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Amps on top of speakers, yes or no?


Coytee

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Wife is tired of me having six amplifiers laying around along the same wall (on floor).

In an effort to clean the floor up and quite frankly, show them off (amps) I put my two MC-30's on top of one Khorn and on the other side of the room, I put my MC-2102 on top.

First concern... the MC-2102 weighs something like 80 lbs (guess) Any issues with it on top of the Khorn? Seems to fit/sit well, but I'd hate to come home some day only to find a pile of toothpicks should the weight be too much.

Second concern... was reading AudioKarma and someone said they had their amps on top of his speakers and not to "bust his nuts" for it. That is the comment that got me wondering if I was doing something wrong.

Any thoughts in general on the topic of amps sitting on top?

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the only issue that i can think of would be that your

now exposing the internals of the amps to a lot of vibration,that can weaken solder joints ect.

if you get some isobaric feet to put under that amps then i wouldnt worry.

ive had amps on my corns before and use some feet made of aerospace rubbery stuff.

it worked well but sucked the oils out of the wood and i had to restain them after i moved the amps

if you protect the tops of the k-horns from the feet you should be fine.the feet will also keep the amps from walking off the speakers when the systems turned up and ending up on the floor.

jay

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There are actually quite a number of loudspeakers -- not just subwoofers -- that are active designs with amplifiers on-board, often installed on the rear baffle.

I've also used my tube amps on both Lowthers, Klipschorns, and former center channel La Scala with no ill effects of any kind. Granted I used a small amount of vibration control consisting of soft rubber feet (cheap adhesive-backed things), but I have never had any problems, and noticed no 'smearing' or other deleterious of any kind. I just didn't like the way it looked, so I changed stuff around.

I'm not saying things will be the same in your situation; just that I have done it lots of times without problems.

Erik

edit: I remember Welborne Labs 'Moondog Audio' (if memory is serving me right) also once offered an active speaker design with an integrated monoblock tube amp in each cabinet. I don't know about the success of the product line, but I know that R. Welborne is a knowledgeable guy.

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...and keep in mind that vacuum tubes have been used in many, many other devices and components. They were used in radio equipment in pre-jet, gasoline powered civilian and military aircraft (sounds like there might be the possibility for some vibration there), in proximity fuses in missles, early computers, lots of things. Tubes are more robust than I think they are often given credit for.

Erik

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Mike's right. Glass tops! I live 20 minutes away from the largest glass

company in the world so it's easy for me to say but glass tops are

awesome. People always want to set a damn drink on top. It kills me

also when I see beautiful Klipsh speakers with a ring on top an the

seller say's wife had a plant on it. AAHHH! Glass tops allow for plant

and drinks with no worries. Amps can be on top but vibtation control is

a major issue. Custom sand boxes or something like Bright Star

platforms would be a must. Steamer has his Decware amps on top of his

La Scalas and it seams he has isolated them just fine. I've never

personally done it so my opinion means squat![:$]

BTW: I have friend that get me glass that work at the factory. Talk

about mark up. Geez! What a glass shop would charge me 20 bucks for I

can get from a friend for a dollar.

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Some interesting comments.

How I have them setup is on top of a folded towel. I didn't want to risk scratching up the finish so I put a towel down. I then folded it around a bit so it would take the same triangular shape as the top.

Seems to me I'm going to get some vibrations if they're on top or sitting on the floor a mere 4' away from the woofer output?

Regarding ditching the MC-30's..... [:P] [:P] [:P] [:P]

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"Seems to me I'm going to get some vibrations if they're on top or sitting on the floor a mere 4' away from the woofer output?"

Don't forget about how many well-known music instrument amplifier brands both used and continue to use tube amp heads directly on-top-of cabinets filled with speakers used to produce very high SPLs in large venues -- or in recording studios to record the music we listen to at home.

Erik

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Don't forget about how many well-known music instrument amplifier brands both used and continue to use tube amp heads directly on-top-of cabinets filled with speakers used to produce very high SPLs in large venues -- or in recording studios to record the music we listen to at home.

Erik

yes, and it really kills them tubes

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Mike's right. Glass tops! I live 20 minutes away from the largest glass company in the world so it's easy for me to say but glass tops are awesome. People always want to set a damn drink on top. It kills me also when I see beautiful Klipsh speakers with a ring on top an the seller say's wife had a plant on it. AAHHH! Glass tops allow for plant and drinks with no worries. Amps can be on top but vibtation control is a major issue. Custom sand boxes or something like Bright Star platforms would be a must. Steamer has his Decware amps on top of his La Scalas and it seams he has isolated them just fine. I've never personally done it so my opinion means squat![:$]

BTW: I have friend that get me glass that work at the factory. Talk about mark up. Geez! What a glass shop would charge me 20 bucks for I can get from a friend for a dollar.

Hello,

Like Charlie said I have my Decwares on top of the Scala's.I have found that I can eliminate any vibes getting to the amps.I First have a cloth on top of the Scala's then use a patio stone(menards special@20lbs)with foam feet under it.The next layer is isulwool(high temp pipe isulation).That is the white stuff in the pic.The amps are on vibrapods on the insulwool.I also have tube dampners.

It looks like hell but is only temp,just playin around with.It is quite effective.If you feel the sides of the Scala's then the patio stone then the amp base(box)then the amps the vibes go down dramaticly with each step untill there are no vibes in the amps.

I will wrap the insulwool with black cloth eventually to clean things up a bit.

Believe me it works!!!!When I first set up the Decwares with only the patio stones the amps vibrated like crazy at high levels.The addition of the isulwool/vibrapods/tube dampners completely eliminated vibes from below.We all know the Scala's like to vibrate.

Greg

post-15498-13819281401428_thumb.jpg

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not "tubed" amps i hope

I put my 300 watt (12) 6L6GC, bass amp on top of my 8-10 bass cabinet every time I play. I do use a foam pad under it, but the old Ampeg amps were always used that way. They even had feet pockets on top of the cabs.

yes and it hammers them tubes

and those in my 100 watt Marshall, too ....

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it all depends on how tweaky you are...some people go to great lengths to isolate thier equipment from vibration (not just TTs) and claim to hear great benefits on tube and ss equipment alike.

some manufacturers put a lot of effort into reducing susceptability to outside vibration and to the reduction of internal vibration in their equipment, hype or useful? hard to know.

putting the amps on top of the speakers will generally expose them to significantly more vibration than placing them on the floor or rack within a few feet of the speakers.

does it matter? I had a pair of tube monoblocks on top of my k-horns for a while, then I tried some isolation device under them and eventually moved them to a rack, I felt they sounded a bit better with each move away from the speaker top but YMMV.

I say if it's a tube amp, try to minimize vibration, if not just for the health of the tubes. otherwise I say it probably does not matter too much. in the end if placement for you works best on top of the speakers just protect the top surface, use some vibrapods (at $12 per amp what the heck?) or other isolation materials and listen happily.

regards, tony

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Would using some type of spikes for isolation be approprate (especially if you're setting a tube amp on a speaker)

Yes I know spikes can be destructive...but we have our turntable spiked to isolate it. You can just put coins under the spikes (or get spikes with spike pads).

I've also heard of these being recommended: http://www.soundcare.no/, they are a type of spike with pads that shouldn't be destructive. Don't know how good they are...seems like a little snake oil on that site.

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