What makes monoblock amplifiers better

Compared to a stereo 2-channel amplifier, monoblocks outperform them. Why is that? Paul helps us understand.

[@SantanKGhey1234]

I have each of my monoblock amplifiers connected to separate electricity utility companies.

[@canmisir]

Same here, but I make sure one generates its power from the Southern hemisphere sources, and the other from Northern. Less interference that way.

[@DjD1MAH]

you could the plug the 2 amps in to 2 seperate power stations on opposites ends of the country. those power stations are using gas from two different continents

[@AtulClassics]

What if a country is small like Kuwait or Qatar

[@24bellers20]

Nice one.😁

[@glenncurry3041]

The voltage drop over that long of lines would be unacceptable.

[@williambracken1447]

I actually set mine up this way

[@CANKRAFTWERK]

Two different Stromtanks

[@nicovandyk3856]

I have always wondered exactly that: If you plug monos into the same circuit, they will interfere with one another. So glad that you clarified you need a power regulator to prevent that. Question then why not have two power supplies in one chassis?

[@Error2username]

Monoblokk = separation between left and right. Far better separation Vs a 2chan+ amp. It all depends on your pre amp at that point

[@Evil_Peter]

You can certainly do that. You don't need it to be in two separate boxes as it's not hard to isolate the parts. There are even integrated amps with several power supplies so each part has it's own.

[@5thlevelweb887]

There is also the advantage of proximity to the speaker to better control the woofers.

[@phillipmorris9847]

you can np and many do, but why not is for the same reason separates are preferred over integrated you get a transformer and ps for each component that's isolated from the other, to further improve you get dedicated ps for each channel, and even better a transformer for each ps for each stage and each channel, even better if you put each transformer in its own box isolating it and to improve on that you have as large as possible capacitor power reserve banks, you can even improve on that by having a amplifier for each driver and on and on. and this is sorta what you get as you move up the line until your wallet cries for mercy .....lol

[@Evil_Peter]

@phillipmorris9847 You're right on that it puts strain on the wallet since in order to make separates the clearly best alternative you need to go pretty high in budget, otherwise paying for expensive redundant parts (the chassis are by far the single most expensive components in hifi gear, especially if well built) will mean that you eat up the budget for the active components. Getting high enough in budget eventually prevents that from becoming a limiting factor for component quality though.

[@rudolfglaser9664]

The best solution would be to use two or more independent power sources. Purists who use solar power to operate their stereo system are extremely challenged, because two suns as a primary energy source are currently not possible - no matter how much money you can spend :(

[@glenncurry3041]

I would question using solar power for a stereo. They use pulse density modulation to convert the DC to AC. Very noisy!

[@MrChristerBerg]

I assume that your hilarious comment is a joke 😂

[@xaviermontalban717]

This comment is pure gold, like some speaker wires

[@rudolfglaser9664]

@@glenncurry3041 If you think for a moment about why audio amplifiers need a primary transformer, even though their electronics run exclusively on direct current, then you can guess that real solar enthusiasts have converted their devices to pure direct current drive ... and therefore do not need DC-AC converters.

[@TimothySeale]

There was a company that used to make amps that were two channels in one chassis for stereo using dual power supplies. However, with digital instead of analog input and control sections and cost we just don't see that anymore really.

[@glenncurry3041]

It was very popular back in the day. Lots of companies had multiple power supplies in stereo amps, receivers even.

[@MrChristerBerg]

Yes, but then they figured out that space is always a limiting factor, so they either had to make each power supply section smaller, and keep in mind that that’s both a power transformer, as well as respectable amount of capacitors to have energy storage on hand for dynamic passages in the music, OR they could separate the two channels into two separate boxes. Alas…monoblocks. 😊

[@lnielse1]

While there might be some merit to Paul's technical explantations I wonder if there would be any audible differences to even the most discerning ear

[@mitchtaylor6512]

Probably not, my amplifier has a bigger power transformer than both of his BHK 600 amplifiers combined, and it's a regulated power supply.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

Yes there is

[@mitchtaylor6512]

@@Pete.across.the.street the only difference is speaker wire length. You can claim cross talk but it isn't a problem in properly designed stereo amps.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

@mitchtaylor6512 problem is, if you use that definition, not many amps are "properly designed "

[@mitchtaylor6512]

@Pete.across.the.street I don't buy those kind of amps

[@tutnallman]

Great transfer of wisdom

[@adrianadrianp5305]

I always look at over specced power supplies and mono amps, I also recommend fitting individual spurs from a dedicated CU to each socket from a separate switch with over specced cable (seriously, it's not as expensive as you might think and provides better isolation and drops impedance significantly)

[@firelord675]

I have electrostatic speakers, and switched to mono-blocks and the realism is awesome. Try Bi-amp your speakers will do similar improvements too. I think these changes have a much bigger effect on very sensitive equipment. If you have low end stuff, don’t bother doing any of this.

