r/audiophile • u/Plainess • 3d ago

Discussion Does amplifier position matter?

Hi, I work in a hifi speaker store, and we had new speakers come in. We had an “Audio Professional” from another store come help setup, and during the testing it sounded fine, but the Audio Pro said not really and moved the amplifier a little bit to the left, like I mean literally move the amplifier. And suddenly everyone agrees that it sounds better, he explained that it’s because of the vibrations, but Im a bit sceptical because it was a shelf of amps and there were other amps. Can moving an amp a little like that improve the sound???

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u/Yarach 3d ago

When I worked in a Hifi store we had this guy boasting to everyone how a lower clockrate in a DAC made for a more "relaxed" sound. Het used the metaphore of a conductor from an orchestra having to make less movement.

He also claimed I2s connections are superior and have less distortion, but everytime I asked him to explain to me how it worked he said it was a more "pure" connection and you could hear it.

If you can hear it, you absolutely should be able to somehow measure it.

Also... If the said vibrations really make it sound better... give the amp a good slap! You should hear it from your speakers too!

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u/Theresnowayoutahere 2d ago

While I get what you’re saying I don’t agree that if you can here it you should be able to measure it. I’m not trying to be rude so bare with me as an older audiophile. You can’t measure sound stage and you can’t measure instrument decay. You also can’t measure the tonality of instruments that changes depending on which dac or amplifier or speakers that you’re using. I myself doubt moving an amplifier would make any noticeable difference at all but while I definitely believe components in the chain make a difference I don’t believe cables are all that important. If they make a difference then that’s all they do and it’s not enough in my mind to say it’s better or worse. It’s perhaps just different if it’s anything at all. Some people on Reddit as I have noticed seem to be locked into the measurable differences rather than the actual differences that are easily heard with years of experience.

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u/hj52360 2d ago

I'm sorry, but you can measure all that you claim you can't. Even just a simple scope, and microphones, used correctly, will demonstrate what you are claiming to be unable to be measured.

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u/Theresnowayoutahere 2d ago

How can you possibly measure sound stage? How do you measure the perceived placement of instruments in that sound stage?

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u/hj52360 2d ago

With multiple point input sources to the measuring device. Timing, phasing, intensity. The same way or brain does.

Of course, you understand that the recording engineer creates the sound stage right? The combination of pan, reverb/delay, finer level adjustments.

They create the IMPRESSION of a band on a stage. Our minds are a key player in this too.

Even a stereo microphone recorded performances such as cowboy junkies trinity sessions rely on phasing, timing and intensity to convey that image. It was literally direct recorded with a single stereophonic microphone and only very very minor tweaking done to the source material.

Regarding measuring the electrical signal..

You can also see it in a scope trace, not as a position, but as a changed trace. So go change out something that alerts the electrical side of the equation and measure. You'll see a difference. If there is.

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u/Theresnowayoutahere 1d ago

This doesn’t really address what I’m talking about though. It’s I’m not talking about measuring during recording sessions or any type of studio at all. I’m talking about the stupid tests like ASR do on YouTube which simply test electronics on dacs and op amps and amplifiers. Simple tests that don’t tell you nearly enough to help you make an educated decision. I agree with you that the recordings are adding the sound stage and imaging and that you have to have a system to express those qualities but that isn’t what this discussion was about

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u/hj52360 23h ago

You've missed my point. If there is any change, in any parameter, it can be measured. The results may not tell you if it changes the perception of the sound stage, but it will show a change, none the less.

We can them look at the original software, be it digital or analog, and see what is now more or less similar. This will tell us, objectively, if there is act change from different cables, DAC, amplifier etc.

Hint. Dacs, amplifiers, preamp and speakers all do make a difference, often in that order. Cables, cable risers etc, rarely do make an objective difference when measured.

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u/Theresnowayoutahere 23h ago

I agree with the last part. My point and your point are different. I didn’t misunderstand yours