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AAD 2001 monitors, bi-amping experiment

I’ve been experimenting with amplifiers for my AAD 2001 monitors. Everything I’ve read indicates the AAD 2001 need a lot of power. Lately I’ve been using a Portal Audio Panache, which offers 100wpc.

A few days ago I came up with idea of bi-amping these using the Panache on the low end, and a tube amp on the top end. Using a McCormack Line Drive passive pre (dual outputs), I added Jolida 102B to drive the HF. Both amps have volume controls, which I can use to fine-tune the Hi/Lo balance.

The sound is toe-tapping, ear-to-ear smile lively. Don’t know if it’s “right”, or if it’s “better”, but it has definintely got me thinking.

Is what I am hearing a consequence of “tubes on top / SS down low”, or is it just a result of extra power?
designdude

Showing 2 responses by designdude

designdude OP
23 posts
 
I was sitting on the couch last night, sipping an adult beverage, enjoying the music. A thought popped in my head. “What if what I am hearing is simply the result of adjusting the conections?” I had to explore it. Had to.

I grabbed some geek supplies – a can of Never Dull metal polish, a couple of cleaning rags, some ultra fine sand paper, and some Walker SST contact enhancement. I spent about an hour overhauling the speaker contacts on the back of the AAD monitors. I then put things back together, and have been smiling ever since.

Don't know if it was bad connections, a mis-match in components, or if I have somehow stumbled on a new system synergy. All I care about - the magic is back.
designdude OP
23 posts
 
The change in "balance" has been achieved by fiddling with the volume controls - and there has been a fair amount of that. Of course, in this case, the "balance" is not L/R, but between the HF and LF speaker inputs. I do not have the equipment to take measurements, so it's been strictly by ear, using a wide variety of source material.

There may be other factors at play of course - different speaker cables (AudioQuest Type 8 with the Jolida/HF, DH Labs Q-10 with the Panache/LF), different power cords, etc. Still, the whole experiment has been rather interesting. I just don't know what the next step should be - logical or not.

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