver) about Tube Amplifiers (without adequate test/proof) is their ability or weakness of by way of the Speaker acting like a microphone and this back emf signal(Room Sound) then being amplified by the amplifier after some delay. To date with the test I have performed this “Room Echo Sound” if it even exist would be psychoacoustically imperceptible in any normal listening room by any typical amplifier design Tube or SS. If Carver is manipulating/ exaggerating this in some form it is only in his designs IMO. miketn

Roy Delgado has stated many times they both have the same design goal for accuracy in Sound Reproduction...!!! Cosmetics cost money that the Pro line minimizes and can be directed to higher performance parts for the audio $$$$. miketn

Measurements in all fields of science are tools and it pays to remember they have design limitations that the user must respect or risk heading down the wrong paths and conclusions..!!! The Listening Test is also a tool we use and it pays to understand the human design limitations that the user must respect or risk heading down the wrong paths or conclusions...!!! It pays to not turn a “deaf ear” to what both have to offer and acknowledge that the ultimate test that all must pass is the Listening Experience 🙂 Thought some might find the “Evolution of Thinking” of amplifier designer Dan D’Agostino interesting... miketn

Single 15” with vent similar to 1802. Roy said final design has same frequency response as 1802 with about 3db less max output 🙂

It was the first prototype and physically a little larger than the later prototypes. Claude this sub and the 1802 has the best clarity and for lack of a better description effortless impression at low or high volume levels I’ve experienced. miketn

The ARCAM SA20 is listed as 90w at (8)ohm and 150w at (4)ohm. While my first impression when I first saw it’s looks was OK pretty nice build for the price but listening to it with the KEF LS50 was dam this is really really good with excellent soundstage imaging. 😀 First experience with a Class G design. I highly recommend a listen for anyone interested in an integrated amp with all it’s features. miketn

I believe he was a good person but the issues he had wasn’t from trolling and IMHO he brought it on himself ... miketn

Hey Claude I own them 🙂 As you know it all comes down to the listening experience in the end and these have my respect and I can love the LS50 and my Jubs😄 ......and my 1502 which should be able to keep up with them 😃 Stands on order so temporary setup just for playing now. Using an ARCAM SA20 class G amplifier to drive them and it’s an awesome combination. miketn

When matched with a quality amplifier the LS50 has amazing realistic clarity and dynamic vocals. Excellent attention to engineering and physcoacoustics research taken into account. See pdf link https://www.kefdirect.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/documents/ls50/ls50_white_paper.pdf miketn 🙂

WMcD is correct both older vs newer pictures have the Polly switch PS1 and the 100 ohm 25 Watt resistor that’s electrically in parallel with it. miketn

There has been a lot of suggestions, guessing and assuming all weekend in this thread when IMHO you should give your dealer and Klipsch a chance to help resolve your problem. Maybe you can even continue to use them till repair parts can be shipped to you or the dealer. By the way even protection circuits have limits depending on the type of overload pulse they might have encountered and might not be able to protect in 100% of all cases. miketn

Oh... I guess I should have posted a picture of the bicycle with training wheels 😄 And some current changes in equipment I’m enjoying while using my training wheels 😀 Seriously though I’m really loving this setup and on good recordings the EQ is bypassed but a lot of recordings benefit from some modest EQ application... It’s the misuse of quality Analog and DSP EQ units that’s the problem IMHO and leads to the memes that EQ is bad and for beginners and the inexperienced. miketn

Dam nearly 50 years in this hobby and I’m still using training wheels..!!! miketn