Hi.

While I like my nice valve amp, at 40WPC, it doesn't have quite
the kick I sometimes need for driving my (4 Ohm nominal) Dynaudio
Audience 52SE speakers.Not enough voltage headroom for serious bass
as in Bjork, for example.

I have a very strong suspicion that these speakers would benefit
well from being driven FIRMLY by a very big stiff (low Z_out) power
amp.

So in a couple of months' time, all being well, I might be after
such an amplifier. I reckon I'll pay up to about 1500 GBP, and I
want something that's rated AT LEAST 150WPC into 8 Ohms, and
achieves as nearly as possible a doubling of that power into 4 Ohms.

What's out there at that kind of price?


Thanks.


Martin

P.S. I'll still be hanging on to the valve amp!
--
M.A.Poyser Tel.: 07967 110890
Manchester, U.K. http://www.fleetie.demon.co.uk

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 19:51:33 GMT, "Fleetie"
wrote:

Hi.

While I like my nice valve amp, at 40WPC, it doesn't have quite
the kick I sometimes need for driving my (4 Ohm nominal) Dynaudio
Audience 52SE speakers.Not enough voltage headroom for serious bass
as in Bjork, for example.

I have a very strong suspicion that these speakers would benefit
well from being driven FIRMLY by a very big stiff (low Z_out) power
amp.

Correct.

So in a couple of months' time, all being well, I might be after
such an amplifier. I reckon I'll pay up to about 1500 GBP, and I
want something that's rated AT LEAST 150WPC into 8 Ohms, and
achieves as nearly as possible a doubling of that power into 4 Ohms.

What's out there at that kind of price?

Rotel RB1080/1090 (hoooj clean power for not much cash), Meridian 557
(one of the best at any price), Yamaha P4500 (massive power at 720
watts per channel into 4 ohms, dirt cheap, but has fan cooling)

--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote
Rotel RB1080/1090 (hoooj clean power for not much cash), Meridian 557
(one of the best at any price), Yamaha P4500 (massive power at 720
watts per channel into 4 ohms, dirt cheap, but has fan cooling)

Cheers Ears.

Yeah actually I already checked out the RB1090 and 1080 on the web
cos one of my local dealers does Rotel. Interesting to hear a recommendation
for it. I saw from the published specs that both claim the same damping
factor, just one's got more watts. TBH I don't need the kind of power
that the 1090 has to offer, and if the DF is the same, I probably may as
well go for the 1080.

On the Rotel website it claimed some stupid power consumption for the
1090, over a kilowatt. Do you happen to know whether that's the quiescent
value (class A all the way or something) or the "all guns blazing" power
requirement?

I'm not familiar with the Meridian. I'll have a look.


Thanks again.


Martin
--
M.A.Poyser Tel.: 07967 110890
Manchester, U.K. http://www.fleetie.demon.co.uk

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 15:52:09 GMT, "Fleetie"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote
Rotel RB1080/1090 (hoooj clean power for not much cash), Meridian 557
(one of the best at any price), Yamaha P4500 (massive power at 720
watts per channel into 4 ohms, dirt cheap, but has fan cooling)

Cheers Ears.

Yeah actually I already checked out the RB1090 and 1080 on the web
cos one of my local dealers does Rotel. Interesting to hear a recommendation
for it. I saw from the published specs that both claim the same damping
factor, just one's got more watts. TBH I don't need the kind of power
that the 1090 has to offer, and if the DF is the same, I probably may as
well go for the 1080.

Forget 'damping power', it's just about the most irrelevant number
there is - so long as it's more than ten!

On the Rotel website it claimed some stupid power consumption for the
1090, over a kilowatt. Do you happen to know whether that's the quiescent
value (class A all the way or something) or the "all guns blazing" power
requirement?

That's the drain at full power, necessary if you only have a
theoretical maximum efficiency of about 75%, and 800watts power
output!

I'm not familiar with the Meridian. I'll have a look.

Hard to find a used one, but should be around.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Stewart Pinkerton wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 15:52:09 GMT, "Fleetie"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote
Rotel RB1080/1090 (hoooj clean power for not much cash), Meridian 557
(one of the best at any price), Yamaha P4500 (massive power at 720
watts per channel into 4 ohms, dirt cheap, but has fan cooling)

Cheers Ears.

Yeah actually I already checked out the RB1090 and 1080 on the web
cos one of my local dealers does Rotel. Interesting to hear a recommendation
for it. I saw from the published specs that both claim the same damping
factor, just one's got more watts. TBH I don't need the kind of power
that the 1090 has to offer, and if the DF is the same, I probably may as
well go for the 1080.

Forget 'damping power', it's just about the most irrelevant number
there is - so long as it's more than ten!

On the Rotel website it claimed some stupid power consumption for the
1090, over a kilowatt. Do you happen to know whether that's the quiescent
value (class A all the way or something) or the "all guns blazing" power
requirement?

That's the drain at full power, necessary if you only have a
theoretical maximum efficiency of about 75%, and 800watts power
output!

I'm not familiar with the Meridian. I'll have a look.

Hard to find a used one, but should be around.

Following on from what Mr Pinkerton was saying

There is a Meridian 557 available second hand here.
http://www.centralaudio.co.uk/ £900. Now that is excellent value!

On 29 Sep 2004 03:30:05 -0700, (Stuart Stebbings)
wrote:

Stewart Pinkerton wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 15:52:09 GMT, "Fleetie"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote
Rotel RB1080/1090 (hoooj clean power for not much cash), Meridian 557
(one of the best at any price), Yamaha P4500 (massive power at 720
watts per channel into 4 ohms, dirt cheap, but has fan cooling)

Cheers Ears.

Yeah actually I already checked out the RB1090 and 1080 on the web
cos one of my local dealers does Rotel. Interesting to hear a recommendation
for it. I saw from the published specs that both claim the same damping
factor, just one's got more watts. TBH I don't need the kind of power
that the 1090 has to offer, and if the DF is the same, I probably may as
well go for the 1080.

Forget 'damping power', it's just about the most irrelevant number
there is - so long as it's more than ten!

On the Rotel website it claimed some stupid power consumption for the
1090, over a kilowatt. Do you happen to know whether that's the quiescent
value (class A all the way or something) or the "all guns blazing" power
requirement?

That's the drain at full power, necessary if you only have a
theoretical maximum efficiency of about 75%, and 800watts power
output!

I'm not familiar with the Meridian. I'll have a look.

Hard to find a used one, but should be around.

Following on from what Mr Pinkerton was saying

There is a Meridian 557 available second hand here.
http://www.centralaudio.co.uk/ £900. Now that is excellent value!

And *WOW*, a pair of Avantgarde Duos for less than 4 grand!!! Also,
and just as good value as the Meridian, a Krell KAV 250A for £1995.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote
Also,and just as good value as the Meridian, a Krell KAV 250A for £1995.

*drool*