What power amp suits the KLF 30's best

[gbrlex]

I am currently using an Adcom 5500 that has 200 wpc and the bass isn't as tight (distinct) as I would like for it to be. I have heard that the Rotel 1080 would be a good choice. Does anyone have any experience with this amp or any other recommendations.

I am using a Rotel 1066 pre-amp along with an M/K subwoofer with the crossover set at 80. In home theatre mode the bass is acceptable. I notice a big difference when used in 2 channel only.

[MrMcGoo]

Your problem is NOT an amp problem, if the Adcom is running normally. It is a setup problem and/or subwoofer problem.

Try different distance settings until you get the best bass response. The actual distance setting will not give the best bass response due to phase cancellations and group delay.

Most subs have a phase switch that can be set at 0 or 180 degrees instead of a variable phase adjustment. Experimantation with distance settings can solve that problem.

You can also try different (lower) crossover points for your 2 channel souces or bypass the subwoofer by use of stereo direct to let the KLFs hanle all of the bass for 2 channel sources.

Which M&K sub do you have ? It may easily be the weakest link. A pair of THX subwoofers with the Ultra2 amp would be a killer setup. SVS also makes better subs than M&K.

Bill

[gbrlex]

When you refer to distance settings, do you mean the delay settings on the pre-amp used in the surround mode?

I believe the M&K is an 80 or 90. I've had it for several years and paid about $1,000 for it.

I appreciate your response.

[MrMcGoo]

I forgot to welcome you to the forum!!! My bad. Welcome to the Klipsch forum! There is a wealth of knowledge here that is free, except for the occational digression.

Delay settings are exactly what I was referring to. If you have test tones available, you can find the distance that gives the LEAST output of bass, then flip the phase switch and you are done. The least output is where you are out of phase and may be easiest to hear and/or measure with a meter. The phase switch flip then should get you back in perfect phase.

Your M&K was a good sub in its day. The state of the art has progressed quite a bit. You might like to compare your models specifications for output against the Klipsch Sub-12, RSW-12 & 15 and the THX subwoofers.

I have an RSW-15 with a 650 watt amp and a 15 inch driver. Only the biggest M&Ks could keep up. Many members like the SVS subs on a bang for the buck basis.

Best coverage of your room is usually accomplished with two subwoofers. The Harman International web site has a paper on subwoofers and a room mode calculator. Two subwoofers are usually better than one at dealing with room modes. Your room causes peaks and valleys in bass response.

The SVS web site has an excellent selection of subs as well.

The least expensive route to solve your problem by finding the best location for your sub by trial and error.

Bill

[gbrlex]

Thanks for the info. I'll try it this weekend and see what happens.

[Lurch]

I would suggest that you play with the placement of your speakers. Since they are rear-ported, you may get too much bass if they are too close to the back wall or you may have them placed where they excite a node in your room and you end up with bloated bass.

Try pulling the speakers out into the room some. Barring that, you may have to get a pre-pro with some form of eq.

Check out some of the room placement suggestions that are on the web. One intriguing suggestion was to place your speaker at the listening position and move around until you find a spot that sounds good. That's where your speaker should go. You'll have to do this for both sides. Also, avoid using the same distances for both speakers!

Enjoy!