Solid State Power Amp Reviews

"Even though the ML334 is only a 125w amp it can push more current into the bass of his Revels than the 340w Constellation can."

Not really?
ML334 can do 240W squeaky clean sine to maxedout clipped 510W squarewave in 4 ohm,

The difference in low frequency performance comes from the subsonic filter that distorts the signal in Constellation.

Gee...

First, I hope Larry Greenhill wasn't sitting in the listening position for hours during that 90 dB break in period. That's OSHA limit sound levels. Interestingly, with that listening position and those speakers with their efficiency performance, that sound level only requires about 3 (three!) watts in the bass region. That's assuming more or less monophonic source material in the bass and the measured roughly 4 Ohm speaker impedance down there.

I don't think any voltage source amplifier can "push" more power into any load resistance than another, based on Ohm's Law and basic physics. More current equals more volts (and vice versa). That's assuming that you're not into amplifier current limiting, of course. Since the Constellation can deliver 340 watts into 4 Ohms with relatively low distortion, you're not into current limiting up to that level. If one presumes that the (mostly) undistorted power output is limited by voltage clipping at higher load resistances (like 8 Ohms) and by current limiting at lower impedances (maybe even 4 Ohms), it only takes high school math and physics to determine the current limits of the amplifier.

So, do you think the lower bass impact is what's shown in figure 1? That is, the amplifier amplitude response being down by 3 dB at 20 Hz? Seems likely to me...

(Twist on usual disclaimer: I've never seen or heard any Constellation product. I don't think I've seen or heard any Levinson product since Harmon purchased Madrigal. Point is, I don't have a horse in this race. Wait - I have met people who are hearing impaired by exposure to too loud sound for too long periods. So, I'll stick to my one-sided bias of not playing music too loudly.)

"Doubling into half the impedance far better that the Constellation"

Yes ML334 can drive lower resistance without brownout but by the time your in 400 watt you are crunching deep into the voltage rail its all gone wrong, while Constellation is squeaky clean up to 410 watts and bearable at 510 watt while ML is fully flatlined,

So the current is not a problem into these speakers its the distortion ML is pristine into the lower frequency while Constellation distorts the low end creating that light sound

Example - Figure 1 and Figure 6 blue line

ML334 has lower voltage rail more stability at 2ohm, 1ohm load,
on these 3,5 ohm Revels Constellation amp has 3db more dynamic range that will never come to play normal levels are maxing out at 10 Watt with some peaks at 100 Watts

Its easy to fall into the trap of
It sound like this because of that (Current ability in this case)

Myself did the same when designing a tube amp for a friend,
trying to fix a specific sound quality issue focusing on one fancy thing that seems logical when infact its something less sexy and more simple.

Cheers..

These ML2's at only 25w per channel will drive "to a given volume" the Wilson Alexia better than the Constellation can, and even the ML334 as well. As they will stay flat and not act like a tone control like the Constellation and to a lesser degree the ML334 will.

This is why I'm so against manufacturers understating the 8ohm wattage just so it looks like it's doubling into 4ohms, to give the impression that their amp has massive current ability.

Cheers George

Constellation can push more current into Revel Ultima Salon2 then ML334 its Ohm's law
If you turn up the volume so that 11 Amps flows to the Revel's

Constellation Will sound a bit distorted
ML 334 Will sound like screeching noise (more current capability blocked by voltage rail to delever less)

ML will sound better at 1 ohm speakers,
you need voltage so that current flows thru the wire
Constellation has more voltage and at Ultima Salon2 curve will not runout of current at clipping.

Current capability in this case does not limit the low frequency sound quality its the circuit design is it subsonic filter or is it overactive DC servo you need circuit schematic to tell the tests say that is something like that nothing to do with current.

You are attributing the cause of the problems to something unrelated.

Cheers..

Edit : By "push current" i mean capable of current flow without bending out of shape, distorting in irregular fashon different that higher impedance.

Not denying that 25 watts good amp can sound better,
you are mixing current capability with distortion, if you design in same front end distortion mechanism that is in Constellation into ML334 it will sound alike

Fig. 6 blue line 12Watts 8Ohm you can see the distotion mechanism in action

Does not matter the load impedance, current, loud or quiet it will sound the same.

Trying to tell you that Constellation can do more current/power more dynamic range into the revels and the sound is not connected to your misguided opinion that its because loads or currents.

Cheers..

If the amp is more capable at high power it will not brake a sweat at normal listening level.

ML2 25/50/100 Watt vs Constellation 300/400/200* Watts

*Let's say for the sake of argument that it can do at least 200 at 2ohm

Costellation has better dynamics any way you slice it, its all in signal distortion.

You are behaving like a conspiracy theorists even in the light of clear evidence you are clinging on that the earth is flat.

Just trying to help people get a better reading of the Measurement graphs not to change your mind really, people that does not know much can easy be steered in a wrong way and snowball your lie that the heavy amp with lots of metal that goes 5/10/20/40 watts at 8/4/2/1 ohm is more dynamic than Class D ncore KW amp,
and it sounds better because its big and heavy and uses lots of power not because it distorts less or in a different manner.

No hard feelings or anything personal i just think you are not informed enough recommending Bob Cordell's book "Designing Audio Power Amplifiers".

Cheers..

"ML2 will sound and drive better "to a given level" the .9 ohm load of the Alexia"

Yes you are correct

"As the Constellation will act like a bit of a tone control because of the Alexia's impedance variations from 20hz to 20khz. Where both the ML's will stay flatter."

Yes you are correct and on that "Tone Control" Constellation has another "Tone Control" on the frontend of the amp that creates the bass discrepancy between the ML334 and Constellation on Revel's because the Output stage has no problems driving the Revel Ultima Salon2 as good as ML334

Constellation output stage is better at driving the Revel Ultima Salon2 than ML334 by virtue of higher output voltage

ML334 is voltage limited on Ultima Salon2
Constellation is current limited on Alexia

The Measurments confirm that low frequency impact on Constellation is caused by the amp front end distortion not the output stage so more transistors and bigger transformer to drive 1ohm at kilowatts will not change the bass performance of the amp it will still sound the same.

You get what im saying.

Cheers..