2. amps-preamps
  3. 1358229881

NAD 7400 power envelope vs. Arcam Alpha 10P

Setting up a modest two-channel system for music with some older gear which has been in storage. Wondering which amp is better suited to drive low impedance speakers like the Hales Revelation One's or Two's? A Stereophile review mentions of the Alpha 10P "Only into the punishing 1 ohm load, where the 1% THD limit was reached at 425W, did the power supply voltage droop to the point where no more significant power was available. But the peak current at this point was an astonishing 20.6A! The (Arcam) amplifiers are not really designed for very low impedance loads, and, given their limited heatsinking, are probably not the best choices for driving difficult loads."

By contrast, the spec sheet for the NAD 7400 power envelope receiver i recently acquired (basically a NAD 2400 amp) states peak current output of 40 amps. Both amplifiers are rated at 100 watts RMS. Opinions?
john_z

Showing 1 response by rlwainwright

rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
I'm surprised that they dissed the Arcam considering how well it did driving a 1 ohm load.

I owned NAD amps waaayyyy back when, had a 3150 integrated mated with a 2150 power amp. Ran 'em in bridged mode and *really* liked what I heard. As you know, bridging the amps halves the impedance and I never ran out of steam with those amps. They sounded particularly good on the low-end, very ballsy, the sign of high-current delivery.

I guess your best bet is to hook 'em up and see for yourself...
More to discover