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High current amp search

Hello, so as the title says, I'm looking for a 200+ wats amp (8ohm) that will double it's power down to 2 ohms but importantly also check all the audiophile boxes so strong, articulate, fast bass, smooth resolving mid-range and extended non fatiguing highs. It's proving to be rather difficult because hardly any manufacturers list  output into 2ohms. Budget is around 4000$ so I'm looking at mostly used. Besides something like the Krell FPB 300/400 CX which can be had for that much , what else can be recommended? 

lukaszwk
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,404 posts
 

Well, here’s your drawback.

"A speaker that is easier to drive and is also full range might be rather large" 

Just how large is that? 

" yet my speakers (flat to 20Hz) are also 98dB. _

@lukaszwk They are 22" wide and 30" deep, about 5 1/2 feet high. They house dual 15" woofers, one forward firing and the other down firing. If I had it to do again I would not get a speaker that is such full range, since I’ve had problems with standing waves cancelling bass in both rooms in which I’ve had them.

So if I had it to do over I’d use multiple subs operating below 80Hz so as to break up the standing waves and so the main speakers could be considerably smaller even though no less efficient.

FWIW though I’ve been to customer’s homes who had speakers that could plumb the bottom octave and they were not particularly smaller even though they were a good 10dB less efficient. 10Db means 10x more amplifier power to get the same sound pressure BTW. 

One further advantage of easier to drive speakers: Its well-known that smaller amplifiers often sound better in both tube and solid state embodiments. This makes it much easier to find an amplifier that ticks all the boxes. 

Pass Labs amps are one I would recommend if you want a big powerful solid state amp, but its well known that Nelson Pass’s smaller amps sound better.  

devinplombier
1,662 posts
 

Some people pick amps that drive their chosen speakers with ease and headroom to spare. 

Some people pick speakers that won’t kneecap their amp.

There’s no right or wrong. However, speakers are the voice of our systems - where the rubber meets the road, so to speak - so (in my view) it makes sense to pick the sound we want, and then select amps that cater to whatever our speakers’ idiosyncrasies might be. After all, there are many more competent amplifiers than great speakers.

But that’s just me. 

 

faustuss's avatar
faustuss
818 posts
 

The simple explanation is a less efficient speaker requires more power from the amp. Regardless of the amplifier technology, the fact is that the amp really shouldn’t be working hard for a living if you want the most sonic performance for the dollar investment. 

OTOH if you simply want to see how well an amp holds up under adverse conditions, no worries. But don’t expect the best sound you can get out of the amp or speaker as a result. To me that seems a waste of $$$$$

@atmasphere You completely miss the point that a feeble little amp could run all day long into that 83dB sensitive sealed enclosure speaker with the "benign" 5ohm impedance response and be none the worst for ware except as you say "don’t expect the best sound you can get out of the amp or speaker as a result" but it certainly wouldn't "working hard for a living"! The high current amp driving the Wilsons is still going to have it's moments and run quite warm while doing so.

Furthermore, to think that you as another poster said "Your posts often appear to be casting pearls before swine." to patronize the OP who probably is doing nothing more than blowing smoke up everyone's butt just to have something to do while you continue profess your quite sketchy knowledge on the subject.

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,404 posts
 

@faustuss Your first paragraph needs clarification.

A lot of people probably think my knowledge is sketchy and there are many things I don't know. I try to avoid talking about those things until I learn more. I am interested to know what you think is 'sketchy'. 

lukaszwk OP
98 posts
 

@atmasphere wow! those speakers are quite massive. To be honest my speakers actually are quite sensitive at 94 DB but the impedance does dip to around 2.5 ohms in the bass and as I have found out quite a few amps I've had here have trouble reproducing the bass correctly. I've sold my current amp and right now I'm using my friend's Adcom gfa 555 MK2 and while I actually quite like it, it doesn't do the bass any justice. 

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