Amp Comparison (2-ch)

[george_k]

What makes some 2-ch amp more expensive than others in terms of subjective sound quality?

I've been comparing two amps

1. Rotel RB-1070
2. Alesis RA-500

Both are about the same in terms of power output but the alesis is 1/2 the price off the rotel. Granted that its considered a studio amplifier would there be in foreseeable problem using the alesis? I unfortunately can't demo it in person.

[David Meek]

Some good questions there George.

I really can't tell you if there would be any issues using a "studio" amp. I don't think so, but I'm not sure. There will be sonic differences, but the big issue there will be whether you like those or not. . . . Maybe Jon, Thomas or one of our other poobahs will step in on this.

As far as why the prices differ between amps of a similar power rating? Cost and quality of materials/parts, quality of build, cost of development, reputation, size/efficiency of the company, profit margin - all of these contribute to the cost model of not just amps, but any electronics (or most anything else for that matter). A well-designed and built amp - high quality parts, sturdy chassis, well-isolated components will generally cost more than a less-well-constructed, less-well-designed amp. But, figure in the other considerations and it can just be a crap shoot.

With Rotel, you're getting a good, solid product with tons of information available on it. Again, whether you like it or not is something you'll know ONLY after you hear it. If you can't audition the Alesis (or any other piece of equipment), I'd just avoid it. But, if you still want to pursue it, get as much info on it as possible. FYI, here's a link to AudioReview's listing for Alesis products. Hope it helps. Surprisingly, the amp got extremely good ratings from its owners/reviewers.

[Dr C]

Hi George - my $0.02 worth ...

There are clear diffrences between studio or pro amps as compared to home amps; basically in their application. Studio amps are meant to be used in "business applications" ... eg at concerts, recording studios etc. The main criteria here is one of reliability. No one wants to go to a concert etc only to have the sound fail. The time spent in getting back to operating conditions would be costly - time is money. Thats why concert organisers always have redundancy built-in - in case anything fails there's a backup.

Studio equipment tends to be :

1. Built like a tank - to withstand anything you can throw at 'em cos going on the road is almost a given.
2. Where possible, user replaceable parts that can be exchanged on the spot quickly
3. Built to perform at continous high sound levels for extended periods.

The average home user will not need this reliability. Instead he/she is looking for refinement and quality. Thus while distortion needs to be kept down to 0.000000000000001% in a home piece, the studio version could have higher figures as this is not so important. This is a generalisation (as there are undoubtedly some fine sounding studio amps out there) but it makes you wonder when top brands like Classe or Bryston don't have studio amps.

The other generalisation is that studio amps tend to be more expensive, watt for watt when compared to home equipment. This is due to their heavy duty items (binding posts, cabinets, switches, power supply etc). In a case like this where the studio equipment is cheaper, you have to look/hear at many things (refinement, material used etc).

Stick to established brands - you can't go wrong and have a resale value.

[Brandon B]

George -

I have two of the previous version of the RA-150 Alesis amps, using them now to run my surrounds.

Don't have a Rotel to compare them to, but I can compare them to my Odyssey Stratos which is a lot more expensive and rated at 150W/ch.

There IS no comparison. I was running a pair of magnepan MMGs with one of these a couple of years ago. These speakers are known for being a little light in bass response (their one real weakness at their price point). With the Alesis, this was extremely pronounced. There was virtually nothing there under 60-70Hz. With my present amp connected, the low end pretty much just "appeared".

There was also a pretty marked difference in the detail and cleanliness of the rest of the range.

Given Rotel's typical quality, I would guess that the differences would be pretty similar with one of their amps.

The Alesis seem to be intended to run a pair of monitors in non-critical pro audio applications, and have been engineered to a price-performance point. For the money, they are not bad, but they are not going to compare to any well-designed 2ch home audio amp. IMO.

BB