[@leegodwin2071]

Great answer Paul, thanks 👍

[@DrTune]

It really isn't. As usual with Paul you get some folksy handwaving, some ultra basic stuff (how transformers work) which makes everyone feel involved, a complete dodging of the question and any associated elephants in the room, and then we rapidly end with the conclusion that - folksy chuckle - if you can spend more you certainly should and your neighbors will admire you all the more for it. [end of video]. It really is nonsense. Why all this stuff about multiple power supplies and transformer secondaries etc? No, you don't do that, you - very obviously - have one power supply which is amply specified for the peak load of your (stereo or more channel) amplifier. If you want to measure the ripple of the power rails even under an extreme (and unrealistic musically) test load, you do, the equipment is very readily available. You ensure your power supply rails are nice and rock solid and... that's it. If you want to spend thousands on "dual monoblocks amps" have at it, it's your money, hell, get them gold plated, individually monogrammed, drizzled in chocolate, but if you believe you're listening to an objectively better sound system you're just another fool parted from their fat wallet.

[@leegodwin2071]

@@DrTune well of course. Having two monoblocks into two separate ac. Purifiers are going to be better than a single chassis plugged into a dirty ring main. I especially like the bit about secondary winding on the secondary side of transformers. Which I'm unsure about, wouldn't this half the power supply? If VP/VS=IP/IS=NP/NS would this make VP/VS=NP/NS/NS and then half I? Anyway this is all ridiculous. All we actually truly need to listen to music is a Spotify account and Google speaker.

[@garganega]

I like them for their smaller size and cooler running temperatures. I would have a hard time fitting a full size integrated or dual mono amp on my kitchen supply prep table shelf.

[@cyberprimate]

Is that more true for preamp or power amp ?

[@spudunit]

You had me at Big Wiggles, Paul.

[@gdownz1044]

I'd have mono blocks in a NY minute if I had the space in the living room but I don't & the BHK 250 delivery is very nice especially with the P12. I've said it a few times before but I'll say it again... "THANKS PAUL" 👍💯🔊

[@jim97405]

How much is the difference? So if i have a 200wpc integrated amp with 20-20,000 hz at .01 distortion at full power and my speakers ar running 90 db at 20wpc, I will achieve better sonics if I have two monoblocks with the same specs?

[@mitchellchavis6430]

I use a Bryston 14bsst2 amp which uses 2 separate discrete transformers. It drives my Magnepan 20.1 speakers with ease. I’m assuming most stereo amps use one transformer as Paul is indicating?

[@mitchtaylor6512]

Two transformers has some advantages, but my amp has a 5kva dual domain transformer which is larger than most amps with dual transformers, and most monoblocks combined.

[@winsonip4447]

I believe the issue arises when you pack two-channel amplifier into a single box, as there is limited space for the transformer. The size of the transformer restricts the power output due to magnetic saturation in the core. The mono-block design solves this problem by allowing for a much larger transformer for a single channel, or you can build a separate box for a larger transformer, which will yield the same result for a two-channel amplifier.

[@mitchtaylor6512]

My stereo amplifier has a bigger power transformer than most monoblocks combined.

[@ShadyLittleBoz]

Thanks Paul.

[@user-od9iz9cv1w]

All shades of grey. Optimal solution: Use oversized power supplies Use monoblocks Use beefy power cords Use two 10 gauge 20 amp circuits to the breaker box Wire those up to two different 120V bus bars to the step down transformer

[@MrChristerBerg]

That’s what I have, and it works great, as predicted. 😊

[@ianbigsand7]

I do not believe that a decent mains supply to your home is going to modulate the mains voltage to anywhere near to a consequential degree. If that's an issue, then your home wiring or your electricity supplier has inadequate quality. In that case, maybe you have to overcome those deficiencies. Is mains power in the USA that poor? A powerplant may be useful to give a good low distortion sine wave power. I've wondered about shared power supplies and one channel affecting the other. Most demand is made by low bass, and generally, that is present on both channels, so both channels are going to place demands on the power supply. I'm sure that there are notable exceptions. Having said that, I use two monoblocks, but my reason is to have very short speaker cables to control the bass back-emf better.

[@richardsmith2721]

You can use really short runs of speaker wire too.

