Using Adcom GFA-555s as monoblocks to power magnepan 3.3s in active biamp


Yeah, a long title but it says it all.  Presently I have my rebuilt Magnepan 3.3rs actively biamped through a Marchand active crossover, then using 2 stereo amps to power bass and mid/treble respectively.

I am considering taking two Adcom GFA-555s and bridging them and using one each to power the bass panels of the maggies. 

Since the Magnepans are 4 ohm rated, however it's only the bass panels I'd be powering, what are your thoughts on stability?

Appreciate the help.  Don't need suggestions on "selling all my amps and buying one bigger one" - I have a lot of different amp options but am a tinkerer and want to see if the power of a bridged adcom would be good to control the bass panels. 

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And, why does a single GFA-555 not do it for you, sounds like a room issue or some kind of a synergy mismatch. A 555 is no slouch in stereo mode, 331.9W into 4 ohms. If that’s not enough power, something else going on there

There's no problem to solve.  I had a single Classe CA-200 powering the bass panels and it sounded wonderful.  I moveed the Classe to power some newly acquired KEF R11s and temporarily put in a Nakamichi Pa-7 powering the bass panels, and it still sounds pretty good.

But since I had the open question of what is best in place of the Classe amp, and I have two GFA-555s, I thought why not try and see if they can well power the magenpan bass panels as monoblocks. Intuitively it seems two monoblocks of that power should do better than a single Nakamichi, but not if it's going to damage anything. 

 

Thanks.  Seems to be the consensus that it will "work" but not sound great, with some chance of actual trouble. I may stick with the Nak there for a while - it's not bridged, and it's beefy.

My 16 year old came upstairs and asked me to turn down the volume!

Back in the late 80's I was evaluating a pair of Apogee ribbon panels, stunningly beautiful and wonderful sound. The dealer modified the 555 to drive 2 ohm loads, if I remember the costs was 1/2 the power but I could be wrong. Still using the Adcom today but I returned the speakers.

I did much like you I had a pair of sim audio w3 moons and a bryston  10b active crossover. My room was 16x28x8. There was absolutely  no lack of power there. I really  doubt you are going to need more than you have running them as stereo  amps. 3.3 are power piggies but you should have lots.