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Post by saru on Feb 20, 2017 18:48:53 GMT -5
I doubt you would be hitting anywhere near the max output of the XPA-5... No, not likely. Try as I might to crank up the volume for that "authentic theater-going experience", my wife prefers a lower volume. So 95% of the time, I'm operating well within the safe zone  That said, the other 5% of the time is "blow out the windows" time, so I'd like to make sure I'm protected in those cases as well! |
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Post by creimes on Feb 20, 2017 18:52:58 GMT -5
I doubt you would be hitting anywhere near the max output of the XPA-5... No, not likely. Try as I might to crank up the volume for that "authentic theater-going experience", my wife prefers a lower volume. So 95% of the time, I'm operating well within the safe zone That said, the other 5% of the time is "blow out the windows" time, so I'd like to make sure I'm protected in those cases as well! Lucky you getting 5% of time to do that haha, I'm like 1% haha, well there are many amps to choose out ther for those nice Sonus Faber speakers  |
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Post by leonski on Feb 20, 2017 18:58:04 GMT -5
Long term input voltage of those Beauties is rated @22v.
Power is rated to an IEC standard, too, which is a good thing.
They are reasonably sensitive, too, which is good for amp power needed.
I'd say to Listen for distortion rather than count on the amp to not clip. Peaks are tricky that way.
How loud do you like it and in how large a space? Well damped or 'average' furnishings?
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Post by saru on Feb 20, 2017 20:15:05 GMT -5
Long term input voltage of those Beauties is rated @22v. Power is rated to an IEC standard, too, which is a good thing. They are reasonably sensitive, too, which is good for amp power needed. I'd say to Listen for distortion rather than count on the amp to not clip. Peaks are tricky that way. How loud do you like it and in how large a space? Well damped or 'average' furnishings? I know this is not entirely useful but on the XSP-1 display, I typically do casual listening between -45 and -30. For more active listening, I like to turn up between -30 and -20 (though I haven't gone that high with the Olympicas yet). Sorry, I haven't yet measured what those are in decibels from my listening position (about 7.5 feet from speaker grille to my head). The room is on the small side (10' x 12' with 7.5' ceiling) and is furnished with bookshelves on the left and right walls, plus my computer desk is also on the left wall. I've managed to arrange the room so the central zone is clear for my listening chair with no obstruction from either speaker to the chair, but it does mean that the room is not well-treated (though I recently bought a shag rug for the central zone, and I have a leftover GIK acoustic panel sitting behind the listening chair on the back wall. |
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 20, 2017 21:16:59 GMT -5
Lots of opinions here and I do say some good ones.
I will throw the CRUVEBALL...Remember don't shoot the messenger .
Here's the wind up
The pitch!
Have you considered tube mono-blocks?
Honestly when you are talking 300-500watts unless you intend to do concerts for the entire neighborhood that amount of wattage is not really needed. If your interest STRICTLY lie with heavy metal, R&R, your options for blowing out your ear drums are mentioned in previous posts.
However if you are interested in hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar....TUBES bring out the best. Classical, blues, jazz are a perfect combo for TUBES and r&r doesn't sound bad.
I am running mono-blocks...Bob Latino's m125's for my B&W803 diamonds. The mono-blocks I orginally ran with two output tubes in each for 35watts per channel, today I am running four output tubes for a total of 65watts per channel and the sound is sublime.
Just a thought!
