Ski Bum

Dr. Morbius, my forte II performed holodeck-esque wonders in a room of very similar dimensions. In that room, power simply was not an issue, and I doubt it will be for you (even if you go with something less sensitive than fortes, KG 5.5, or others). I think that you may have trouble with the larger three-way speakers and necessarily short listening distance in that small of a room. I was able to get away with it because the fortes were deeply corner loaded (but off the floor, and heavily toed in) keeping the distance to the listening area >12'. If you have the flexibility for more room hogging, free standing placement, you can (would be advised to) use smaller speakers, as discussed in Maynard's thread here. Power wouldn't be an issue with that approach either, and it too can perform incredible acts of stereophonic holography. That's a pretty good room dimension wise to work with. Good luck!

Jay, you seem to be operating under a rather common misunderstanding. Amps are about having the requisite power on tap to achieve the loudness levels you want. Your amp has serious muscle. I highly doubt that you're lacking in power. You say you are dissatisfied with the bass response, which is a frequency response issue rather than a power issue. Frequency response problems in the bass are largely related to the room's modal behavior. This is exactly why moving your speakers as derrickdj1 suggested can really help. Each room is it's own mix of modal messiness as determined by room dimensions. Also, you can realize cabin gain in the lowest octaves by proximity to walls. It's a balancing act, and fortunately one you can play with by trying different locations for your mains. Even a few inches can make a significant difference, so play around with it. Multiple sources of bass can also really help with modal smoothing (do you use a sub? Consider using the $$ you have for the vintage NAD for a sub instead, as that would get you closer to where you want to be). And then there is equalization for taste. I'm pretty sure your Integra has something to offer there. Don't be afraid to use it.

I don't mean to spoil your plans on such a beautiful Friday afternoon, but consider a few things before proceeding. The RF-83 with their triple woofs present a low impedance load. RF-7II are also closer to 4 ohms than 8. Bridged amps will see half of that. NAD specifically states that the amps should only be used in bridged mode with speakers of 8 ohm minimum impedance. Driving lower impedance loads with them in bridged mode is a recipe for lots of heat and premature amp failure. Those amps are beasts as is. I still have one of those model's kid brother in the 2100, and even it is a beast. It will really do 250 watts into four ohms, and for much longer than just a few cycles, confirmed on the bench when I recapped it a few years ago. I'm not sure what the 2600/2700THX will do, but NAD didn't lie on the spec sheet of the 2100. For the 2700, NAD claims 600 watts into four ohms. That is the IHF dynamic power rating method, so for music it's not quite that much, but it's far more than it's rated continuous power. If you really need more, there are better options than bridging a pair of 25 year old amps and driving a load they're not recommended for.

Kind of a feeler on this. I have an NAD C162 I no longer have use for. I was hoping someone here may want or need such a thing. About the unit: -Mint condition, original packaging, manual, remote -typical old school goodies (respectable phono pre, dual tape loops, tone controls) -dual pre-outs, hot enough (14v) to drive low input sensitivity amps to full power, and one set of pre outs that can be reduced 0-12 db. This gives a bit more flexibility than the typical stereo pre amp and comes in handy if you use multiple amps for whatever reason. I've used them to feed the main amp for the fronts and an auxiliary amp for Hafler Dynaquad-style rear channels, and to feed the flea watter and the backup big amp simultaneously (I switch back and forth, depending on the demands for loud and proud or more low key, seductive sound). The extra pre outs can be used for bi-amping, or for another zone/room. I have no real idea what these go for, but a couple of benjamins would tempt me. I can post pictures if necessary.

You guys are acting worse than our presidential candidates. Grow up!

Yes it would. Mark could change his identity but never change his style of writing. Hmm. I found Mark to be more sophisticated with language and logic than JoSteph ever seemed to be. Are you folks absolutely sure JoSteph was just a Mark Deneen sockpuppet?

Just a wild guess based on the drivers involved, that those in the Quartet probably don't experience thermal compression until well beyond where the drivers in the 280's would. That doesn't mean that the 280's aren't a fine speaker.

Moray makes some good points, very relevant to the room and intended implementation. Trade a little dynamic capability, gain some more extension and near-field friendliness. Word on the grapevine is the 160's are the gem of the RP lineup, maybe those w/ subs would be even better than 280's, with higher WAF. Hopefully your bomb shelter is large enough for the requisite distance from the Quartets for proper integration between drivers.

Well, you know what they say about wives and lives, so it looks like tall/skinny speakers are in your future. But as far as regrets, yes, you will regret selling the Quartets, so keep them for your office, basement, garage, bomb shelter, or wherever you can stash them.

I can't bring myself to slam you for recommending an amp that is probably the closest thing to the proverbial "straight wire with gain" in existence. I kind of want one myself. I still think that the OP would be served quite well by the Marantz he listed, particularly if he adds a couple subs to the equation. I would suggest he prioritize subs before external amps, and before chasing down a dedicated (and pricey) two-channel rig. Unless he's filthy rich. If that's the case, let's proceed to suggest ways to spend snaky's money!

