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Post by leonski on Sept 20, 2023 20:20:20 GMT -5
Working fine AND satisfying? A win-win.
Some of the Other EMO amps have been aspirational. I thought briefly about the 1L and even the SA-250, but never moved on the thought.
Current thought is a pair of MONO Tube amps....the VTA M125 is very attractive and should have more than enough power for my needs with my panels....
But I'd need to clear the living room table for a work area than clear the project in 3 to 4 weeks tops......
I'd originally though of building 2 amps IN PARALLEL but was convinced that was a bad idea and to tackle on at-a-time....
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KeithL
Administrator 
Posts: 10,274
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Post by KeithL on Sept 21, 2023 11:01:47 GMT -5
I have a thought about building two amps in parallel... To me... If I had a lot of confidence in both my skills and the accuracy of the directions... I would be inclined to build both at once. Especially with a tube amp there are going to be a significant number of places where you're going to be doing point-to-point wiring between parts. And, with a pair of mono amps, intended to be used in stereo, I would want them to be identical (I'm a bit OCD there). And, for me, I'm going to be more likely to get two of something to be exactly the same if I do them at the same time side by side. For example, if I have to make up two wiring harnesses, I can do them side by side, and they will come out exactly the same. And this is even more true if there are things that need to be bent or cut to shape. You've also got the benefit that all setup operations are done only once. (So a particular sort of connection, or opening the tube on a particular tube of glue, or using a heat shrink gun, and so on.) (I'm more interested in both units being the same rather than possibly "learning something so the second one can be better or easier".) BUT, if you're not totally confident, in either your abilities or the directions, this virtually ensures that any mistakes you make will be made twice. There is one other thing... and it involves the initial purchase... If you buy two kits "as a pair" they should have the same parts... But, if you buy them separately, and especially if there is a long delay between the purchases, they may be different... (With tube amps I would want things like the brands of the tubes, and the revisions of the transformers, to be exactly the same, to avoid "channel mismatches".) Working fine AND satisfying? A win-win. Some of the Other EMO amps have been aspirational. I thought briefly about the 1L and even the SA-250, but never moved on the thought. Current thought is a pair of MONO Tube amps....the VTA M125 is very attractive and should have more than enough power for my needs with my panels.... But I'd need to clear the living room table for a work area than clear the project in 3 to 4 weeks tops...... I'd originally though of building 2 amps IN PARALLEL but was convinced that was a bad idea and to tackle on at-a-time.... |
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Post by leonski on Sept 21, 2023 12:41:22 GMT -5
Keith? You make some good points, some of which I've already gone over. But ONE point which was for me a deal breaker was that of logistics. I'd need roughtly DOUBLE the bench area to do the 'parallel' build. LOTS more light. I'm not much worried about tools....they'd be within reach regardless. I see claims of 10 hours build time. But you Guessed right. I AM a little compulsive. Certain modifications (grounding and others) need to be done on the fly AND the install of a SS rectifier from the WEBER line....Which means I also need the B+ to be delayed for up to 30 seconds...... I see a site which claims 'teaching the VTA Amp to sing' which lists several changes which I need to UNDERSTAND prior to build. And than, and this is a little off, I would need to drive myself nuts with TUBE CHOICE.....Though I suspect the 6550 or KT88 would be fine for the output while the inputs would be less of a pain....to choose. No to NOS, since I'm not wealthy or nuts. And no to buying tubes on EBAY which strikes me as a lose-lose opportunity. www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/teaching-vta-m-125-to-sing.347645/This goes ON and ON and much is beyond me......but I'm willing to read thru it and see what does and doesn't make sense.... |
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Post by eclypse on Oct 12, 2023 10:45:13 GMT -5
My XPA-2 and XPA-3 Gen 1 are both still going strong! Bought as B stock maybe close to 20 years ago!
About 3 years ago I bought another used XPA-3 used for a basement setup to run a 5.1 set of 4ohm Polk Audio LSi speakers.
About 6 months ago i finally found a set of XPA-1 Gen2 Mono Amps!!! Only been looking for a decade! Haha.. everytime I'd see one I didn't have the money!
Anyways, now I want to build a 7.1.4 setup in the basement.
Wife wouldn't let me go nuts and grab a XPA-6 or 7. So the current plan is to run:
XPA-1 Gen 2 X2 FL, FR
XPA-2 Gen 1 SL, SR
XPA-3 Gen 1 C,SBL,SBR
BasX A4 for 4 Tops.
5 AMPS!! OUCH!
I hope 3 20Amp circuts will be fine.
Going to be using 1 CMX2 per 2 amps on ea Circuit.
So XPA1,XPA2
XPA1,XPA3
BasX A4 on its own CMX2... maybe hook the XSP-1 also to that.
If I ever find a XPA-5 Gen 2, I'll be all over it, just to replace the XPA2 and XPA3.
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Post by leonski on Oct 12, 2023 16:46:31 GMT -5
You are SO FAR ahead of the game with 3x @20amp dedicated as to be funny.
Just make sure you run 12ga or even 10ga from box to outlets.
I'd PERSONALLY go to 10ga if the run were over maybe 40 or 50 feet.....
ONE consideration? Polk are a very nice 88db sensitive. This makes GOOD use of amplifier power.
You will never come close to 'tapping out' one of those larger mono amps.......Even a 'mere' 200 a side would
get you kicked out of your town......
SOME reports of power conditioners 'sucking the life' out of amps. I myself could not use my
Panamax with my Carver Cube......But DO plug my Parasound A23 (X2) into their 20amp outlet
which has the PSAudio SOLOIST outlet with some 'features'......
THIS is worth testing......and won't be too tough to do.....
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Post by eclypse on Oct 12, 2023 19:31:22 GMT -5
You are SO FAR ahead of the game with 3x @20amp dedicated as to be funny. Just make sure you run 12ga or even 10ga from box to outlets. I'd PERSONALLY go to 10ga if the run were over maybe 40 or 50 feet..... ONE consideration? Polk are a very nice 88db sensitive. This makes GOOD use of amplifier power. You will never come close to 'tapping out' one of those larger mono amps.......Even a 'mere' 200 a side would get you kicked out of your town...... SOME reports of power conditioners 'sucking the life' out of amps. I myself could not use my Panamax with my Carver Cube......But DO plug my Parasound A23 (X2) into their 20amp outlet which has the PSAudio SOLOIST outlet with some 'features'...... THIS is worth testing......and won't be too tough to do.....  I'm pretty sure I used 12gage wire. Pretty long distance going across the basement and up 2 floors to the upstairs where the theater room is atm. I'm going to move those wires back down to the basement and they will be right where they need to be. And much shorter.. maybe 35-40+ feet long this time. Also will have to bring down the Polk Audio LSIM 705's,706C,702's and 703 bookshelfs speakers and use 4 Polk 900LS 3 way ceiling speakers for the heights. The super hard part will be somehow hand trucking the monster SVS PB-Ultra 16 sub into the basement! :/ |
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Post by leonski on Oct 12, 2023 20:14:44 GMT -5
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