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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: A quest for a better monitor.
Post Subject: Reds are FragilePosted by Chirag on: 3/5/2007
 Romy the Cat wrote:

May ask you: how you drive your Reds 10” and the most important do you feel any their deficiency in power handling. I mean after the 109dB Macondo I have tendency to drive the small Reds slightly hard and this LF drive do not really handle full stress well. I wonder if it Milq is choking on Reds or the 10” reds are fairly fragile.

The Cat


Hi Cat,

You have no idea how masochistic some of the amplifier issues have been with these little speakers.  I know exactly what you mean about power handling deficiencies AND would add dynamic inabilities.  I do think tonality and dynamics can be functions of one another and this is the major reason these undynamic little reds are ultimate dead ends...but they can work in limited capacity for current needs.  The golds and DMT's work better with stress, but cannot hold their own tonally.

Currently, the speakers are using PP EL84 using some interesting circuit (i don't remember the guys name from where it came, but it splits the phases at the output transforumer) and uses the EL84 as a triode driver.  As a pentode setup, this puts out something like 11 watts.  This combo is surprisingly friendly and pushes the limits of the dynamics.  Works well for use in a small small room.

PP heathkit williamsons which i restored a long time ago and have an odd affinity for or (gasps of all gasps) old pass aleph amplification control them with a slightly more electromechanically sounding fluency.

I tried in vain various 2a3 and a pair of 300b amps, one decent art audio amp borrowed from a friend and a not so friendly small berning amp.  The 2a3 showed a ton of promise, but really worked only and just barely with my bigger 15" tannoys (I have DMT in storage now and reds).

Maybe during my next vacation in september I'll torture myself with more speaker/amp options.

Best,
Chirag

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