Rolly Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Hi Guys What do you suggest the best amp to run my cornerhorns? Regards Rolly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnatnoop Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Do you have a budget in mind? Will this be for 2 channel only? Home theater applications? What have you used in the past, what did you like or not like about your previous units? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 My opinion only..... I feel the front end is where you really get the bang for your buck, especially with khorns. That said any neutral quite amp/precombo works well. I've run Mcintosh, vintage Sansui, Cayin, Rogue..... The Rogue is my favorite with very very tight bass, but even my cheapo Sansui au-7700 sounded really great. Didn't like my denon 5 channel...very thin Or my vintage tube sansui AU-111... to warm and very overly bloomy bass.... ( it sounds great on heresy's) Like gnatnoop said, determine your budget, you can get great results in the $800-$8000 range. I think you'll find that you don't have to spend a ton on amps as 50 watts is still overkill considering a lot of folks run 3-8 watt SET amps with great results..... A nice vintage Mcintosh 2250 works great, especially with a tube preamp. The Cayin integrateds are really nice and about $2k as is the Rogue Integrated. I've heard NOS valve's VRD's and they sound very very nice. Lots of choices! I put my money into the front end, with the best DAC ,turntable/ cart, source material I can afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I'm a SET fan, through and through but if you're looking for a single solution, you may be disappointed - especially with the low-watt amps (8 watts and under). The mids and highs will be glorious, like nothing else out there but the bass will be lacking and eventually, it'll become an issue if you listen to Pop/Rock and the like. The Khorns' bass bin needs at least 20 watts to really to its thing and more is better (to a point). I'd suggest a few options - all tubed as I've never heard a SS or digital amp that sounds as nice with Khorns. First, you can go the vintage route - Scotts, Fishers, Marantz, McIntosh, etc. sound very nice with horns and with a few modifications, can sound as good as most modern gear. Plus, you can get tubed integrated amps (Fisher, Scott, Sherwood, etc.) that'll work great and won't cost a lot. I wouldn't suggest a McIntosh integrated but their lower wattage amps sound great on Khorns - the MC-225 and MC-30 monos sounded the best in my system. Unfortunately, like Marantz, the Macs are getting expensive. Another option would be more modern tube amps. I have limited experience with the higher watt amps but a couple stand out - Music Reference RM9 and Transcendent Audio T8 OTL monos. The RM9 was powerful and liquid and the T8's were fast and accurate (though I could never completely rid them of a slight hum). BTW, whatever route you take, do not accept any noise..any! Khorns are very sensitive and will pick up and pass along any noise. That slight hum or background hiss robs you of the low-level detail that adds so much to the listening experience. Match your components, use a line conditioner or whatever it takes to rid the system of all noise. I can't tell you how many times I have been at a fellow enthusiast's house, listening to an otherwise wonderful system but the experience was diminished because of the noise . Another interesting route is a triode push/pull amp. I've heard a few of these and they all sound pretty darn good with horns and full-range speaks. I came across a Melody i2A3PP integrated amp a few months back and it sounded beautiful through a pair of vintage Tannoy speaks - detailed, quiet and powerful. If I still had a full set of Khorns, I'd definitely give it a try. Well-build using great parts, these can be had used for @$1500 and include a very nice line stage preamp so it may fit in your budget. Check it out and have fun.... http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/melody3/i2a3.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolly Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Hi Gnatnoop I have had a Harman & Kardon PM660 and now it has died and I went to a Shanling STP.80 valve amp and did not really like it and now it has blowen up the speaker power transformer. I was thinking or getting the following ????but not sure the slaes people want to sell you anthing and drum their gear up so at a stage I am not sure. http://www.digitalcinema.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=8200cdq http://www.digitalcinema.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=8200p ??? http://www.apollohifi.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=9&category_id=9&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=80&vmcchk=1&Itemid=80 What are your thoughts Cheers Heaps Rolly My email address is rolly@signasaurus.