tubes4hifi
Sorry guys....Gar and Gary
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Post by garbulky on Feb 21, 2017 9:20:53 GMT -5
Lots of opinions here and I do say some good ones. I will throw the CRUVEBALL...Remember don't shoot the messenger . Here's the wind up The pitch! Have you considered tube mono-blocks? Honestly when you are talking 300-500watts unless you intend to do concerts for the entire neighborhood that amount of wattage is not really needed. If your interest STRICTLY lie with heavy metal, R&R, your options for blowing out your ear drums are mentioned in previous posts. However if you are interested in hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar....TUBES bring out the best. Classical, blues, jazz are a perfect combo for TUBES and r&r doesn't sound bad. I am running mono-blocks...Bob Latino's m125's for my B&W803 diamonds. The mono-blocks I orginally ran with two output tubes in each for 35watts per channel, today I am running four output tubes for a total of 65watts per channel and the sound is sublime. Just a thought! tubes4hifi Sorry guys....Gar and Gary No probs! There are a lot of good ways to go about this. |
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Post by saru on Feb 21, 2017 11:10:33 GMT -5
Lots of opinions here and I do say some good ones. I will throw the CRUVEBALL...Remember don't shoot the messenger . Here's the wind up The pitch! Have you considered tube mono-blocks? Honestly when you are talking 300-500watts unless you intend to do concerts for the entire neighborhood that amount of wattage is not really needed. If your interest STRICTLY lie with heavy metal, R&R, your options for blowing out your ear drums are mentioned in previous posts. However if you are interested in hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar....TUBES bring out the best. Classical, blues, jazz are a perfect combo for TUBES and r&r doesn't sound bad. I am running mono-blocks...Bob Latino's m125's for my B&W803 diamonds. The mono-blocks I orginally ran with two output tubes in each for 35watts per channel, today I am running four output tubes for a total of 65watts per channel and the sound is sublime. Just a thought! tubes4hifi Sorry guys....Gar and Gary I haven't given much thought to falling down the tube-amp rabbit hole, but I'm willing to keep an open mind about it. My usual genres tend toward alt rock, indie, classic rock, classical, and jazz. Not so much heavy metal. Truth be told, when I get the hankering to listen to something LOUD, I head downstairs where I've got proper soundproofing in all the walls (thanks to a minor basement flood last spring that forced a remodel). The type of clarity and detail you describe is what I'm hoping to bring out with my 2ch rig. |
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 21, 2017 13:01:52 GMT -5
Hey tubes are just a thought.
EMOTIVA makes quality equipment and is a good bang for the buck....
What I will tell you is that tubes made a difference in the way I listen (hear) music...all types but I am into a lot of jazz, classical and blues BUT I enjoy the sound of Pink Floyd.
Take a look at the website I posted and would highly recommend IF you are SERIOUS or just have questions contact audiobill who is on this forum.
Knowledgeable, smart, and informative.
I will also add these are kits so if you are inclined you can DIY BUT audiobill knows ALL...and assembles these amplifiers and pre-amps all of the time. He can answer all questions about the "need for speed"
PM him..if you care too.
Good luck and happy hunting!
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Post by Axis on Feb 21, 2017 13:28:03 GMT -5
Hey tubes are just a thought. EMOTIVA makes quality equipment and is a good bang for the buck.... What I will tell you is that tubes made a difference in the way I listen (hear) music...all types but I am into a lot of jazz, classical and blues BUT I enjoy the sound of Pink Floyd. Take a look at the website I posted and would highly recommend IF you are SERIOUS or just have questions contact audiobill who is on this forum. Knowledgeable, smart, and informative. I will also add these are kits so if you are inclined you can DIY BUT audiobill knows ALL...and assembles these amplifiers and pre-amps all of the time. He can answer all questions about the "need for speed" PM him..if you care too. Good luck and happy hunting! I wish Emotiva was making quality "good bang for the buck...." tube amps. Tubes can have a different sound if made too. I am still waiting on a high power tubby sounding amp for a good price. audiobill can help like bluemeanies says. |
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Post by saru on Feb 21, 2017 13:53:48 GMT -5
Any thoughts on the ST-120 vs the M-125 monoblocks? If I did the stereo amp, is it likely I'd find myself wanting the M-125s in the end? I don't have any hands-on electrical experience but judging from the site and reviews, the kits are novice-friendly as long as instructions are closely followed (and I can put together an IKEA bookshelf with the best of 'em!).
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Post by Gary Cook on Feb 21, 2017 16:47:51 GMT -5
I agree Nick, monoblocks rule, why is he even thinking about it, it should already be done, get them XPA-1L 's in there ASAP.  I was about to reply, "because I don't want to leave my theater system in a lurch", but I suppose I can stick the XPA-200 in for the front LR until I can acquire the true replacement. There's still the speaker post width to contend with in the 2ch, though. I use Emotiva speaker cables and they reach the XPA-1L's posts spread easily, just insert them from the side rather than from the rear. This takes up a lot less space plus it also locks them securely which I like as it's a pain to check speaker connections behind them. A good test then  Cheers Gary |
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Post by Gary Cook on Feb 21, 2017 16:59:42 GMT -5
Lots of opinions here and I do say some good ones. I will throw the CRUVEBALL...Remember don't shoot the messenger . Here's the wind up The pitch! Have you considered tube mono-blocks? Honestly when you are talking 300-500watts unless you intend to do concerts for the entire neighborhood that amount of wattage is not really needed. If your interest STRICTLY lie with heavy metal, R&R, your options for blowing out your ear drums are mentioned in previous posts. However if you are interested in hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar....TUBES bring out the best. Classical, blues, jazz are a perfect combo for TUBES and r&r doesn't sound bad. I am running mono-blocks...Bob Latino's m125's for my B&W803 diamonds. The mono-blocks I orginally ran with two output tubes in each for 35watts per channel, today I am running four output tubes for a total of 65watts per channel and the sound is sublime. Just a thought! tubes4hifi Sorry guys....Gar and Gary We don't do much baseball here, so I'll use the cricket analogy and hit that pitch for 6 My XPA-1L's do a superb job of "hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar" all without adding anything that wasn't there in the original recording. Some people like stuff added, like 2nd order harmonics, but even more don't. Then there is the issue of tube amps being extremely sensitive to what's connected to them, from interconnects to speakers, it's like tube rolling, the chase never ends. Cheers Gary |
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Post by audiobill on Feb 21, 2017 20:03:51 GMT -5
"Some people like stuff added, like 2nd order harmonics, but even more don't. Then there is the issue of tube amps being extremely sensitive to what's connected to them, from interconnects to speakers, it's like tube rolling, the chase never ends."
