Amp switcher


Does anyone have any experience with the niles dps-1? I'm interested in connecting a tube amp to my anthem D2v but only want to use it for stereo/music listening. Will using this device between my amp(s) and pre/pro cause any degradation in sound?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
dhoff01

Showing 5 responses by blindjim


Russound 2.2 AB is also a shelf mount unit like the Niles. The Russound is rated at 150wpc however. There is also a wall mount unit (1.2)
10 yr. warranty
14 AWG spkr jacks
79.00

Niles rated for 100wpc
86.00

those are the only two I've found.

I'd be curious to see if any load is applied to the unused amp.... and/or if either or both amps can be left on when not under load/use.

The power capacity of the Niles concerns me... and the speaker taps of the Russound bug me.
Dhoff01

I saw the 100wpc on the Niles at a reseller's website. it's obviously in error according to your note on the Niles website saying otherwise.

I probably will try to pick up a Niles as well for I have a similar situation of joining 2 rigs onto one pair of mains.

I posted on this several months back and got far fewer results. google wasn't any help either.

Hopefully the Niles unit is good stuff... now which speaker cables to use and where to put it.
Hifitime

I sure do appreciate the concern, I must say I've some reservations... with my mono blocks at least.

My butler TDB 5150 apparently has some built in safeguards so that amps which are energized yet not connected to a speaker load are safe.... well so far anyhow. I use it as a 3 ch amp for HT and use the other two ch as a 'change of pace' amp for stereo listening with a better preamp being attached to it. In each case though, I’ve got to move two pair of spkr wires from either the Butler to the Dodds or vice versa… and it’s pretty tight back in behind that rach and gear.

As all the electronics I use are in an adjacent room, save for the speakers, sub and projector & screen, I’d have to go into that room to push the button to make the switch over from one set of amps to another set… so there’s that… I suspect if prior to that procedure I energize the Dodds I could be in trouble…

so I’d wait… push the Niles button and THEN energize the Dodds.

The obvious concern then, is the switching mechanism inside the Niles box of course, and if theres’ any chance at all of some shorting or feeding back, taking place.

Dhoff01

I'll make a note of doing just that. But some back ground researching first with both niles and my tube amp maker.

The default path for no possible issues would be of course to shut down or have alrady shut down each amp being switched. That way poses me no problems and I'd feel safer doing just that.... shut down the in use amp, make the shift on the Niles, and then start up the other amp (s)... as I'd suspect in most cases the Niles box would be in close proximity to the amps anyhow..

The only short coming then is the warm up time for the then chosen amps to rise up properly for playing, which could be forgone if the Niles box is foolproof with it's switching mechanism with any amp topology attached to it.

My fail safe method does at least alieviate the need for switching around speaker cables and in my case that would be really nice all by itself. Once I get past having to buy more speaker cables of course!

Catama

Ok. Which Niles unit are you using?

Goign to Niles audio and selecting PRODUCTS>SWITCHING DEVICES>AUTOMATED SWITCHES... there are a number of switching mechanisms on that page.

Selecting any of them reveals a page where the pdf owners manual is located.

I called them a bit ago and told them my setup and what I would like to do briefly. The tech suggested I look at the Niles SPK-1.

SPK 1

http://www.nilesaudio.com/product.php?prodID=SPK-1&recordID=Automated%20Switching%20Systems&categoryID=Switching%20Systems&catcdID=10&prdcdID=FG00240

This unit sounds like the one you are using perhaps.

The SPK-1 has electronic switching BUT also has standard 5 way binding posts which will accept standard (for us) banana or spade terminated speaker cables, where some of the other Niles units only barely accept #14 AWG bare wire.

The tech said tube amps were indeed at risk if no load is on them when they are energized.

He said with the SPK1 to set the tube amps to the A side and the non tube amps to the B side.

The Butler TDB 5150 uses bipolar output devices, not tubes so in essence it acts like an SS amp in it's output stage.

The switching of the SPK1 will occur when the 200ma trigger ckt is energized, sending the signals then to the B side…. Or in my own case I’d set the B side to the Onkyo/Butler HT config.

Additionally, and prior to turning on the Onkyo/Butler setup I’d have to ensure the Tube amps were off before turning on the HT setup.

Simple. I’d do that anyhow.

Given the larger binding posts on the SPK1 and the not much more price ($100 appox), and 600wpc abilities I feel this unit a better choice.

It also could be modded and one could then swap out the binding posts to Cardas or the like thereafter.

The unit comes with a 2 yr. warranty and can be either shelf mounted or by removing the 4 small cover screws and it’s covering, attached to a wall with two drywall screws or such, then it's covering remounted.

It does not come with a 12vdc trigger… he said I’d have to get one of those at Rat Shak.

So this item appears better in a few areas than does the DPS 1.
HIGHER POWER HANDLING OF 600WPC
BETTER SPEAKER INTERFACES VIA 5 WAY BINDING POSTS

notes:
TWO SHORT SET OF SPEAKER CABLES ARE REQUIRED IN ADDITION AS WELL AS ACQUIRING A 12VDC 200 MA TRIGGER DEVICE FOR THE AUTO SWITCHING FUNCTION.

this unit suits me... as of the two sets of spkr cables still needed I'll not have to go off on high dollar ones for each system... just the 2 ch side.

Mounting the little goober will be some task though.