steelere Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 just bought a set of k horns for 1500.00 nice shape will a phase linear 700 series two amp rated at 360 per channel be a good match thank you brent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCturboT Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 Brent, Congratulations on your K-horn purchase. So,what's your opinion of them? How do they sound with your new Phase Linear amp? Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 All I have to say is that an amp rated at 360 watts per channel is quite a bit more than the recommended MAXIMUM of an amp rated at NO MORE THAN 105 watts per channel for the k-horns. But, hey...if you want blown tweeters and such, I guess that is your decision! You don't NEED more than even 25 watts per channel with k-horns to blow the windows out of your house!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 Absolutely NOT! That Phase Linear would be a great pro audio amp if it didn't blow-up so easily. It will sound steely and harsh even on cones and domes. You need a high quality, high Class A biased SS amp around 50 to 100 watts with a large power supply and made with modern components. I'd look at an amp with MOSFETs if possible. A good alternative would be a 50 watt, or so, tube amp. You could even build a tube amp fron a kit. You will normally operate the amp at 1/100 of a watt, so the first watt is the most critical. It must be squeaky clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 ---------------- On 2/3/2003 10:22:58 PM John Albright wrote: Absolutely NOT! That Phase Linear would be a great pro audio amp if it didn't blow-up so easily. It will sound steely and harsh even on cones and domes. You need a high quality, high Class A biased SS amp around 50 to 100 watts with a large power supply and made with modern components. I'd look at an amp with MOSFETs if possible. A good alternative would be a 50 watt, or so, tube amp. You could even build a tube amp fron a kit. You will normally operate the amp at 1/100 of a watt, so the first watt is the most critical. It must be squeaky clean. ---------------- ...to which I could only say, "Amen, Brother!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 John's dead on! My McIntosh MC250 power amp is the only 50 watter SS amp I'd use. Go to: http://www.bottlehead.com/et/et.html and buy yourself a DIY or assembled tube amp, and sell the Phase Linear on eBay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 While a Phase Linear 700 II is overkill for Klipschorns, the Klipschorns can handle the total undistorted output on musical program material without distress. If you are worried about the power you can always fuse the speakers. An AGC 2A fuse will pass about 20W continuous into the Klipschorn before opening up on overload. If your Klipschorns have a type A network, or a 500/5000 get back with us if you want to keep the Phase Linear. The early tweeters and networks did not handle as much power. As regards sound quality, The MK II versions of the Phase Linears sounded quite a bit smoother than the earlier versions. With a more modern op-amp and a few film capacitors it can sound even better. I own McIntosh with upgraded capacitors, I can assure you that I would much rather have stock Phase Linear 700 II than a stock McIntosh MC250! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 take it from me and a few others...get an hk430 and be happy...it will kick your back side into the next county and keep your wallet fat for cds and girls.......well maybe not in that order,,,rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Congratulations on a life changing investment!. You do NOT need a high quality, Class A, SS amp around 50 to 100 watts with a large power supply and made with modern components. The amazing efficiency of the big old horns requires only a few meager watts to sing like a Sunday choir. Most of all music production will come from the first watt. Therefore, it is the first watt that is the most critical with ultra-efficient designs. Big old horns are not like cone loudspeakers and much of what is common knowledge about driving loudspeakers should be left on the street. You do not need even 50 watts, if you go with a tube amplifier. Remember, tube watts aint SS watts. The tube amplifier pumps a lot of current. Look at what drives any other loudspeaker rated above 100-dB/w/m. I bet the vast majority are powered by tubes. As to power handling capabilities, my 100dB/w/m rated Cornwalls lived with the 750 dirty watts of Carver 1.5 amplifier for a few years (roomates) without any obvious problems except kicking up dust during brief renditions of the live cannons on War of 1812. Reserve power does not hurt drivers, excess power and distortion does. I listened to a two-year old, high quality, Class A, Nelson Pass X250 amp with 250 watts, large power supply and modern components on my Cornwall Is several times. It sounded wonderful. But so did my modest Bottlehead 2A3 Paramours, except when played really loud and listening to action movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted February 4, 2003 Share Posted February 4, 2003 Colin, We're not too far from complete agreement, except for "tube watts". "P=I*V" and "V=I*R" govern how many watts any amp can put through any speaker. If either a valve amp or a SS amp applies 10 volts to a K-horn you get about 17 watts. I will grant a valve amp does not sound as bad as a SS amp when driven into clipping, but it is still clipping and capable of no additional power. Valve amps might begin to sound as coarse as a SS amp if the output transformer could pass the high frequencies required to create a true flat topped wave during clipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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