Do Mono Block amps provide better sound ??


My question: do monoblock amps, that is, one amp per speaker, provide better sound than one box stereo amp?? I have read that a pair of mono amps provide the best stereo separation, imaging, soundstage depth.... Besides, taking up more floor space or rack space, and the necessity running a longer interconnect if each amp is behind the speaker, is it really worth it?? Thank you Jim
sunnyjim
A more useful question might be, if you spend the same money, is an integrated, Pre/Power, Pre Monoblocks, better. Depending on the price and other variables, I suspect it is the integrated. This has to be more cost effective, with one chassis and power chord, against 3. There are several integrated amps I could happily live with forever, including the Pathos Inpol2, I use now.
If cost is no object, then logically it has to be the Pre/monoblock. Is'nt cost an issue for all of us? Perhaps not
Ralph and others,

I am curious about whether the issues surrounding monoblocks also generally apply to low-powered amps. The lowest power Atmasphere amp, the S-30, is the only non-monoblock in the line. Is this just to hit a specific price point or is there less need for the separation that monos provide for low powered amps? I also don't see many SET amps that are monos.
No not really is my opinion but thats merely because my speakers dont need power so much .
The difference of monoblocks to a stereoversion is in the transformersection of the amp ,at least with krell and mark levinson , as far as i have read.
The transformers and caps are (overbuilt ) in the monos .
That usually improves dynamics and control .
So with a very current hungry ("big")speaker i would say go for mono if not a stereoversion woul be sufficient
To David12 ... You bring up an interesting point. I have always felt an integrated amp has sonic advantages over separates if it is done correctly. Unfortunately integrateds do not offer the really high power levels I crave in amplifiers.
Roscoeiii, the size of the amp is not important in this conversation- the benefits are the same. Price certainly has a lot to do with it too. You have an extra chassis, and certainly the need for more power transformers. These can be some of the most expensive parts in the amp.

In the S-30, the filament transformer is shared between the two channels. The B+ transformer has separate windings for each channel. In the driver supply, there are separate power supply legs for each channel. Since the driver is fully differential, it has fairly constant power draw on it, but even so we found it better sounding by having separate legs in the power supply.

Had we built the amp on separate chassis, it would have cost nearly as much as the M-60.