Nonsense.
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Post by novisnick on Feb 21, 2017 20:16:54 GMT -5
"Some people like stuff added, like 2nd order harmonics, but even more don't. Then there is the issue of tube amps being extremely sensitive to what's connected to them, from interconnects to speakers, it's like tube rolling, the chase never ends." Nonsense. Great to see you my friend! Welcome back!
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 21, 2017 22:41:08 GMT -5
Lots of opinions here and I do say some good ones. I will throw the CRUVEBALL...Remember don't shoot the messenger . Here's the wind up The pitch! Have you considered tube mono-blocks? Honestly when you are talking 300-500watts unless you intend to do concerts for the entire neighborhood that amount of wattage is not really needed. If your interest STRICTLY lie with heavy metal, R&R, your options for blowing out your ear drums are mentioned in previous posts. However if you are interested in hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar....TUBES bring out the best. Classical, blues, jazz are a perfect combo for TUBES and r&r doesn't sound bad. I am running mono-blocks...Bob Latino's m125's for my B&W803 diamonds. The mono-blocks I orginally ran with two output tubes in each for 35watts per channel, today I am running four output tubes for a total of 65watts per channel and the sound is sublime. Just a thought! tubes4hifi Sorry guys....Gar and Gary We don't do much baseball here, so I'll use the cricket analogy and hit that pitch for 6 My XPA-1L's do a superb job of "hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar" all without adding anything that wasn't there in the original recording. Some people like stuff added, like 2nd order harmonics, but even more don't. Then there is the issue of tube amps being extremely sensitive to what's connected to them, from interconnects to speakers, it's like tube rolling, the chase never ends. Cheers Gary Sorry to disagree. just come out and say you do not care for tube amplification. You have a right to your opinion but do not add BS on top of it! Never heard clarity as clear as a bell from SS compared to tubes IMO. Headroom yes..tubes extremely sensitive to interconnects? Speakers...RUBBISH! As far as the chase never ends look at the forum...amps, amps, more amps and amps. I see more FS amplifiers advertised only to upgrade to the next moderate level of LOUDNESS than I do for clarity, depth and the warmth of an artist voice. |
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 21, 2017 23:34:18 GMT -5
Any thoughts on the ST-120 vs the M-125 monoblocks? If I did the stereo amp, is it likely I'd find myself wanting the M-125s in the end? I don't have any hands-on electrical experience but judging from the site and reviews, the kits are novice-friendly as long as instructions are closely followed (and I can put together an IKEA bookshelf with the best of 'em!). It depends. if you are into wanting to have some extra power and are in the mono-block society the m125's would be the way especially if you KNOW you will want to upgrade in the future, but why wait. Upgrade may not be the correct word. The ST 120"s is a SUPERIOR tube amplifier. You can't go wrong. If you want to consider someone assembling it for you I recommend PM audiobill. He IS the BEST in the business. |
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Post by Gary Cook on Feb 21, 2017 23:56:07 GMT -5
We don't do much baseball here, so I'll use the cricket analogy and hit that pitch for 6 My XPA-1L's do a superb job of "hearing the clarity of a cymbal, the foot petal of a piano and the hand of a guitarist moving up and down the neck of a guitar" all without adding anything that wasn't there in the original recording. Some people like stuff added, like 2nd order harmonics, but even more don't. Then there is the issue of tube amps being extremely sensitive to what's connected to them, from interconnects to speakers, it's like tube rolling, the chase never ends. Sorry to disagree. just come out and say you do not care for tube amplification. You have a right to your opinion but do not add BS on top of it! Never heard clarity as clear as a bell from SS compared to tubes IMO. Headroom yes..tubes extremely sensitive to interconnects? Speakers...RUBBISH! As far as the chase never ends look at the forum...amps, amps, more amps and amps. I see more FS amplifiers advertised only to upgrade to the next moderate level of LOUDNESS than I do for clarity, depth and the warmth of an artist voice. We can debate this forever and get nowhere plus I think you were taking it a bit more serious than I intended, perhaps you missed the wink, maybe a