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Hi Guys What do you suggest the best amp to run my cornerhorns? RegardsRolly I can't say what you would like best. I can say I can't listen to mine at 30 watts. It does not take much to make these come alive. Of course if your already deaf, you could turn em up and feel the music. Taz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm a SET fan, through and through but if you're looking for a single solution, you may be disappointed - especially with the low-watt amps (8 watts and under). The mids and highs will be glorious, like nothing else out there but the bass will be lacking and eventually, it'll become an issue if you listen to Pop/Rock and the like. Any SET amp which doesn't make bass isn't using the proper output transformers (the same could be said about single ended pentodes also.) There's nothing about SET design itself which prevents amplification of bass frequencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I was thinking or getting the following ????but not sure the slaes people want to sell you anthing and drum their gear up so at a stage I am not sure. http://www.digitalcinema.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=8200cdq http://www.digitalcinema.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=8200p ??? http://www.apollohifi.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=9&category_id=9&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=80&vmcchk=1&Itemid=80 For those prices, the following would be my recommendation:http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/firstwatt4/f3.html http://www.renohifi.com/Instocklist.htm You'll never look back, IMHO. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm a SET fan, through and through but if you're looking for a single solution, you may be disappointed - especially with the low-watt amps (8 watts and under). The mids and highs will be glorious, like nothing else out there but the bass will be lacking and eventually, it'll become an issue if you listen to Pop/Rock and the like. Any SET amp which doesn't make bass isn't using the proper output transformers (the same could be said about single ended pentodes also.) There's nothing about SET design itself which prevents amplification of bass frequencies. That's true - I wont argue that with a decent SET amp - even 1.5 watts, there is plenty of bass information to be heard. I was thrilled with the bass coming from my 45 amps for several years but after hearing a fair share of well-implemented systems with higher power amps feeding Khorns (and the like), I found my system lacking the same visceral impact in the bass. I concluded that 1.5 watts wasn't enough power to easily push the Khorn's 15" woofers. I tried several amps but couldn't find one that could duplicate what I was hearing with the 45's on the top end so my solution was to split the signal running the top end with 45 amps and digital amps powering the bass bins. Its a bit more complex and the digital amps can't match the sonics of the 45 but I'm satisfied with the trade-off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Richard Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 There's nothing about SET design itself which prevents amplification of bass frequencies. How about insufficient power for many applications? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 There's nothing about SET design itself which prevents amplification of bass frequencies. How about insufficient power for many applications? Don, you have taken me out of context. I was answering the statement about SETs being lacking in bass. The required power, or actually voltage, for a given spl or visceral impact is another matter entirely. The solution which Mr. Bryan implemented is a fine way to have the best of both worlds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Richard Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Don, you have taken me out of context. I was answering the statement about SETs being lacking in bass. The required power, or actually voltage, for a given spl or visceral impact is another matter entirely. There is more bass energy than anything else in the audio spectrum with most music. If one does not have enough power available bass frequencies will not be properly reproduced, with most music. The added harmonic distortion of the SET can give the impression of deeper, louder bass but the oomph of true bass is missing with these amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Dirty ol' SET amps....rolled off on each end, clippin' a signal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Any decent amp, tube or otherwise will reproduce frequencies beyond the capabilities of most speakers. Also, all amps distort so you'll just have to pick your poison - its just that some poisons taste better than others... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebse2a3 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 There is more bass energy than anything else in the audio spectrum with most music. If one does not have enough power available bass frequencies will not be properly reproduced, with most music. The added harmonic distortion of the SET can give the impression of deeper, louder bass but the oomph of true bass is missing with these amps. So whats that kicking me in the A$$.....