What I think some of us miss here is the fact that since audio/HT listening is a very subjective topic, some groundwork must be layed out. Nobody here questions the fact that in the end, it would still be your preference that would be followed. But because of the fact that not everybody has a trained ear, it would be best that novices like me would be armed with knowledge, so that, at least, I know what I'm getting. A friend could tell me he has a 500w amp, but he doesn't know it has a 10% THD, and I have a 100w amp and if I didn't know about THDs I might think that his amp is more powerful than mine, mine might have lower THDs at the same rating. Before, I used to think that my 430 can really output 100w per channel w/o a hitch, but now that I know of THDs, I base my readings also on those other data. 1%THD is 1% THD no matter what, and that is a fact. Everybody else can argue all day that it may or may not affect their listening. 100w @ 10% THD is not attractive to me these days, not like before that I didn't understand about them. So, again, these are just tools to help anybody decide, if you wanna use it or not, is your decision. Let's not hold others back when they try to share what they know, let us decide if that's important or not.
Glad to know someone has some sense to discern the obvious. Understanding much of the hype that attends most power ratings of mass market gears can aid anyone to EXPECT only what the gear of his choice can deliver. Not more. And all this rationalization that they don't hear this or that THDs, or that they rerely ever reach the 100watt levels, are entirely beside the point. They won't change the fact that the manufacturer of these products over-hype the specs of their gears in order to gain market patronage.
Many unknowing consumers are easily decieved by such over-hyped power ratings like the PMPO in HTIBs. WOW 10,000 PMPO of music!!!
They go home fully expecting their new gears to blast the neighbors but only to be disappointed that they can't sound any louder than a decent set-up conservatively rated at even just 120watts per channel. And they will forever wonder why.
Many receivers fall into this same hype. They don't shout PMPO, but their style is just as deceptive. On the surface, they conform to and quote DIN and JETA standards that require only power measurements at 1Khz and some at 4ohm loads. Nothing of the FTC stringent requirements. Someone in another forum rightly opined that nobody listens to 1kz. True, but that is also beside the point. The power numbers derived when measuring at 1khz can be 50% higher as when measured at FULL 20khz bandwidth. Hence, hiding behind such lenient standards, the large power numbers extracted have their marketing hype value to attract unwary customers who for the msot part, are impressed by larger power numbers.
In a similar fashion, measuring at a higher THD level will yield a higher power rating. And worst, the specs indicate a THD rating at 1khz. Wow, that's a double whammy!! Not only will the measurement yield a higher power figure at 1khz, but you up the ante when you measure it both at 1khz and at 1%THD.
And the final insult to this ignominy, they will sell a 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 channel receiver but rate it only in STEREO MODE. Some with only ONE channel driven. That's just fine really. Except that on the salesfloor, the salesguy will banner a 100wpc 5.1 receiver as having 100watts PER channel. Never mind if the customer will actually get less as the rating was made with only one channel driven or in stereo. It really isn't a deliberate deception. Consumers just have to read the finer prints on the specification table and understand their implications. But for those who don't, the effect is the same: false expectation.
Well, not really the final insult. Here's the final. Notwithstanding all those lax measurement conditions, one look at the electrical power consumption will tell you the extent of the marketing hype the vendor is willing to foist on the unwary customer. This particular unit can be blatant enough to advertise 100w + 100w + ek, ek on its 7.1 channels. That's a whooping 700 watts of output power. Does the customer expect all those watts at home? HE should, if he wants to. But he won't get them cause the receiver can't. Check the power consumption and it's a measly 300 watts or so. Where o where will the gear get the additional power?
People can enjoy their gears measured under such conditions and I couldn't give a hoot. Afterll people can be satistified listening to MP3s on their cellphones and I wouldn't quesiton that as it is a personal subjective experience in this hobby. But I can question anything that is published on paper to describe a product. Especially, if what is published doesn't square with the laws of physics or with the decency I can only find in conservative rating. And I was simply pointing out that there are overhyped products and there are conservatively rated products that have better claims to my buying preference. If, after learning all this, people still prefer overhyped produts, be my guest.
THD ratings are just one of those things to consider when buying a receiver of amplifier. On their own, they don't necessarily tell you how good an amp will sound. A 1% or 10% THD won't tell you how good or bad an amp sounds unless they are driven at full power. But for me, after seeing almost everything in this hobby, such specifications reveal the marketing eagerness with which the manufacturer would like to foist a promise that can never be fulfilled on the unsuspecting. And his wanton abandon of the conservatism that accompanies many other specficitions in other brands that have found respect among serious audiophiles.
But, then again, we're in mass market receiver territory where the battlefield is often fought on who's got the higher numbers. Separates, which still practice conservative rating, may be entirely on a different plane. They don't compete as fiercely as among receivers who often have to rely on creative selling techniques to thrive, and overhyping specs is just one of them. Much of their selling is geared towards niche marketing. So maybe my comparisons are strained. So for those who enjoy overhyped products, I really have no quarel with them. This hobby is open to anyone of whatever persuasion.
