Tripath amp for my Monitor Audio BR2s

J. Jarvis Silver Member Username: James_the_god Doncaster, South Yorkshire England Post Number: 626 Registered: Jan-05	Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 20:25 GMT Hello everyone! I was browsing around focal speakers and somehow managed to find myself a fair bit later on 6moons audio (again). Browsing here, lead me to this: http://www.sixmoons.com/audioreviews/winsome/mouse.html Reading this has made me want to definately buy a t-amp of some kind, something I've wanted to do for a long while now. My question is which one? The Sonic T-amp? Something from Trends Audio? My budget is about £125 so lets say no more than $250. I'd probably go for the winsome..if i could afford it but its $400. Any advice, thoughts and reccomendations please? I'll definately be buying one as at university I've now moved my room around my speakers I hope everyone is enjoying their christmas break(if any yet).
J. Jarvis Silver Member Username: James_the_god Doncaster, South Yorkshire England Post Number: 627 Registered: Jan-05	Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 21:10 GMT Rethink: I'll buy the Winsome if its worth it? This will be putting me at £75 over budget. Then sell my cambridge audio 540a if I prefer it. Strangely I think I may do.. Help please.
Jan Vigne Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigne Dallas, TX Post Number: 11882 Registered: May-04	Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 23:47 GMT . Any speaker used with a Tripath based amplifier needs to maintain an impedance no lower than 6 Ohms and no higher than 10 Ohms. The BR2's are a 6 Ohm nominal which means they will dip lower than that at some point. Any speaker used with the smaller 6 watts T-amps requires at least a 90dB sensitivity. The BR2's are rated at 88dB. .
David Mitchell Silver Member Username: Dmitchell Ottawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 479 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 01:40 GMT Just curious, Jan - what happens if you use speakers that are below 6 Ohms with a Tripath amp? I was using a Trends amp to drive some old 4 Ohm speakers and I noticed no adverse sound quality problems. Mid you, I didn't turn it up very loud.
Jan Vigne Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigne Dallas, TX Post Number: 11884 Registered: May-04	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 02:27 GMT . My experience and that of several others has been that the T-amps will have a wandering frequency response that corresponds to the rising and falling impedance load. Four Ohm loads seem to make the sound very hard while ten Ohm and above tend to roll the frequency response. Since speaker manufacturers are not consistent in the nominal impedance specs, it's possible a four Ohm nominal speaker might not present a significant problem depending on where that impedance load falls and whether the music you play has lots of energy at that frequency range. As with any other combination of equipment, let your ears decide what sounds best to you. But I would warn against four Ohm loads and T-amps as a general rule just as I would tend not to put six watt T-amps and 88dB speakers together. .
David Mitchell Silver Member Username: Dmitchell Ottawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 480 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 02:30 GMT Is this something you would notice with an increase in volume, say in distortion? Or is it more the risk of damaging the amplifier?
Jan Vigne Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigne Dallas, TX Post Number: 11886 Registered: May-04	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 04:15 GMT . Neither. It appears to be the way the Tripath chips work. I'm sure you can find someone who disagrees but, IMO, you'll get the best performance out of the T-amps when you treat them as if they were single ended triodes. Keep the speaker sensitivity as high as possible and the impedance load as consistently high as possible without exceeding ten Ohms If the speaker's impedance rises above ten Ohms in the high frequencies, you may or may not prefer the T-amps with those speakers. I can't give hard and fast rules since speakers are not consistent in the load they present to the amplifier and you might like the slightly rolled off highs if the system or room is somewhat off from neutral. .
Michael Wodek Silver Member Username: Mike3 Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 959 Registered: May-06	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 05:52 GMT Welcome back J.J. Hope the ladies have kept their hands (fingers) to themselves at your parties. Just kidding of course, nice to see you are still here. How goes it?
J. Jarvis Silver Member Username: James_the_god Doncaster, South Yorkshire England Post Number: 628 Registered: Jan-05	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 13:53 GMT Well thank you Mike! Yes they've all been good, its been more the case of getting work done over the last few weeks but now I'm home until mid Jan. Generally I'm pretty good, I can't wait to give the girlfriend her present. Its round. Its shiny. And it has a precious stone on the top. How about yourself Mike? Thanks for the advice Jan. Basically from what you've said, the winsome is a safer choice then? It seems like its worth the money with the huge increase in power from trends etc. I did think my BR2s were 8 ohm originally but found they're quite similiar in spec to my old wharfedales. Not only am I tempted to get the winsome, but another speaker upgrade to some monitor audio rs6s or focal 714vs. I just need to get saving again!
Michael Wodek Silver Member Username: Mike3 Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 960 Registered: May-06	Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 20:33 GMT Things are good here too J.J. The system is dialed in nicely. A couple or three TT upgrades in the offing, saving up for that. Probably won't be any for a while. Sounds like your girl is going to have a good holiday, congrats!

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