Specifications
10
Specifications You Can Hear
Our dedication to sonic purity, and to the concept of cumulative error
demands that we design and build our amps and processors to be the
cleanest in the industry. And we do! ZAPCO amps are the standard by
which other amps are measured. However, it concerns us when one
specification (THD) that can’t be heard in most modern, high end amps
becomes the only meaningful specification manufacturers seem to publish.
THD is only one of a number of specs that make ZAPCO amps sound
better than the others, and, of the four prime specs, it is probably the least
obvious in normal use.
• Damping Factor:
The most common misconception about ZAPCO amps is that we
drastically under-rate our power output. Not true, it just sounds that way.
Today’s music, of all styles, has a great deal of bass content. Damping
describes an amps ability to control a woofer. An amp with poor damping
will leave bass notes sounding soft and undefined, regardless of its power.
In most amp lines, the largest units have damping factors between 200
and 400. In the ZAPCO Competition series, our smallest amp has
dampening of over 875. Since rock solid bass is perceived as a function of
power, our 100 watt amp sounds like other companies’ 300 watt amps.
• Slew Rate:
A similar situation exists in the higher frequencies. Ever turn up the
volume and hear cymbals sounding like finger-nails on a blackboard?
That’s because the amplifier simply wasn’t fast enough to accurately
reproduce the high frequency ring of the cymbals. A higher slew rate
means a faster amp, which means crystal clear highs. ZAPCO amps have
the highest slew rates in the industry. Once again, clear defined, sound is
perceived as a function of power.
• Signal to Noise Ratio:
Noise is an ever-present problem in auto-sound reproduction. ZAPCO
approaches this problem in two ways. First, is at the input source. Our
amps can all use the SymbiLink balance line inputs, which drastically
reduce the noise coming into the amp. Secondly, ZAPCO amps are built
with the highest quality, lowest noise components available. We have the
highest signal to noise ratios in the industry. The extra money we spend
on better components is directly rewarded with better sound.