[skyline889]

What's total harmonic distortion? How does it affect what your listening to? Also is 0.9% THD for an amplifer bad? I really don't know anything about this but the other Marantz amps I was looking at had a THD of .5% or lower so would the one with .9% sound really bad?

Thanks for your help, David

 

[amb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline889 What's total harmonic distortion?

Try googling exactly those words and you'll find plenty of links with answers.

Quote:

Also is 0.9% THD for an amplifer bad? I really don't know anything about this but the other Marantz amps I was looking at had a THD of .5% or lower so would the one with .9% sound really bad?

Yes, I think 0.9% is pretty bad for an amp. However, if you talk to a tube-lover then it's just about right.

 

[meat01]

You can't base your decisions on total harmonic distortion or specs for that matter. You have to listen and decide for yourself. Most human ears can't even detect THD below 3%

 

[jcx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meat01 You can't base your decisions on total harmonic distortion or specs for that matter. You have to listen and decide for yourself. Most human ears can't even detect THD below 3%

THD is a poor metric, but 3% can be painfully audible

http://www.gedlee.com/distortion_perception.htm

(there used to be example sound files of distortion, anyone have them?)


Other specs you will want to use to guide your decision include amp V and I capability vs headphone impedance and sensitivity - mismatch these and you simply can't get acceptable sound

 

[rickcr42]

Funny how many run away from 1% THD then buy a speaker or headphone that is in the area of 20% THD or better and claim it sounds "real"

"Harmonic" distortion means just that,how far from the original harmonics of the signal the recreation varies.I doubt many even know what the original sounds like so a comparision in most cases is impossible.

Even so,you get more of a variation taking the same disc from your house to your car to a freinds house then to another freinds house yet you will still be able to identify who the artist is than any percentage point of THD will hide.

The REAL problem is noise,hum,buzzes,ringing,disjointed group delay.....

these are things you will notice right out of thr gate and WILL be annoying

 

[skyline889]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcx THD is a poor metric, but 3% can be painfully audible http://www.gedlee.com/distortion_perception.htm (there used to be example sound files of distortion, anyone have them?) Other specs you will want to use to guide your decision include amp V and I capability vs headphone impedance and sensitivity - mismatch these and you simply can't get acceptable sound

How do you match the amp to your headphones? I was looking at a Marantz 4060 amplifier and I can't really test any out since know one here has them so is there any way to do this purely on specs? I will be using them with my Sennheiser HD650s, also thanks for the link it had a lot of information.