[][] when I listen to my low power system. (10 watts push/pull on LF and 5 watts on HF) playing Jub/K402 in an acoustically treated room. I think we all can agree that proper system matching is a must and of course that means loudspeaker/amplifier and spl required must be attended to. In all my experiences 5 watts on 104db efficient Khorns in a 2600sq ft room that was reasonably treated for 2/3 ch music reproduction could play louder than anyone cared to hear for more than one-song. I use to run my Khorns in a 8' x 14.5' x 22.5' room with a single ended 2A3 amp and the bass reproduction left little to be desired when compared to the real thing. The real thing in this case was a set of Yamaha Drums I kept in the room and I often as part of a demonstration for friends would play some recordings with high quality drum tracks through the system while also alternating with a friend playing the Yamaha Drums Live. All that I ever gave this demo to expressed amazement at what 5 watts with Khorns and the resulting realism when compared to the real deal in the same room. I also demoed with a highly modified Hafler DH200 (110 watts SS) amp as well as Dynaco MKIV (40 watts P/P tube) amps and the 2A3 SET always ended up the preference...unless they were just lying to me..[] I hope we can all agree all amps of any type/design/class aren't created equal...! and it doesn't matter what class or method (tube or solid state). So to judge any technology based on just a few examples isn't wise in any case that I can think of. Also one interesting observation that I've made over the years is that many who enjoy SET amps have had many experiences with almost all types and powers of amplifier technology and with all those experience in mind they choose the low power SET as their preference while understanding all amplifiers have imperfections. Yet many who would post against them have extremely limited experiences with SET amplifiers running high quality/ high efficiency loudspeakers. Just to be clear... I use what I believe give's me the best reproduction....and if you look at my system it includes SS, Tubes, Digital DSP and Horns and not a one of these will satisfy everyone but they sure make me happy..! I hope everyone here can say the same about their system of choice. miketn[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Two possibilities with SET amps... 1. Bad crossover design will compromise the interaction with the amp. A constant impedance crossover will help give a more balanced presentation. 2. Preamp matching will also have a large impact with the quality/balance of the total playback. In my system, number 1 has been one of the most important things for making my system have great bass and sound tonally balanced. My DHA2 crossovers mate extremely well with my 2A3 Moondog amps. The bass is great. It also helped that I dropped the mid driver down a few db, also helping the balance. The fact that the Merlin is one of the most underrated preamps and works super with the 2A3s is an added plus. [] Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbone Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 A low watt SET amp is all that is required. I prefer more power. It is true most of the time listen below 10 watts, but sometimes I like to raise the roof. I really like the Mcintosh MC275 or MC240. They both sound very nice with Klipschorns. I kindly disagree with the gentlemen that suggested that you do not get a Mcintosh integrated.I am currently running a Mcintosh MA2275 integrated tube amp with a set of Klipschorns and it sounds fantastic. I would highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnatnoop Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Hi Gnatnoop I have had a Harman & Kardon PM660 and now it has died and I went to a Shanling STP.80 valve amp and did not really like it and now it has blowen up the speaker power transformer. I was thinking or getting the following ????but not sure the slaes people want to sell you anthing and drum their gear up so at a stage I am not sure. http://www.digitalcinema.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=8200cdq http://www.digitalcinema.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=8200p ??? http://www.apollohifi.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=9&category_id=9&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=80&vmcchk=1&Itemid=80 What are your thoughts Cheers Heaps Rolly My email address is rolly@signasaurus.com Rolly, i have no experience with audiolab products. Based on my very cursory review, i see nothing to cause concern. I'm sorry your tube or valve experience was negative. As you can see in my profile, i'm running tube monoblocks with a tube preamp. I have recently added a HSU subwoofer and am learning how to set it's settings. I'm listening to it as i type and it's very very good. Probably the best i've heard, including the Klipsch dealer audition rooms. All systems are going to be a compromise. I don't have the disco club bass that knocks you out of your chair, they don't have the delicacy and intimacy and resolution. Find the characteristics of music that you like the most and go down that path. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolly Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hey cheers for that It is a bloody mine feold out there in regards to choosing the right gear, all Gifu retailers only beef up what they want to sell. I might even get my PM660 looked at, it did a good job Cheers ROLLY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jannegard1 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 i drive my klipschorn whith rouge audio m-150 and luxman cl360preamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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