That Marantz is a fine receiver and should serve your purposes. Forget about bi-amping. Just put it out of your mind. No benefit from doing so from an AVR as you propose at all. 5.1 should suffice unless you're setting up a theater with multiple row seating.

The simple, low parts count, point to point wired amps are practically indestructible. I guess I simply disagree with Craig's post, and felt Maynard was just putting the reliability/maintenance factor into perspective, rather than engaging in denialism. I want a Horus in Tool Shed dress.

The world can't end, Better Call Saul season two starts tomorrow!

Tough, but not new at all. Social strata has always existed and always will. If a comfortable life is any indicator of using the right ingredients in the proper amounts, I'd say whatever we're mixing right now is a pretty good recipe. I'd say what we're mixing now is marginal to unravelling. Add a new layer of inebriate fog into the blend and who knows what'll occur. IMHO we need to be adopting behaviors understood to enhance the human condition and I remain unconvinced that easy access to MJ is such a swell idea. Imagine visiting the grand kids and finding them sloppy stoned glued to their electronic games - week in and week out. I dunno - I s'pose if they churn out good grades, can be articulate and informed, objective, etc.......... that being in a chronic state of giggly jello makes little difference. But does prohibition actually reduce easy access to drugs for children? We shouldn't adopt a policy of prohibition out of sentimentality or moral righteousness when it's proven so counter productive. If you really want to limit kids' access to drugs, then we need to try a more sensible approach, where we don't cede control and power to the unsavory elements in the black market, waste a fortune doing it, ruin the lives of those with records and the obscene percentage of our people incarcerated, and perpetuating what is the modern equivalent of Jim Crow, all while failing to reduce kids' easy access to drugs.

I don't think that's the case. The detector would display the interference pattern (indicating the passage of a gravitational wave) for oblique hits too, any perturbation of space-time enough to result in an interference pattern. The detectors are non-directional, at least at this primordial phase of this new method of observing the cosmos. The fact that the detected blips were separated by the exact time as the light distance between the detectors also supports that it was not some local seismic event, but something propagating at the speed of light. Anyone catch Charlie Rose last night? Interesting discussion on the confirmation of gravitational waves, including the fact that these gravitational waves occur at audible frequencies, allowing the scientists to convert the interference patterns from the detector into audible sounds. Seems that there are a whole lot of different predictable "sounds" from the various celestial objects and events that the detector should easily be able to confirm, so stay tuned! It may even be possible to detect the long decayed echo of the Big Bang, although it would be so faint that we'll need much bigger ears to even get close. This is a completely novel way for us to explore the universe, folks, literally listening to gravitational waves. This is big, as much as Galileo pointing his telescope skywards. Just too cool for words.

But that's just the thing. They need to reschedule MJ so proper research, at our best research hospitals and universities, with peer review, can take place. Our bodies are rife with cannabinoid receptors, they do modulate things (mood, pain, etc), and it demands proper study. There is no rational reason why MJ should be schedule 1. And the freakin' banking industry needs to get it together and serve the MJ businesses. Also related to the sched 1 situation.

Still sched 1 unless I missed the memo.

I have not demo'd the super zen. The differences that I'm aware of are the meters (which seems pointless on a self-balancing/cathode bias amp) and the newer output transformers, which are still tiny. Output iron is significant in tube amps, but I'm not sure how much better the new ones are over the old ones, whose bandwidth exceeded that of my fortes. As for the 'dry' comment, that is mainly in comparison to a direct heated triode amp. The Decware will be slightly 'wet' compared to solid state, just not as 'wet' as some other tube approaches, which I think makes it a good first tube amp for those coming from solid state.

The Decware SE84 'zen' amps are kind of on the dry side of the single ended tube spectrum, if that makes sense. Less ripe or full than similarly powered direct heated triodes, generally speaking. But they deliver the SE goods, with plenty of 'wetness' in the sense of revealing the acoustic space in the mix and superb imaging/soundstaging. Top marks in that regard. If you can find a good deal on a used one, it would be a nice initial voyage into the tube zone. I had a SE84C driving forte II in a 13x19x8 room, deeply corner loaded but slightly off the floor, and the response was deep, copious, surprisingly not boomy/ringy, and got louder than I could personally stand before gross clipping occurred. It was great, very Khorn-esque in it's presentation, like the whole room was wearing cans, it really put you in the music. I miss that room and system setup, it was just about perfect. In a much larger room, further distance from corners, and still stand mounted, the 2 watts is enough for pleasantly loud but the amp's limits were reached much sooner, of course. What are you working with, room wise?

This is the coolest shit ever. Some other good pieces from one of my favorite cosmology authors HERE and HERE

Curiosity about the cosmos is one thing, morality is another, and they have nothing to do with each other unless you believe in the zodiac. It's bad luck to be superstitious.

I think every post you make is a desperate plea for attention.

Jo, you really need to get a grip, go find a healthier outlet for whatever angst it is you're suffering.

Klipsch road trip! Drive to Chicago! edit: oops, those are in CT. Still, extended heritage are my vote, if you can find a good pair.

Except in Jo's universe, where his own wacky thoughts are the fundamental reality, and it's his thoughts that give substance to the moon, chairs, the Denver Bronco's defense, etc.