[@stevenholquin2127]

Dear Paul….Question “”Will i Develop Mononucleosis While Listening Through Two PS Audio Mono Blocks With One Hand Tied Behind My Back In a Sand Storm…….Will This Monotonous Monolithic Monologue Bring More Clarity and Definition and Potentially Subsequently Metabolize and Photosynthesize into Antibodies That Will Lead To Binary Variants That Will Reduce Lower Frequency Hum and Inflammation In My Ear Canal…..?”” Answer Paul “”I Explain This Conundrum in My Ten Volume Listeners Guide Books 📚 “”

[@mr.george7687]

Wouldn't a stereo amp w/ dual power supply be the same as separates?

[@glenncurry3041]

It is said that shared chassis has crosstalk. And you have to locate it central instead of each closer to it's speaker.

[@MrChristerBerg]

To locate two power supplies in the same chassis you, by definition, have to compromise on their size/heft. By separating each channel into a separate chassis, you alleviate a lot of the space constraints you practically have with a single chassis stereo amplifier. Alas, you have just tapped into probably the most beneficial aspects of monoblocks. For example, my Audio Research Reference 250 SE mono blocks have the same power supply in each of them that my Audio Research Reference 150 SE stereo amp has for both channels, in the same size chassis as each of the monoblocks. So effectively, each channel has access to twice the energy storage and power availability, but for the stereo amp it has to be shared.

[@marcusfountain1694]

I own a pair of Denon MONO block POA'S ,I also own AFX slot cars & we always used separate power packs for each track what a difference it makes.

[@ryanschipp8513]

Monoblock talk is just outrageous. I have three rigs in my place and none of them have monoblock amplifiers. The sound is glorious. If stereo amplifiers were extremely compromised sonically no one would make them. Monoblocks are a marketing strategy to just get more money out of consumers. I guarantee you if a blind test was done between the same companies stereo amplifier and their monoblock amplifiers no one will hear a difference.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

So because you don't have monoblocks in your system, and you haven't tried them, they don't make a difference? Makes perfect sense if you don't think about it. lol

[@ryanschipp8513]

@Pete.across.the.street good try petey. I did indeed to try a monoblock amplifiers and it made no difference. It's a myth. Let me guess, you own monoblocks and it's hard for you to accept it makes no difference

[@Pete.across.the.street]

@@ryanschipp8513 made a difference in my system ymmv

[@mitchtaylor6512]

​@@Pete.across.the.streetI'm not against monoblocks, but if you were to spend the same amount of money on a stereo amp as monoblocks most of the time you will get a better performing amplifier vs. the monoblocks. You are paying for 2 chassis vs. one.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

@mitchtaylor6512 that's assuming the chassis is the biggest driving factor in price. There's a lot more to pricing than COGS.

[@timessquarerecordscom1469]

My amp is 6 Watts I wonder if I would hear a difference. 🤔

[@markrowe8824]

at some points during this video it looks like Paul is doing the dance moves to the Birdie Song by the Tweets (search in KZbin for a video) 😀

[@nicovandyk3856]

Another question: Why have high-end audio companies not come together to create a standard for DC supply across all equipment? It seems a bit absurd that a power regenerator takes AC, convert to DC, back to a re-generated AC signal, which then goes to something like an amp that again converts it back to DC: why not convert it once to DC

[@Pete.across.the.street]

How would one standardize DC?

[@glenncurry3041]

AC was better at killing elephants.

[@JodyM2]

Does anyone make a Dual Mono block in one chassis with two plugs?

[@dlevi67]

Not with two plugs - that I know of. But it would be very easy to do from any true dual-mono build.

[@lohikarhu734]

the extreme lengths to justify non-audible (really) changes in "performance" seem to be designed to justify ludicrous prices for equipment that provide no real added value...i just looked at test results for some equipment, where a $2000 "combined" streamer/DAC/amp outperformed a *_$20,000_* streamer!

[@Pete.across.the.street]

Outperformed it how? You couldn't hear differences in a mono vs stereo setup?

[@dlevi67]

The question is: which tests? It's pretty easy to design equipment that works well on some standardised measures (e.g. THD at 1 kHz sine-wave on an 8 ohm resistive load) but still doesn't sound good.

[@Rowuk2024]

My naive question is: who buys amplifiers that are so challenged that the channels "appreciably" affect one another? The only time that a stereo amp would let one channel affect the other is when you have no headroom. Buy big enough and then you have no issue. My view is that monoblocks are better because they can be placed next to the speaker allowing for very short speaker wires.

[@beephex1]

Don't all amplifiers have capacitors to alleviate this problem?

[@lukeace347]

The most important advantage of 2 monoblocks is that you can sell 2 units and make double profit. The rest is debatable.

