What makes a good Power Amplifier?

[Mash]

Electrostatic speakers have coupling transformers which consist of a pair of coupled wire coils. A coil of wire is an inductance, and an inductance is the equivalent of a mass in a spring-mass system, i.e. electrical inertia. The voice coil in a cone driver is likewise an inductance, and again an inductance is the equivalent of a mass in a spring-mass system, i.e. electrical inertia. Basic physics. This is why the people who conduct DBT on amplifiers always claim that all amps sound the same when those amps are used within their limitations for power and load handling capabilities....because invariably amp DBT were conducted with cone speakers. Try a DBT using Tympani or other Magnepan speakers and the conclusions will be different.

Remember that filters and cross-over networks are composed of inductors and capacitors.

True, Magnepan speakers are simple resistances, particularly when directly tri-amped, because their voice-wires are arranged into straight lines up and down the proprietary membrane drivers, i.e. there are no wire voice-coils to add inductance and so there is no inductance created. Furthermore, those proprietary Magnepan membrane drivers are designed (tuned, if you will- refer to a good book on frequencies & mode shapes; I can recommend one if you want to learn the subject) for specific response ranges rendering extensive LC cross-over filters unecessary. Cone speakers present a very different set of physics and so powerful LC cross-over circuits must be used to control and blend their output ranges.

You do not have to investigate every duck on earth to cofirm that ducks quack.

[E-Stat]

You do not have to investigate every duck on earth to cofirm that ducks quack.

No, but there is quite a variance among ducks.

So the presence or lack of inductance is a primary source for audible differences among amplifiers. Is that the sole determining factor?

rw