[Spareribs]

Can we bash a Bose amp?

 

[Uncle Erik]

There are bad amps out there.

However, discussions usually turn into flamewars and people don't always take well to discussions of circuit topology and build methods.

Many are rather opinionated on the matter, myself included. However, you usually need to read between the lines in the forums to find out what people really think. Some years back, there was a period of time referred to as the "Amp Wars," where things got out of hand. A lot of people have backed off since.

If you'd like a more discriminating approach, look a little more into DIY. Find out what the people who build amps prefer, how they build their own and what circuits they choose. This isn't as easy as a Google search, but I'd recommend learning more before dropping big money on an amp. Some are worth the price and some I think are a ripoff.

 

[boomana]

I've posted quite a few critical comments about amps, including ones I've owned and liked. Heck, I started a thread a couple years ago basically trashing all portable amps except for their usefulness with portable headphones. Still, I agree with the trend you're seeing here, and here's a couple ideas:

• Many threads here are recommendation threads. No one is going to recommend something they don't like.
• If people only have experience with one or two amps, it's difficult to make criticisms, especially when it can be hard to distinguish where in the audio chain the differences are coming from (is X amp more revealing of a crappy source, or is it the amp that's sounding not right at all?).
• Brand enthusiasts. For some reason, many members here become almost devotees of a certain brand and are very loyal enthusiasts, posting excitedly and constantly. There may be negative criticisms, even acknowledged by owners, dropped in the middle of long threads, but they get lost in the rush and hubbub.
• Fear of being flamed. Yes, it's true. You post a critical question, or pose a critical comment, and if it's a popular product or brand, 10 members will swoop down to counteract it with praise or attack. It gets exhausting, and many people just stop bothering, myself included.

Best way to find criticisms are in the meet impressions threads, though meet environments present their own problems, especially due to the limited time people have with gear. You still will find impressions and thoughts from many different listeners, and most aren't hesitant to say what they really think and make comparisons as well. As I've said before, meet impression threads are your friend, even better if you're the one at the meet.

 

[Filburt]

I agree with boomana's points on the matter, though I think there is an additional issue. I've noticed on head-fi that certain amps also seem to receive some sort of official status, sometimes as a particular pairing with a headphone, or sometimes as some sort of default for a particular price point or application. When I see this happen, it's not even clear to me that everyone recommending the amp has even heard it and, even if they have, it's also not clear if the person has a particular large amount of experience.

It may be the nature of forums of this sort that people tend to either hold themselves out as authorities, or at least give the appearance of such; I'm not really sure. I do find, however, that it really cuts down on how much help people can effectively get out of recommendation threads, and it does tend to saturate the discourse with only positive reviews.

 

[Happy Camper]

We're all shills and you're all noobs. Just buy what we tell ya and shut up.

Oh, Olblueyez don't like 701s.

j/k

Meet impressions cut thru the hyperbole and fanaticism.

 

[AmanGeorge]

If my experience is representative at all, I'd also say that folks (besides Skylab, HeadphoneAddict, and a few others who go through amps like candy in part due to their reviewing duties) will have much more experience with and exposure to different headphones than different amps. I've heard a number of different headphones but I've really only spent a decent amount of time with 4 amps (LD MKV, EF1, Compass, and an old McCormack model with a custom power supply - the EF1 is the only one of those I really liked). Additionally, while I feel fine owning 3-4 different pairs of headphones at any given time for different purposes and depending on the mood I'm in, I'm unlikely to keep a few amps on hand and switch between them on a whim - so our frames of reference tend to be much more limited.

 

[IPodPJ]

x3 on meet impressions. I look through them very often. They are some of the best threads on the forum to find genuine opinions and comparisons.

 

[krmathis]

Just you! Amplifiers certainly get bashed around here, but not at the same extent as headphones.
The details are well described by 'boomana' imo...

 

[triode12]

I have mentioned several times previously that I didn't like the Head Direct EF1 after listening to it despite the many positive comments about it by the majority on this forum.

Sometimes you have to believe yours ears and not let yourself be swayed by the what others say (you can only use their comments as a rough guide). What is important is how it sounds to you.

 

[Currawong]

Another thing to consider is, compared to the past, there are a lot of relatively good, yet cheap amps and other components available. With most people are starting from using a basic sound card for listening to music, a basically decent DAC/amp sounds great in comparison.

 

[vcoheda]

good/bad is all relative.

if you are starting very low on the audio chain (say bithead or something similar), then a lot of other setups by comparison will sound very good. conversely, if you are at a much higher starting point (say an O2 system), then most everything will sound not necessarily bad, but just not as good. so good/bad is very user dependent.

 

[mrarroyo]

I agree there is a need to keep reviews relative to the price paid. It is not the same to compare a $200 amp/dac (Hifiman EF2) w/ a an amp costing over $3,500 (Singlepower MPX3 Slam SE). So, when I say I like the EF2 (and I like it a lot) I am referring to its price point and not necessarily relative to amps costing several times as much.

I also feel that competition and reviews have made amp designer's and builders realize they have to put out a good product. Thus in my opinion the amps built today are better than those built 5 to 10 years ago. When you realize that the headphone listening market is a relative new means of seriously listening to music its puts in perspective the high quality of the amp offerings.

Lastly there is the fan mentality, sadly this also makes it hard for some to write something bad about an amp. I recall when I wrote that I did not care much for the iQube or the SR71A, I almost was crucified. Funnily I am a big supporter of Ray's house sound having owned at least four of his portable amps (still own the great sounding SR71).

So in conclusion there are several factors involved in the high ratings given to amps. Personally I truly believe the two most relevant factors are that the new gear is much better and that it needs to be compared as in relation to gear in the same price range. These two explain most of the positive reviews, IMO.

 

[KingStyles]

Also you always have to question the source/transport when you hear a bad amp. When your trying different amps on different sources, you really cant be sure which is causing the bad quality. If you swap amps out on a/b comparisons with a familiar source, you can than weed out what is good or not. An amp can only amplify what is fed into it. Crap in, crap out. One more note, at meets, sometimes the power can get dirty or have a draw if too many people are on the same breaker causing some issues with systems. They might not be getting what they need to really shine.

 

[john53]

Sometimes amps get bashed.An example is Musical Fidelity xcan v8,it had a rumor that it was almost crap when paired with senns,something i found is not the case,it sounds very good with my hd 600.When i read these posts bashing this amp,i was almost pretty sure that it wouldn't be good with my hd 600.After i tried it i was pleasingly surprised to find out that they make a fine combo.
Don't take for granted everything is said here.You must be carefull.Try to demo the audio equipment before buy something.You are going to use it,not the other people.

 

[elrod-tom]

One other thing to consider is that many reviewers are hesitant to post a bad review.

There are lots of reasons for this, including:

1. If I don't like something, that doesn't necessarily mean someone else won't like it - it's how it sounds TO ME, and that's not the last word in what is and isn't good. It's an opinion.
   
2. If I don't like something, it may carry undue weight with others. Lots of our amp manufacturers are small businessmen, and I'm frankly hesitant to go there because of it. When I've had a bad product in for review, most of the time I simply don't post about it.
   
3. Writing a review is hard work, and takes a lot of time to do it correctly. Why would I dedicate a lot of time working on a review of a product that I didn't like or thought was poorly designed?
   
4. Oftentimes, when I see a bad review, it makes me wonder if it's done with reason and intent. Whether it's justified or not, it gives me pause to consider whether the reviewer is completely objective. There have been cases here of what I'd call negative shilling - bashing a product that competes with a favored product for benefit.

There are surely more reasons. These don't make the lack of "bad" reviews right or wrong, that's just the way it is.