From your experience has the product with the best bench test numbers also been the best musically? Did you keep it?

[Ar9Jim 6,216]

As for me, selling my Carver rig in the late 1980s and buying Adcom, based on a magazines yearly spec sheet edition, and the better numbers of the Adcom was tragic and a very rude awakening. My desire to ever buy another audio product, without hearing it at home first ended.  I didn't keep the Adcom because it measured better. The Carver was far better at its application. My experience and answer to the subjective question is absolutely not. 

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by Ar9Jim

[xavionics 1,428]

I’ve been pondering this question lately, and remembered that my original Carver gear is the ONLY gear I ever bought without listening to it first! (A C-1 and a m1.0t.)

Honestly, I bought them purely on Bob’s reputation - based in numerous articles I’d read up to that time.

And have never regretted it.

 

Now, let me back up to when I cut my teeth in this hobby - during the “Receiver Wars” of the late ‘70s.

In the barracks at NAS Barbers Point, HI, there were numerous systems scattered through many of the rooms. 
One receiver in particular that caught me ear was the 1977 Sansui 9090db. Beautiful piece of gear, wonderful sound.

Specifications matching most of its’ competitors- 120 watts/channel, at .05% THD iirc. 
 

By the time I was selected to go overseas, where I would shop for my dream system, a few things had changed.

Sansui came out with the ‘G’ series of receivers, boasting a frequency response of 0 (DC) to 50 kHz. Increased power outputs and the top two models were built on two chassis that could be separated to fit on smaller shelves. Damn impressive pieces of kit, with their new, bright silver and gold face plates, large volume control and tuning knobs, etc. huge ‘wow’ factor. My beloved 9090db was no longer available.

So I checked out Sansui’s latest offerings.

I found them to be lifeless, sterile sounding. And I was only 19 at the time.

(I acquired one many years later and still found the same to be true. No soul to be found here.)

As my search continued, I fell in love with and bought a Kenwood Model Eleven III which I still have.

 

All this is a typically long winded way to say ya GOTTA LISTEN!
Those who know, know. And those who don’t know, will learn. If they are lucky…

 

 

[4krow 5,152]

When building my first DHT (3S4 tube) from BottleHead, I was so surprised that for about $130+ a bunch of other parts, you could build something that sounded way better than many more expensive units out there. The specs sucked if you were so inclined to read them. I built several more and sold each one to a very satisfied customer, one customer at a time. Several years later, I discovered yet another DHT (SP1 tube) made by Korg, and the result was pretty much the same. Specs sucked, sound was unbelievable. It is important to note that I have built two different designs for this SP1 tube, and the deciding factor is not the specs in each case but rather how the circuit itself is implemented. Yes, one sounds better than the other even though it is designed around the same tube. Same dirty specs but the difference being either using an IC or discreet transistors. Another difference is the power supply itself. One uses double the voltage and happens to be the better sounding unit to my ears. One more note: Each designer realized that the sound could be varied by means of an adjustment pot for the tube, resulting in quite a difference in sound. It increased or decreased different harmonics, either second or third order in relation to each other. The sweet spot is up to you. I usually leave it at a certain setting, resulting in the least amount of THD distortion (which is still close to 1%).

[Ar9Jim 6,216]

Certainly nothing against the Adcom 555, objectively it measured better than my M400 at the time. The 555 was in all of the magazines getting great reviews. Giant killer and all of that.

 

Subjectively the Carver was superior to me, although as a newbie I took the bait that .005% THD equated to better sound over the amp I enjoyed with .05% THD. 

 

 

[ChrisTFM35 612]

Jim, never bet against a Carver product! 

[3M_Audio 961]

With amps I'm more interested in the underlying technology and quality of the components that make up the unit. The costs are what they are. If you give a good design team good quality stuff to work with, it seems you will get a good result (most times).

 

With preamps in particular, I've had a few disappointments where the specs didn't match the real-world experience. I specifically remember a supposedly super high-end Phillips AH-572 that had specs that looked so good plus it had really cool touch controls. But when I finally saved up enough to buy it, I wondered if I was using the same unit I had seen reviewed in multiple magazines. Phooey. Sold it off not long after getting it.

Edited October 2, 2023 by 3M_Audio

[Ar9Jim 6,216]

10 hours ago, ChrisTFM35 said:

Jim, never bet against a Carver product! 

That's exactly what I did Chris.    As a newbie 30+ years ago .005% THD had to equate better sound over .05% I thought. That is an order of magnitude in improvement, that is huge.

 

Now I listen to tube gear that measures even worse. At full power THD+N is almost .5%. That's an order of magnitude in the wrong direction! That makes no sense.

 

The sites that recommend audio products based purely on numbers, have believers, that will miss out on the best experiences of the hobby, but they can brag about numbers if that is of value to them. 

 

On one hand buying by numbers is honest, on the other hand it's deceptive. I'm thankful to know the difference. The hobby has been a lot more fun than simply chasing zero's. For some its about chasing the best numbers, for some it's about chasing best sound. Listening clears up all the confusion and the game becomes quite clear.

 

 

 

 

[Ar9Jim 6,216]

As a consumer, it was clear that neither the test reports or the magazine reviews were in my best interest. Felt sort of deceived, actually. Hmm, who can I believe? Generally Bob Carver.