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I am kind of semi-evaluating a power amplifier now and think about the following: there is a correct relation between harmonic content of amplifier and it’s dynamic aptitude.

I have heard many amplifiers that run across the dynamic range with a tremendous speed but the while they do so are loosing the “harmonic tails”. As the result, while they operate in transient they sharpen sound (and the Morons-audiophile love it, it is what the call resolution!) Probably the most flamboyant amp that does it would be Canadian Tenor OTL that keeps thrilling the audiofool intelligence. They, and the similar amps, combined with dull and “slow” speakers and playing essentially simple audiophile music mask out the screwee dissociation between own dynamic qualities and speed of it’s exchange, at least it hapends in the eye of an typical non-demanding audio beholder….

I can see some hard-core technical people coming and would suggest to analyze the distortion patters and to correlate between the input and output signals at the different volume levels. I do not find this approach being indicative and I have 2 reasons ( I learned it designing the loudspeakers). First, when I do so I get a static presentation of harmonic capacity. I do not really care about it and I more concern about the amp’s ability to maintain the acoustic-like harmonic stricture while it is in a move. Second, and this is sound kind of ridicules: I always, always-always, prefer the “fatter” harmonic, the larger the better.

Interesting that I came across to an observation that the acoustic-like harmonic constraint is NOT my reference while I try to assess the performance of audio. Rather I am searching for a “believable”, reasonable and justifiable balance between the MAXIMUM harmonic load and the speed of its exchange. Therefore within my own language I always recognize an expression  - “HARMONIC SPEED” which represents in my mind a subjective relation between a speed of sonic messages and this maximum harmonic content. The important thing in here the word “maximum” as I NEVER heard any EXCESSIVE harmonic content from audio but rather I heard the insufficient speed of manipulation of harmonic content…(add to here the dynamic compression and you get how audio generally sound)

Anyhow, I do not pitch any solution but just thinking out loud about the subject. I really do not know what in an amplifier responsible for speed, acceleration, velocity and so on. I kind of know what it might be but I have no idea how to change it and in the same time to assure that the amp will maintain its MAXIMUM harmonic puffiness. I know how to hear it and to assess it but I do not know how to manage it, at least deliberately….

As the result, I feel that we get the “harmonic speed” in our amps “as is”. One amp has it better another worst. If it were up to me I would introduce some kind of standard in there that force the manufactures to comply with the speed/harmonic-load ratio. If the amp has too fast speed for a given harmonic stricture or too striped down harmonics for a given speed then I would classified the amp as “audiophile products” and would demand it to be sold with a label:

 ”Attention: the given product has an uncivilized harmonic speed. The sever long-trim listening consequences might be inflicted by using this amplifier,”

Rgs,
The Cat

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