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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Starting from scratch - new amps new system
Post Subject: Have you mentioned yet which speakers you intend to use?Posted by Paul S on: 2/2/2007
One of the most frustrating things in hi-fi, IMO, is using the wrong speakers for your room and/or the wrong speaker/amp pairing. It is impossible to get anything right or to even get started if you don't get this right (enough). For example, I have read posts from people who are "quite happy" with the "full range response" they get from 45 SETs driving big, heavy FR speakers in large-ish rooms, yet I remember how poorly this has worked in every example I ever heard. My point is that you will get the most out of your project if you think through at least the actual, real world power requirements of your chosen speakers/room and then try to project whether you can still suffer the losses you will incur by dividing your output for "channels". It has been my experience that just doing the math on an amp's rated power versus speaker efficiency is not enough, and this is as true of HE horns as it is with less efficient speakers. In any case, it certainly does not hurt to have some power "in the bank", plus some extra for "channels".
Actually, I assume that what I have said so far is not really news to you, but you do seem to be drifting toward a weak amp "just to get started". I don't know about the Melquiades, but most SETs you could easily find and buy cheap have very little in the way of actual motive force. In fact, even most of the big expensive "powerful" SETs you see out there probably would not be good candidates for dividing, since very few SETs approach full range under the best of conditions, and you would not really get the Melquiades' band-specific OPT benefits from just any old amp.
FWIW, I was going stir crazy just trying to find a pretty-much-full-range comercial amp to hook up conventionally to my 3-ways, 40 Hz - 20+ kHz. Don't let anyone kid you, good FR amps don't grow on trees. Despite initial appearances and/or imagined hassle/expense the Melquiades might actually be the fastest, easiest and cheapest route for you to take, at least by the time it's all said and done, if you insist on the arduous "dedicated" route.
Best regards,
Paul SRerurn to Romy the Cat's Site