XTi

[jbpjr]

I’m going to get some Crown XTi amps to power KL-650 and KL/KS-525, but not sure which model to go with, 1000 or 2000.

Is the XTi2000 too much power for these speakers? Would bridged XTi1000 be too much? How do you determine the proper amplification for rated 150 continuous 600 peak?

Want to get as much amp as possible so I have more flexibility down the road, but don’t want to damage the Ultras in the meantime.

Thanks for any info.

[Jeff Matthews]

My Crown could be said to be too much for my KHorns, as at most, I probably use only 60 watts of the 310/channel at 8 ohms that it will produce. But it never gets warm, not to mention hot.

Maybe the seller will let you try the 1000 and let you upgrade and pay the difference to a 2000 if you make your decision within the first week or so.

Of course, if you are looking for used, you will find it much cheaper and can get "overkill" for probably 1/3 of what you'd pay otherwise. I've seen my amp sell used for under $200.

[Chris A]

I'm running 4 XTi-1000s with my setup (see my profile) and I can say that I have rarely even seen the -20 dB LEDs light up, even above "hand volume".

I believe that the 1000s are more than plenty for your KL-650 (97 dB/W-m), KL-525 (94 dB/W-m) and your KS-525 (96 dB/W-m).

Chris

[SWL]

Concerning the fans. Right now I have two XTI-2000's. At one point I had five and one XTI-1000.

In my case, the fans on the 2000's NEVER come on......only if I'm going balls to the wall for 5-10 minutes plus. When I had the 1000 the fan came on much more frequently although not constant like some pro-amps.

[jacksonbart]

I have an XTi2000 with RF7s the fan has only come on once and it will not again, you can live with the XTi 1000 very nicely.

[jbpjr]

Thanks for info.

My main concern was, can the KL-650 handle 475 watt amp? Didn’t realize how simple it was. To avoid damage to speaker, just control volume.

Would using XTi2000 for fronts (650’s) and XTi1000 for rears (525’s) cause any problems, balance issues? Ideally, I would like to get 2 XTi1000 and 2 XTi2000, but only if it’s not going to cause any problems. Anyone using different rated amps on same system? Any potential issues doing this? Thanks

[Islander]

Using an amplifier that has higher output than the speaker is rated for is not a problem as long as you exercise some restraint with the volume knob. Do not try to see how loud your system will play and you'll be fine, because at even relatively loud listening levels, the high sensitivity of most Klipsch speakers mean they'll actually be drawing fairly small amounts of power from the amp.

Where the extra power comes in handy is in making musical transients sound more realistic, because they call for momentary peaks of very high power and if your amp can't provided it, the music will not sound as "live". As well, the amp will almost always be operating in its linear area, putting out a clean signal, and is very unlikely to go into clipping, which will damage your speakers. That's why driving an underpowered amp very hard is always a bad idea.

There are a number of forum members safely using 500Wpc or higher amps with speakers rated at 100 watts continuous, because momentary peaks, if they're not crazy high, will not damage the speakers.

However it's always a good idea, and in the case of using high-powered amps a very important idea, to turn the volume way down before powering off your system, to avoid giving the speakers a blast next time you power up.

Using more powerful amps for the front speakers than the rears could make it difficult to balance the levels, but double the amplifier power is only a 3 dB difference, so that shouldn't be much of a problem. As well, you may be sitting closer to the rear speakers than to the fronts, so they won't need as much volume anyway.

[Jeff Matthews]

However it's always a good idea, and in the case of using high-powered amps a very important idea, to turn the volume way down before powering off your system, to avoid giving the speakers a blast next time you power up.

Not to mention failing to do so will result in a blast that will scare the hell out of you! []

[Chris A]

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/amp_info/how_much_power.htm

[Islander]

Thanks for posting that site, Cask05! It was very informative. The calculator section let me know that my system was not over-powered, at least not if I wanted to play music at 110dB with 17dB of headroom for peak transients. I'd rarely play more than one song at that level, but it's good to know that I have enough power that the system is never overworked.

Turning down the volume to a more sensible 100dB would allow for 27dB of headroom, letting the dynamics of the music sound much more realistic, and isn't realistic what it's all about?

These numbers were based on an assumption that the sensitivity of the JubScalas is 106dB, midway between the 104dB of the La Scalas and the 108dB of the K-69/K510 tweeters.

[Chris A]

Note that the calculator apparently assumes that you are using passive crossovers and single-amp connections, i.e., you are not bi-amping. This is not true for my setup.

Edit: This calculator also does not take into account the room gain. This is a significant understatement of loudness in small rooms like the home environment.

Chris

[Islander]

This calculator also does not take into account the room gain. This is a significant understatement of loudness in small rooms like the home environment.

Yes, I didn't account for room gain, which could be 3-6dB. In any case, I'm not short of power.

[jbpjr]

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/amp_info/how_much_power.htm

Thanks for link

Guess I'm kind of working backwards. Will be replacing the KL-650's, so trying to get amps for future speakers, but ones that I can use with current set-up.

[Jeff Matthews]

In the "Garage Sale" sectionof this forum, someone has Cornwalls listed for $550. They seem to look "ok." If they actually do look good, $550 is a good price. Unless you just have a fitful upgrade bug, they could be the last speakers you ever purchase. And due to higher efficiency, they require less amp power.

[jbpjr]

looking at 3-way cineam speakers

[Islander]

"Cineam"? Is that a brand or a type or what?

[jbpjr]

cinema, commercial speakers

[Islander]

Now you're talking! Are you thinking of 3-way Jubilee 535s? Most people think the 2-way version is plenty for home use.

[jbpjr]

jbl 3731, klipsch kpt-335, or similar

[DrWho]

Is budget an issue? On one hand you're talking XTi 1000, but on the
other hand the KL-650 system isn't that inexpensive either...

The
reason I ask is because Crown makes other amplifiers that are better
than the XTi. For instance, the I-Tech 5000-HD would be a major step up
in sound quality:

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/itechhd.htm

Of course, it costs a whole heck of a lot more too.

If you don't need the DSP, then the CTs series would be my second recommendation:

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/cts.htm

The
reason I recommend those two lines is because they're using a Class-I
BCA output stage, which is going to sound better than the other
topologies that Crown uses (which I believe is mostly Class-H these
days).

The amplifier power is mostly an irrelevant spec as long as
you've got enough power to drive the speakers loud enough. If "loud
enough" doesn't exceed the capabilities of the speaker, then you don't
have to worry about there being extra reserve available in the
amplifier.

If you're set on going the XTi route, then I would
recommend sticking with the XTi-1000. It has lower gain, which means
lower noise floor. Hiss will probably start becomming a concern when
you make the transition to large format drivers. It's also better to
use the same amplifier all around because then you don't have to
compensate for any gain and possible phase differences between
amplifiers.