The ShadowMusic Web Community

Will a hand wired amp be more reliable than a machine one.will it sound any better / different. If you look at the AC4 12 and compare it to the hand wired version it's about 40% of the price . Is the hand wired worth it or just the latest gimmick to get us to part with more cash.

From past experience I wouldn't waste money on hand wired when the two sound identical, the hand wired is around £600 and the normal production model is £245 - I've tried them side by side.

That's what I thought. Thanks for the advise and experience Dave.

At that level the normal bog standard Vox AC-4 is for in the house , but if we're talking Matchless, Cornell etc then thats another story.

It's one of those perpetual myths shrouded in dark secrets designed to make somebody a bob or two more.
Printed circuit boards are just wires laid flat.
More reliable, less prone to vibration damage - and quicker and cheaper to make.

Hi,
Hand wired and point to point boards are easier to repair and alter , Makes soldering easier also for DIY jobs.
But that's my opinion.
C-C

Hand wired, especially turret boards are easier to repair/upgrade & modify

Do they sound any better ?, possibly but the differences are very small & due more to better spec components than construction method.

Are hand wired amps worth the extra expense NO !

High end "boutique amps" are usually hand wired because that's how they are made not that they sound/work better than pcb based amps

Some really high end audiophile amps in the 10k + price range are pcb based

I have a "budget" AC4TVH amp that retails around £150 & it sounded good, then with a couple of mods that cost less than £30 (most of that spent on the power scaling) it has turned into a great little amp pcb & all.

Dick.