Hello everybody, I would like to bridge this amplifier to power a pair of Beovox S75 speakers and later on maybe a pair of Beovox M100. However, I may only use speakers with an 8ohm load when bridging or else it will damage the amplifier. The beovox S75 and M100 are both 4-8 ohm speakers according to the info that's on the web(beocentral, B&O page, etc...). Does this mean I can bridge the amplifier, or is it better not to?
When it says 4->8 on the speakers, the amp, when bridged will basically see 2->4.
So, the answer is a resounding NO. Many amps, even those which are audiophile approved will state an 8 ohm bridged lower limit.
In general, that 2 ohm lowpoint (4, unbridged) will be a deal breaker, especially if it occurs at lower frequencies where music has most of its energy.
My suggestion would be to avoid bridging. Not only is connecting an 8 ohm speaker to a bridged amp like connecting a 4 ohm to an unbridged amp, you won't get much more volume that way.
Thanks for your replies. I'm running it unbridged right now with a Beovox M100, but the bass is a bit weak. The sound quality is pretty good though. I'm however a bit anxious about clipping, I'm not sure if the amp has enough power to control these speakers. Do you think the onkyo is powerfull enough? It's a decent amp(23,3kg), but do you think an upa-2/xpa-2 or a XTZ Class AP-100 will have much effect? Merry christmas btw.
As for the bass being weak, adding a good subwoofer would remedy this issue.
Clipping on the other hand, how loud do you listen to music? If you listen at low to moderate volumes, clipping should not be a concern. Without knowing a whole lot about the amp or speakers, I'd say that if you're pleased with the sound now, this amp/speaker combo should be okay. If you do experience clipping, you might want to determine whether replacing the amp with a higher powered one is the answer or getting speakers with a higher sensitivity/efficiency rating is a better route.
I already have a subwoofer. However, when I turn it off the sound is rather thin. But I already know the answer to my problems. I hooked up a Marantz Pm 14 MKii ki as a power amp and the sound was almost the same. Then I used it as an integrated amp with a cd player and the sound whas much better (of course) as was the bass. So the problem is the pre-amplifier section of the onkyo. As for clipping, I was worried because I had to turn up the amp quite high to get to a decent volume(50-60, while the amp has a max of ~90) this however was exactly the same with the Marantz hooked up. It sounds pretty good with the onkyo, but I have to turn it up in order for the sound to "come alive". So I think I'm good for a while.
"As for clipping, I was worried because I had to turn up the amp quite high to get to a decent volume(50-60, while the amp has a max of ~90) this however was exactly the same with the Marantz hooked up."
This is one of many reasons I like to have speakers that are easy to drive. Some of the more difficult ones sound great at high volumes, but I listen at moderate, sometimes low volumes. In any case, I'm glad you solved the problem.
Sorry to use an older topic, but I have one final question. In the (near) future I'm planning to go for a 5.1 system. As front speakers I will use the M-100 and as rear probably the S-75. (Maybe if I want to go for 7.1 I can use the S-45 as side surrounds but I'm not sure about that.) The question I have is: what is a suitable center speaker for this setup? I was thinking about a M-75, but I'm not sure if it is timbre matched(the difference between the S-75 and S-45 tonal wise was quite big). Also, placing the speaker may be difficult. If I use the standard that is supplied it may be hideous to look at, but flipping it sideways is also problematic because of its dimensions.
B&O does make center speakers, but they are active speakers so thats not an option. Besides, they are extremely expensive(the cheapest one is 3000-4000 euro's I believe) and they aren't vintage speakers so I don't think they match. The one's I have were made in 1978. They didn't have center speakers back then as far as I know, so I probably will have to look for a modern center speaker.
No, there weren't any center speakers in '78. I would suggest seeing about getting a center speaker with the same type of tweeter as your other speakers have. In my experience, mixing tweeter types in a HT system USUALLY does not work out very well. However, there are exceptions. If auditioning a center speaker before buying it is an option, it would be good to try different ones before committing. This way, you'll know how well they'll work together.
Kwiebus posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 19:23 GMT B&O does make center speakers, but they are active speakers so thats not an option. Besides, they are extremely expensive(the cheapest one is 3000-4000 euro's I believe) and they aren't so I don't think they match. The one's I have were made in 1978. They didn't have center speakers back then as far as I know, so I probably will have to look for a modern center speaker. --------------------------
I believe it best if you can search for the same vintage speakers that you currently have. You just don't know how well newer/modern speakers will match with your vintage equipment.
That is correct. So that would be another Beovox M100 as center speaker...I don't think this wil look particulary charming. Is it really worth it to add such a big center speaker in front of the tv? I know about 80% of the movie soundtracks are for the center channel, but I'm not missing anything now...So, will this be a big upgrade or is 4.1 just as good?
If you've set up your processor to recognize "No center", and you are happy with the sound from only two front speakers, stay with that. A center channel is meant to fix signals which would be common to both channels in the center of the soundstage. Without the center speaker a listener sitting far to either side would hear voices which will sound as if they are coming from the right hand speaker - if they are sitting far right - while they see an actor appear at the center to slightly left of the visual image. If you don't have listeners sitting to the extreme sides, two front speakers should be adequate once you've set up the processor correctly.
I certainly wouldn't bother going to any effort to duplicate the sound of the S45 or S75 speakers. The were a very peculiar sound which was unique to B&O's speaker voicing at the time. There is nothing, IMO, which sounds remotely like them.
I've setup my receiver to "No Center" and "Stereo". I think I will stick with 2 speakers for the time being and upgrade to a new 5.1 set from the same brand and series to make sure it's timbre matched. Thanks for yor replies.