larger one next time;  As for sensitivity to speakers I recall that your Bob Latino M125 tube mono-blocks require output binding posts set up for 4, 8 or 16 ohm speakers. That's what I meant by impedance sensitive, don't have that with SS amps. I'm not sure that I understand how you could say that someone who upgrades from, say, an XPA-100 to, say, XPA-1 is only doing it for the loudness. In my case I upgraded to XPA-1L's mostly for the XLR balanced connections to eliminate a slight induced noise issue from the 5 metre long RCA's. I certainly didn't do it for loudness, the XPA-1L's have no more power than the XPA-5 running 2 channels. As I said, agree to disagree, you post your opinions and I post mine. Cheers Gary |
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Post by audiobill on Feb 22, 2017 4:08:01 GMT -5
Any thoughts on the ST-120 vs the M-125 monoblocks? If I did the stereo amp, is it likely I'd find myself wanting the M-125s in the end? I don't have any hands-on electrical experience but judging from the site and reviews, the kits are novice-friendly as long as instructions are closely followed (and I can put together an IKEA bookshelf with the best of 'em!). Just fyi, building a tube amp with 4-500 volts dc is hardly the same as an Ikea bookshelf. You must have some idea what you're dealing with. |
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Post by saru on Feb 22, 2017 7:04:29 GMT -5
Just fyi, building a tube amp with 4-500 volts dc is hardly the same as an Ikea bookshelf. You must have some idea what you're dealing with. Oh, of course. I was just making a dumb joke, but you raise a valid point. I'd hate for some forum lurker to inadvertently destroy their gear or injure themselves because I was tossing around false equivalence of building an amp kit to assembling flat-pack furniture. |
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 22, 2017 7:14:53 GMT -5
Sorry to disagree. just come out and say you do not care for tube amplification. You have a right to your opinion but do not add BS on top of it! Never heard clarity as clear as a bell from SS compared to tubes IMO. Headroom yes..tubes extremely sensitive to interconnects? Speakers...RUBBISH! As far as the chase never ends look at the forum...amps, amps, more amps and amps. I see more FS amplifiers advertised only to upgrade to the next moderate level of LOUDNESS than I do for clarity, depth and the warmth of an artist voice. We can debate this forever and get nowhere plus I think you were taking it a bit more serious than I intended, perhaps you missed the wink, maybe a larger one next time; As for sensitivity to speakers I recall that your Bob Latino M125 tube mono-blocks require output binding posts set up for 4, 8 or 16 ohm speakers. That's what I meant by impedance sensitive, don't have that with SS amps. I'm not sure that I understand how you could say that someone who upgrades from, say, an XPA-100 to, say, XPA-1 is only doing it for the loudness. In my case I upgraded to XPA-1L's mostly for the XLR balanced connections to eliminate a slight induced noise issue from the 5 metre long RCA's. I certainly didn't do it for loudness, the XPA-1L's have no more power than the XPA-5 running 2 channels. As I said, agree to disagree, you post your opinions and I post mine. Cheers Gary Gary...I do disagree BUT will admit I came off a bit strong from a bad day. My apoogizes for sounding rough. As far as NOISE coming from RCA compared to balance I never really heard noise from my receivers or pre-amps from pass ownership unless I saw it on a graph...but I am NOT contending that you physically did not hear noise. Myself, I have never heard actual noise from an RCA connection and other audio enthusiasts have felt the same. Again everyone is different. As far as the m125's being sensitive b/c of output binding posts my m125's are set for 6 & 8ohm's. I could have set them for 4,6, & 8 ohm. Depending on the speaker. Saying that I could set my B&W's to 6ohms but according to B&W of North America they perform better with an 8 ohm setting. The cost factor I THINK is around $30.00 in order to have those options for different ohm settings which I would think some people would like and take advantage of especially since the option is so reasonable in price. As far as the TUBE sound I enjoy it quite more than SS with all genres most especially JAZZ & CLASSICAL, but I will admit Floyd & Clapton sounds so detailed on the m125's, so I cannot exclude R&R. Again, sorry for the rough talk, Frank |
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That said, the other 5% of the time is "blow out the windows" time, so I'd like to make sure I'm protected in those cases as well!
