NimaBeamer

Hi thank you for your answers, what would I need to take into account when plugging the KW120 into the Behringer, why would it be difficult? The Dayton seems hard to come by in Germany. I am using an AntiMode 8033C DSP which has already a subsonic filter (10Hz).

Hello, I could get my hands on a used KW120THX passive subwoofer to augment my other two KW120 (with KA1000THX). Getting another KA1000THX for the used KW120 would be too expensive and not in my budget. And used ones are also very scarce in Germany. Does anyone have experience with an alternative amp? I have heard the Dayton SA1000 is very similiar in design to the KA1000THX. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Best regards from Germany Nima

Thank you for those tips. But I guess the oil would not be applied to a glazed wood finish?

Is this a serious reply or a joke?

What kind of oil should I use on my cherry CF-3?

Hey NimaBeamer, Congratulations on the Parasound 2 ch pre-amp! The "harshness" could be caused by your room. The louder you play it, the more the room comes into play. Have you played with speaker placement, when playing loud? Or tried covering bare flooring, tables, walls with a blanket or something, trying to calm reflections? The room is a major component on any stereo system. Keep us posted and continue to enjoy this great hobby of ours! Dennie Hi Dennie, I have treated the room with accoustic absorbers and have of course a rug. The absorbers are made of a special glass wool (Isover) and are placed in the places where 1st reflections occur, front corners are filled with wool as well. I have measured my RT60 with REW and it looks very good. Nima

ka7niq I never doubted this approach but it was good to try it out before purchasing new amps from my hard earned money. Thank you very much for bringing my attention to this "mod". [Y][Y] How did you set the levels? Did you read the levels with a meter? Did you put LF to full and then just reduced the Horn? Edit: n.b. I am asking because the Parasound multi-channel amp I am looking to purchase has input level controls but afaik they are not marked ones, so I guess I have to find the rigth setting on both horn channel and remember them. I am also looking for a "set & forget" setting rather than changing the gain of the horn too often.

Ok, I sat down and I think I have done my homework. I borrowed the amp from my girlfriend and tried some bi-amping (horizontal). At the beginning I noticed the tighter bass and control of the Epics the Pioneer amp of my girlfriend had over the Epics even though it was only rated at 100W compared to the 200W of my Marantz. I also listened to only the LF and the HF section alone with the other amps shut off. I was suprised who little came from the Horns, now I understand why everyone says they do not need much power. I then tried to take the level of the horns down a bit and find a sweet spot. Eventually I settled with the input level at 9 o'clock, the Pioneer amp did not have level controls. With that setting I had a kicking, thumping bass and good midranges and highs without sounding too fatiguing or harsh. The bass was so powerfull that at times I thought my subwoofers were activated as well.

Thank you again Moray. I received my new 2ch Parasound pre-amp today and did some listening. It is definately an improvement over the 2ch with the Yamaha AVR. I cannot wait to add the DAC. One more question, I mostly notice the harsh sound when play music loud. Is this a sign of my Marantz Mono amps caving in? Also what is best practice of setting input level controls on an amp? I have currently set the levels on my Marantz amps to full. Later when bi-amping, do I set LF amp to full and only turn down the HF section? I know there are different school of thoughts regarding setting input levels on an amp. Looking forward to hearing some ideas.

Thank you, I think I will also look for used Parasound amps since the German service center is close to where I live. One more question: Would bi-amping and turning the level on the HF down be the same thing/effect as for instance lowering the frequency from 1000Hz with a parametric EQ? Or would the level control have only an effect on the frequency starting from a certain volume or load? Sorry to ask these questions but I am no Technican or Electrian and I am trying to wrap my head around this.

Thank you Moray. Does the amp have to be able to play at 2 ohms? The amps which are stable down to 2 Ohm cost far more than 250 each here in Germany.

Hello, thank you again for those recommendations. Getting good Pro amps in Germany is a little bit difficult. There are many but I have not read good things about them. With vertical bi-amping the difficulty is finding the two same stereo amps which also have to have level controls. I was looking into Emotiva but they dropped level controls from their amps. How about a Parasound HCA 2205? http://www.parasound.com/vintage/hca2205at.php It is a little bit expensive even used but should provide ample power right? I have read a lot of good things about it. Any concerns using a multi-channel amp? Thanks, N.

Thank you everyone for the help. I think I will try the Bi-Amp with level controls route since I am shopping for a new amp anyway and can try it for a while with the Marantz Monos before I move them to the surrounds. What amplifier would be a good fit? Do you use the same brand for LF and HF? What specs should the amplifier have? I have read in another thread that although the Epics are quite efficent they would love high wattage? I am looking forward to hearing from you. Merry Christmas!

Hello Dennie & Moray, let me try and answer your questions: My room is fully treated with fiber absorbers both for LF and for 1st reflections etc. The CF3 are toed in to my listening position and on a 6" stand which is filled with sand. I have not replaced anything in the speakers because I am quite frankly afraid to open them up and I am not the DIY person. Are those treatments in the loudspeaker crucial? I could ask my hifi repair guy. Moray I found the dampening plates here in Germany but I do not know which kind of plastic you are describing. I will soon get a Parasound pre-amp and a Peachtree DAC and will then have a dedicated 2CH system which will fit into my HT set-up. I hope this will make a first difference. I was asking abou the bi-amping with level control of the horn because I have read that serveral times no in conjunction with the Epic CF-3. Looking forward to hearing more from you guys and thanks for the welcome! N.

Hello, I am from Germany and I think I am one of the few people who have Epics over here in Europe. Mine are V1 and I absolutely love them. I am driving them with two Marantz MA-700 Monos (200W) and I also notice a slight "harshness" or "hotness" from the horns on some music tracks. I have expermented with lowering treble about -2 dB @2500Hz with the GEQ on my Yamaha and I like what I am hearing. Would this bi-amping approach be similar or better? I might have the opportunity to get my hands on a Parasound HCA 1500. Would that be a good fit for driving the LF section and let the Marantz (they also have input level controls) take the horns? Any other Amp recommendations? I am looking forward to your responses! N.