Music Is Better With Monos

Monoblocks. Overkill, right?

The use of conjoined-channel, “stereo” amplification is so ubiquitous that most folks look at two big separate mono amps and say, “Nope!”

Nonetheless, the discovery and development of amplification began as a mono endeavor. Actually, the stereo amp is a modern development if you think about it.

An amplifier does one thing: it takes power from the wall, processes it, and then whips it up and down in big volt swings to represent the music signal fed into it. Amplifiers turn our wall power into music, which is a wildly complex thing. They have a tough job.

When you consider that speakers in a room perform the task of re-blending the left and right signals in front of you, you can see a massive role in the eventual stereo image they play.

So, question: Would it be better to keep those signals separate until they get to the speakers?

You’re darn right it would. That’s why we have monoblocks and dual-mono amps. Blending isn’t the amp’s best skill set — let’s leave that to the purpose-built blending machines, our driver-laden sound boxes.

When two channels of amplification don’t share a power supply and don’t share a ground, in general, we get lower noise per channel. Noise is the bane of all good sound.

But we also get better instantaneous current output for each channel when we separate the supplies. Two channels sharing a power supply cap bank will pull energy potential away from each other based on what the signal does. Yes, this is a small variable, but small variables result in real sonic changes with a complex input like music.

The last thing I can think of to explain the benefit of monoblocks is wattage. An amp running one channel only means that both heatsinks are free for the taking. Slap a few more output devices on there why don’tcha. Let’s dissipate some energy.

If you are lucky enough to have a flexible and well-appointed dealer, ask some time to hear the stereo version and the monoblock version of the same amplifier compared to one another. At The Music Room, we're excited to soon finish construction of a pair of no-holds-barred listening rooms that will accomplish this purpose for our Colorado customers.

Having worked for an amplifier manufacturer, I’ve performed this type of comparison many times. And the results are always clear as day. Music is meant to be amplified in mono!