Amplifier recommendation for SAM1HF please

[Ed Zeppeli]

Hypotheses, speculation and real-world opinions welcome.

I'm looking for opinions on a nice amplifier to power my horn modules mentioned in the title. I'm done with 70s stuff and low grade.

I'm not averse to cheap, however. :) I'm seeking quality amplification in the 100 to 200 watt range.


Cheers,

Warren

[pos]

The hypex nc400 is a good candidate: very low residual noise and distortion, and the ability to change internal gain (involves precise (de)soldering tho...).
With its factory 26dB gain you need 2V to reach full power (200W/8 ohms).
That is what I am using on my M2 clones.
The anaview AMS100 could also be a good candidate (I tried the bigger browser AMS1000 and it is a very well behaved amplifier, but the 100 version is more suited for compression drivers when it comes to residual noise and gain).

But are you sure you need that much power for a compression driver?
If not the LPUHP amplifier is a very good candidate, with incredible distortion and noise performances (look preferably for the second version).

And then if you want a ready-made solution there is the Benchmark THX AAA.
Never tried that one but on paper it looks nothing short of amazing for this application.

[BMWCCA]

I'm done with 70s stuff and low grade.Just curious as to what "70s stuff" you've used and were unhappy with and why. Might help with recommendations moving forward. :dont-know:

[Ed Zeppeli]

Nothing wrong with the brands other than age. Soundcraftsmen, Adcom, Crown D150A so far.

[DS-21]

With that sensitivity you probably want the lowest possible noise floor. The ATI AT4000/AT6000 series are the best I've heard/used. The Benchmark amp is supposed to be even quieter, and it also has very low gain. So while I've not used it, it may be ideal to drive compression drivers at home.

[Mr. Widget]

With that sensitivity you probably want the lowest possible noise floor.If a passive network is used the sensitivity is lower than you might imagine. The roll off due to the biradial horn is rather extreme requiring significant notching down of the midband frequencies.


Widget

[Mr. Widget]

I'm done with 70s stuff and low grade.

I'm not averse to cheap, however. :) I'm seeking quality amplification in the 100 to 200 watt range.I would go with a class A amp if possible. I am not sold on digital switching amps, but haven't heard them all by a long shot.


Widget

[Mitchco]

Are your speakers using an active XO or passive XO? If active, are you interested in diyAudio? These reasonably priced Nelson Pass singled ended Class A amps sound great driving my compression drivers on a set of JBL 4722's:
http://diyaudiostore.com/collections/kits/products/amp-camp-amp-kit

Very low noise as they are low gain amps. About 6 watts per mono-block. I don't think I have even driven more than 1 watt into the CD's, plenty loud. I run Crown XLS 1502 @ 525 watts per channel into the bass bins. I use digital XO and time align the drivers.

[Ed Zeppeli]

Some great suggestions here thanks!

I'm crossing over actively and am currently using a Samson Servo 120. It's a workhorse, cheap but quiet amp. It serves its purpose however I'm on the lookout for something different. Change for the sake of change possibly until I experiment a bit with amps I won't know what I'm missing.

The Crown and Soundcraftsmen are older and a bit hissy on the highs plus they may need serious servicing soon. I certainly appreciate them but am seeking rack-mount, balanced and quiet as the basic prerequisites. Bryston and Hafler come to mind; possibly Crown but are they sweet up top?


Thanks again,

Warren

[Don C]

I keep thinking that I need one of these S7165s. While they are discontinued but still available new, at quite a large discount. But if you don't need the seven channels, its excessive.
https://www.homeaudiosound.com/product/jbl-synthesis-7165-power-amp-1700/

[JuniorJBL]

I have been very happy with my Levinson No.333 driving my pair with passive XO. I also have a No.331 for when I decide to go active. These have ended up here in my system after quite a few different amps.

I have compared them on my arrays to a pair of bridged McIntosh MC275's (they did sound nice but I seem to prefer the transistors). A McIntosh MC 600. A McIntosh MC 2205. A Proceed HPA2. A Musical Fidelity KW500. Rotel RB 1080.

Probably the second best arrangement I tried was the HPA2 on the bottom and a Levinson No.29 on the top. That little amp is what started me on the Mark Levinson path. It was very smooth and had a delicacy on the top that could just detail everything I played through them. If anything possibly try to pick one of those up and give it a try. It is only 50 watts per but is class A and very wonderful sounding. I still have mine and don't think I will ever part with it.

Good luck with your search! :)

[sebackman]

Hi,

I typically find it easier to get the sound stage focused by using the same amp for highs and lows. I have tried many amps & combinations and always default back to using either a 4 (or more) channel amp or a stereo amp for each channel. I understand that electrical differences resulting in delay time and other differences should be neglectable but it still sounds more "together" to me. Especially crossed direct from woofer to driver >800hz.

If you use a stereo amp for each channel you potentially can get away with a smaller (cheaper :-) ) amp as it is often the power supply and not the output stage that is limiting. Simplified description is that the driver do demand the voltage but not the current leaving more amperage to the woofer. Even if the spec does not present such numbers I find that only running one channel for woofer duty does indeed produce better bass control and perceived available power for the woofer.

I have also tried many amps/brands and finally settled down on the Crown CTS series. The multi channel amps and the two small (2x300w + 2x600w) are all true class AB. They are not the coolest things around but when I compared them to Krell & ML (and others) they could certainly hold their own in my ears. A drawback is that they are fan cooled but that can be dealt with and is covered in thread here on LH.

Like Widget I stick to class A or class AB amps for now. For subs I'm fine with other "classes" but do prefer class AB if I can find high power units. I often use UK made MC2 T2000 to power subs.

There are so many new amps hitting the market all the time so it would be highly likely that there are digital amps equally good or better but I have not had the fortune to try one so far. Eventually we will all have them due to pricing and technology development.

Kind regards
//Rob