Pretty new to the world of hi-fi and I have a question regarding cheap amps like the Fosi V3, and this question might be a bit short sighted or obvious to some of you who know more than me.
Essentially, what would be the benefit or how does an amp from a company like Cambridge Audio or Pro-Ject or even Schiit compete with amps from Fosi with lower power output, even when tested by resources like ASR?
To add to this, I understand that power is not everything, but even when it comes to signal to noise ratio and other measurements, it seems that some of these cheap chinese amps are still outperforming claimed measurements by other brands. And so with that being said, what reason would someone have for going for an AXA25 over the Fosi V3 or similar amp.
(I wish I could phrase this question better, but it’s hard to put this into words as a noob).
Learned as a teenager at the swapmeet trying to build my first car stereo.
If it says 1000watts and doesn’t cost half the rated power it ain’t making half that power at any quality. At least in the 90s lol
Aiyima a07 got 90w per channel for 100usd? Its also clean without clipping.
I’m trying to think of 1000W at $500 fully packaged that’s actually good beyond bass frequencies, even nowadays and coming up blank.
Car audio I like the JL Audio still and I’ve been out of the scene a few decades
You can get two Behringer A800s for under $600 on sale, which gives you 500W per channel in bridged mode. They’re ugly, but there are probably not many better options for cheap, clean, fanless power.
I was told that if you check the fuses on a car Amp it will roughly be what the amp can put out not sure how true that is though
It tells a pretty good story
It’s true of all amps, not sure car audio. These days some amp companies try to hide the fuse rating in photos and specs.
Buying decisions are driven by emotions as well as specs or ‘facts’. Performance, power and competition aren’t so important. Enjoying the music is.
25 is plenty
If it is true 25 and you don’t have a cavern or play really loud.
Not for trying to get max SPL in a big room with speakers like LS50
Comparing amps based on “objective measurements” is difficult. Be mindful that they can only really measure for a limited number of things and many are only tangentially related to the quality of the sound. The measurements that are made, while perhaps accurate, are only a proxy for good sound. They measure the proxy, they are not measuring the sound. You can measure total harmonic distortion, jitter, impedance, wattage, and many more variables, but what you want is an amp that sounds great, where great music sounds like it is being played in the room and brings tears of joy. They have yet to devise a measurement for the ability to bring tears of joy. There are a number of amps that only put out 5 watts, have relatively high measured distortion and sound absolutely amazing with well recorded music. The numbers simply don’t tell the whole story.
Moreover, some amps are designed to sound OK and measure well while being cheap to produce.
For me, good music is an emotional thing. That is what I am looking for. Measurements are only a small part of finding that experience.
Cheap chinese anything comes down to R&D, parts, warranty, and quality control. There’s also misleading information, but that applies to well known brands too.
It’s not magic. Better chi-fi copy, or use a basic design, with maybe some tweaks, or cost cutting measures. Some items even come from the same factories. Having those factories, and cheap labor keeps costs rock bottom. More savings comes from marketing, or the lack of it.
Borrow both and listen. You are in for a surprise.
Cause one sounds like ass and the other doesn’t.
Specmanship. In the US, by FTC rule, power is supposed to be rated RMS (really average power, there no such things as Root-mean-square [RMS] power) into a declared load and at a declared total harmonic distortion and frequency range. Not required but even better if it is a multichannel amplifier, to be rated with all channels driven.
The chinese products rate gross (and I mean gross, as in unlistenable) power. They’re typically class D amplifiers and can’t sustain that power level across multiple channels or into differing loads (typically a Class A or AB amp’s power will nearly double in a load of 4 ohms, compare to 8 ohms ClassD amps can’t do that. So take the rating on a Fosi or equivalent ClassD amplifier and quarter it or less. That’s the listenable equivalent power into a typical loudspeaker.
Agree with your comment, just a note though that there are indeed decent high quality class d amps available. My amplifier does 200w into 8 ohms and 400 into 4.
People still think amplifiers are audibly different they pay for marketing, not performance.
I’ve heard this, but in my budget system swapped out an early 90s Pioneer integrated amp for a similar aged Rotel and there is a a noticeable difference through the same speakers. Wider sound stage, bass has more punch. Surely all the different components ultimately affect the characteristics of the sound? The Rotel certainly weighs about double haha
Happy Cake Day!
Distortion: even-order vs odd-order harmonics.
The Chinese amps lie
If we used logic and reason to mind-eff every purchase, this hobby/passion/whatevs would die.
Such a stupid take.
“It only counts as a passion/hobby if you turn off your brain”
My man here’s 2 thousand bucks of magic copper cable I’d like to sell you.
You can go to the shop and by a big bag of cheap sausage to eat, or some nice steaks. Some people want a heap of cheap sausage. Some people want premium steak.
Price is not the sole factor in purchasing decisions. Knowing that local service is avaialble can be important. People often like buying equipment made in their home country, or at least one with a longstanding hi-fi heritage. Some brands retain more their value when trading up, as so frequently happens as one pursues the hobby.
Never worship specs, did that for years. Now I chase the sweetest second order distortion possible, I love it!