[@DrTune]

haha nail on the head.

[@FidelitySoundz]

Ring mains? Never heard that term before. I guess it’s what we call a “circuit breaker”.

[@kenquade5837]

A ring main is a circular circuit with both ends of the wire connected to the fuse. A typical ring main is 38 amps. But the wire does not need to be heavier because it is feeding current from both sides.

[@FidelitySoundz]

@ understood. Yeah we don’t use those here. I believe our electrical code (nec) requires radial circuits since we are 120v with some appliances requiring 240v

[@Error2username]

Its like why bi amp, when the crossover has crosstalk😂🎉

[@martinolson761]

If Amps. are just a "coil of wires" Why are they some damn expensive?

[@TheGranty1739]

The last amp I built had two completely independent power supplies so effectively two mono amps in a shared case .

[@randyduncan795]

Unless you have 208V 3-phase service all of your monoblocks are sharing the secondary of your single phase transformer out on the pole. With 208V 3--phase you have three different hots that are on a different transformer and provide 120V with reference to the neutral. For most of us with 120/240V single phase service it's better to run your gear on 240V. That does away with the neutral and all the noise problems that come with neutrals that are supposed to be at 0V but rarely are. Also, I don't get much in the way of wiggles until I run my monoblocks out of Class A. With over 100W on tap this rarely happens. When Hendrix or The Who require those 1000W peaks those wiggles are clearly visible but much less so at 240V likely to the reduction of I squared R loss. It's always fun to flicker the neighbor's lights which is easy to do to those who share the same transformer.

[@davidstevens7809]

A stereo amp running in bridge mode..and or running in stereo ..but in mono/shared signal they will have the same attributes of the mono amp but also is more flexable at first until a second same amplifier is purchased.

[@finscreenname]

I just use an amp that is almost twice the power of the speakers. Lots of headroom but you have to be careful because you can burn some stuff up.

[@jedi-mic]

It's not really modulating on 220 or 240 volts maybe on 115 but you wouldn't get it on a higher voltage

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

That's incorrect. Just the laws of physics argue with you. Power draw is identical. If at 120 volts it's twice the amount of current and at double that, 220 volts, half the amount of current. Power has to be the same and the line modulation is entirely dependent on the impedance in the wires.

[@RoderikvanReekum]

I do not like monoblock amplifiers at all!

[@schemkesa]

OMG every powersupply will compensate for small differences in voltage

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

Not true in a power amplifier.

[@DrTune]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio if you have an under-specced or poorly designer power supply, sure, just don't do that. It's incredibly easy to measure power supply ripple/droop etc. It's not exactly rocket science to design a comfortably over-specced and rock solid power supply (or buy in a module). Hell, add a bunch of low ESR smoothing caps, some inductors, go nuts. You do this all the time Paul, everyone in the electronics industry does. Quiet power supplies are very very standard electrical engineering, and don't need to cost thousands. You're competent enough to know this but that fact doesn't align with your business.

[@glenncurry3041]

Yes if you throw a regulator in which screws up the PS internal resistance/ Damping Factor. Otherwise the unregulated PS which sound significantly better will have to follow the laws of physics and sag.

[@mitchtaylor6512]

​​@@glenncurry3041 my amplifier is regulated and doesn't seem to have a problem with bass, so lower damping factor doesn't seem to have an effect after a certain number is reached. The reason you probably don't see regulated high powered solid state amplifiers is because of cost, much larger power transformer would have to be used.

[@glenncurry3041]

@@mitchtaylor6512 So you do not understand circuit design? Show us all a power amp output with a voltage regulator.

[@coldfinger459sub0]

And if you’re listening at normal, listening levels, you’re usually only consuming roughly one watt of power so there’ll be no effect on the mains power of the building wiring. Because you have so much excessive capability it’s like taking 1 teaspoon of water out of the ocean..

[@glenncurry3041]

Normal listening levels at a concert might be 80dbSPL - 90dbSPL? My Maggies easily suck >100W to get close to that at listening position.

[@coldfinger459sub0]

@ yes we all know about the Maggie’s. Exception to what’s normal average speakers 🔊 . Looking forward to getting my first pair myself. . . @ 120v we have 1500 to 1800W available

[@glenncurry3041]

@@coldfinger459sub0 While they are a well known example. They are not alone. Also remember we are talking dbs, logarithmic. If I am getting 80dbSPL peaks at my listening position using 100W (running around 250W actually) in order to get to a 90 dbSPL peak I would need ten times the power. It would take 1000W to deliver 90dbSPL peak. Times two channels and that outlet is drained.