tim3 Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Firt,I'll tell what my system is,then my ?.I have 2 Bryston 4B's bridged(600-800 WPC) each going to a modified Cornwall(B. Crites Cornscala.An Adcom GTP-600,An Arcam DV-79,2 klipsch active 12 " subs.I was allways told it's too much pwr. for the spkrs..I corresponded w/ a really nice guy about a Krell he was selling to see about switching the 2 Brystons for the 1 Krell(quality over quantity).He wrote back that he was a very honest & ethical man.He then stated that anyone whjo says I have too much pwr. is simply lying.He said he'd love to sell me his Krell,but again he was a honest & ethical man & that I should keep my Brystons because one reason was they were rtght up there in quality.My system does sound awesome(at least to me) very clear w/ plenty of low end & all the pwr. I could want.Putting the volume knob at 9'oclock is screaming.My ? is,I allways wanted a Mac(mc 2500 or another model w/ 500 WPC) or a Krell.I've never really got to listen to either at the level I would like.The weight of the components intrigue me.Does anyone have an opinion & where does all that weight come from & does it state a superior amp (the heavier it is)I've spent a long time getting everything right w/ my system(just recently finished it) & I'd hate to try to sell my Brystons & find the Mac. or Krell I want just to be disappointed.Thanks,Tim. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcarlton Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 You have too much power. Paul Klipsch didn't recommend more than 100 Watts. He called the more powerful amps "stoves" (see Dope from Hope). Try a McIntosh MC275. I think you will be pleasantly surprised[Y]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 It is not clear what your end goal is. I appreciate that you are trying to avoid clipping (a worthy goal). However your solution seems to be disproportionate given the high efficiency of your cabinets. I seldom recommend bridging an amplifier (the distortion may increase). If you are worried about clipping and you would also like to try some amps that may be "more quality rather than quantity", then bi-amping may be a better solution. Search the threads on this topic and keep in mind that it requires a crossover BEFORE the amps to get the full benefit (there are other design considerations also). This will give much more leeway on choosing your amps since the power requirements will be much reduced. Right now, clipping is not a problem in your system. My own thoughts are 1) The amps you are mentioning are all very good quality and the differences between them will not be dramatic. There are other things that you can do to your system that will have a much more dramatic impact (and for less money). 2) The Cornwalls do not demand high amounts of power (watts) or current (amperage). So use these features to help you in your system design. Good Luck, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 One Bryston 4B is plenty for Cornwalls. Bryston is right up there with Krell and McIntosh. The 20 year warranty, build quality and customer service is hard to beat. Sideways move for a buch of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Is there any way you could try the Krells or Macs without buying? As other posters have mentioned, you'd likely get more of a change in flavour than a change in quality. Another way to go would be to bi-amp your Cornwalls. You already have two amps, so you'd just need an electronic crossover. The EV Dx38 is around $1500 new or $700-800 used and is ideal for this job, with the added feature of built-in adjustable time delay units, so you could time-align the woofer with the HF section at the push of a button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I just got some nicely modded Corn I's (crites xovers, etc) I have two systems and been playing with both ...A Vintage Mcintosh 2505 (50 wpc) and a newly acquired vintage sansui Au7900 (85wpc)... While both have a slightly different sound (the Sansui is more transparent and musical) I can't get the darn amps over 9:00 or 10:00 with out shaking the pictures off the walls. Relatively low power (for SS) high quality amps that just rock my world. I too get a bad case of G.A.S. and want a new Mcintosh Mc252 (250 WPC) but I ask my self "Self?.... will it sound any better with more head room? bigger....better...prettier..more more more!!!" I think I'm going to put my cash into a nice set of Klipschorns and some very high quality low powered tubes in the future and right now worry about getting the best quality sources that I can afford. I feel your pain G.A.S. is a bitc%, to bad they don't make a tums for that! well they do ....just sit back and enjoy the awesome system that you have right now . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Fenderbender, I am glad you were the one who raised the issue "...I think I'm going to put my cash into a nice set of Klipschorns..." Going from a fancy amp type A to fancy amp type B, will result in some difference (on an easy to drive speaker like the Cornwall). However, going from a Cornwall to a Klipschorn will result in a dramatic difference. That is where the time and effort and money should be spent. Don't get me wrong, the Cornwall is a fine system (I have a pair in my den), but the Klipschorn is special. Good Luck, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Fenderbender, I am glad you were the one who raised the issue "...I think I'm going to put my cash into a nice set of Klipschorns..." Going from a fancy amp type A to fancy amp type B, will result in some difference (on an easy to drive speaker like the Cornwall). However, going from a Cornwall to a Klipschorn will result in a dramatic difference. That is where the time and effort and money should be spent. Don't get me wrong, the Cornwall is a fine system (I have a pair in my den), but the Klipschorn is special. Good Luck, -Tom Believe me and PrestonTom ...If you have never heard Klipschorns in action, it's worth a long drive to find some!!! I spent the day out at Groomlakearea51 yesterday and playing with his "Wall Of voodoo" First Heresy monster tweeks.....Boy those sound good!!! Second act....add forte II's on roids and oh my god awesome..... third act......add bose 901's....hey this is the exact application that they were made for...it fills in all the holes and the sound stage is all around with out losing any musicality... this is so friggin cool!! Finally....shut every thing else down and on come the vintage klipschorns........It's as if god worked through PWK's hands......unbelivable........I'm saving all my lunch money and prepping my wife...one day!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 It is not clear what your end goal is. I appreciate that you are trying to avoid clipping (a worthy goal). However your solution seems to be disproportionate given the high efficiency of your cabinets. I seldom recommend bridging an amplifier (the distortion may increase). If you are worried about clipping and you would also like to try some amps that may be "more quality rather than quantity", then bi-amping may be a better solution. Search the threads on this topic and keep in mind that it requires a crossover BEFORE the amps to get the full benefit (there are other design considerations also). This will give much more leeway on choosing your amps since the power requirements will be much reduced. Right now, clipping is not a problem in your system. My own thoughts are 1) The amps you are mentioning are all very good quality and the differences between them will not be dramatic. There are other things that you can do to your system that will have a much more dramatic impact (and for less money). 2) The Cornwalls do not demand high amounts of power (watts) or current (amperage). So use these features to help you in your system design. Good Luck, -Tom listen to your inner soul and kiss that tiger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I think you'd gain the most by replacing your preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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