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Amplifcation for ET VIII

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Posted on January 23, 2016 at 06:51:47
jazzbeat
Audiophile

Posts: 293
Location: Kansas city,MO
Joined: February 18, 2004
 Presently running an PS Audio Delta 100 with my ET VIII and considering a move to the Odyssey Stratos . I have heard good reports as to the Odyssey but also enjoy the PS Audio. Wonder if anyone has made such a change and or uses the Odyssey and curious as to opinions.

Thanks in advance.

 

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RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on January 24, 2016 at 10:29:28
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 Perhaps what you would want to do is to biamp and use the opportunity to fix the prominent resonance peak from the woofer by using a steeper electronic XO - or use Davey's suggested XO modification.

The speaker is easily biamped with a god 100 watter on top and 200 on the bottom. The selection of good amps for either role is endless - a 4X kt88 or KT120 tube amp is ample for the top and can possibly even run the whole speaker with the KT120s.

If you stay with single amping I am not sure the odyssey would be much of an upgrade over the delta 100, though would definitely be more refined. The Parasound A21 is a very good amp and would easily outdo your old Delta.

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on February 27, 2016 at 10:09:35
Mr_bill2
Audiophile

Posts: 2178
Joined: September 17, 2002
 This would be pricey and not take advantage of your current amp(though you could just sell it off to recoup some of the costs) but I've been down this road and came to finally go with a Quicksilver Kt88 V4 though even better now offered with KT150s would be killer with the ETs. With the right amplification these speakers are serious giant killers, to use an over coined phrase.

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on May 30, 2016 at 20:18:17
BDP24
Audiophile

Posts: 1070
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Joined: September 12, 2013
 Very much agree with both statements, Mr. Bill. Another good partner for the ET is it's electronic equivalent, the Music Reference RM-200 Mk.2 (both Rodney Dangerfield's of High End ;-). Occasionally available used for $2500-$3000, though the Mk.1 can be had for around $2000. Roger told me the transformer is not appropriate for the voltage needed for KT-120's, let alone 150's, so stick with KT-88's. If bi-amping, that's plenty for the panels. Put a SS amp on the bottom, and you've got a great system.

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on May 30, 2016 at 20:57:11
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 A question and a couple of comments.

First. What is the crossover point of the speaker in question? That'll determine the real power needs. 66/33 would work at the 10k point, but I'd reverse the amps if using the 180hz crossover point.

I have a PAIR of A23 that give nothing to a single A21 in my Maggies. A speaker level biamp is the use and it rocks.

The MiniDSP would allow a parametric CUT of the offending 'prominent resonance peak'.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on May 30, 2016 at 23:07:21
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 While you would be right about the power distribution in general, the current demands are different for the bass vs. the mids and up. So even with a 180 hz crossover the low impedance of the bass unit will require more current delivery so a higher power rating is useful.

Besides this, I know from experience that the bass content in music varies greatly so your amplification scheme should not be aimed at the average distribution but towards the more extreme spectral power distributions where bass power can be >>10X greater than the average for music of all genres. Looking at spectrograms for say a large scale orchestral tone poem from Tchaiikovsky, the 30-50hz band spends a significant portion of the time 5-10db above the midrange levels and has occasional peaks in the bass of 20db above the midrange. In fact, in nearly all occasions where orchestral and piano tracks reach near the 0db mark it is with bass content not midrange or treble, and by factors of 10db or more.

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on May 30, 2016 at 23:50:05
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I believe our 'difference', as it stands, would be summed up as 'average' VS 'peak' power.

With low sensitivity speakers like Maggies, it's even WORSE. If you like your Orchestra LOUD and are cruising long mid-90s, a 10db peak is a LOT of power and 20db will put you in orbit. At that point, you could reasonably argue that NO amp or amps will suffice.

My setup is 200x2 per speaker, crossing @600hz. Stock MG1.6
I LOW CUT the panels at maybe 50 or 60hz and pick up with a dedicated 250watt sub amp crossed at 45. So there is a 'guard band' between sub and mains, which I HOPE sums flat.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on May 31, 2016 at 07:21:16
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 That is a very good summation of he different positions.
My solution was to get the appropriate power to accommodate the peak demands. My "peak demand" target was set in 1979 in a discussion with a Decca recording engineer setting up in the hall, and my music teacher and audiophile mentor. The suggestion was that we take the peak mic feed from the firebird suite or the Rites of Spring (then recently recorded, I was there) that had 115db peaks on the bass drums. That was as loud as he recalls ever having recorded an orchestra (much slider movement to avoid saturating the master tape) though he "might have" had a 118db peak long before and elsewhere. He said his studio monitors could not do it so "good luck with that"...

I use that Stravinsky bass drum as a rough guide- it is a full 25db crest over the loud passage (low 90s db average C weighted).where it appears and then builds up bass pressure in the hall with subsequent whacks. If you brace your TIV/IVa bass panels well enough, place them right and give them a Crown 5000 (5002VZ in my case) for power they will do the job and the fast response peak hold on the SPL meter will catch a peak in the 112-115db range at your seat. After that the variable speed fans on the Crown will be audible desperately trying to cool it back down and the room becomes noticeably warmer and the dedicated room AC may kick in.

So that is what I planned for. I managed it without subwoofers if you disregard the TIV panels being subwoofers in themselves.

2500wpc@4ohms might seem overkill to the nth degree but it sure comes in handy if you need it for what you are trying to play with a row 4 center perspective. ..

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on July 25, 2016 at 18:55:10
jazzbeat
Audiophile

Posts: 293
Location: Kansas city,MO
Joined: February 18, 2004
 Finally went with my gut feeling and got the Stratos. Good call. I do love the sound of the ET's however with most of the amps I have used
( PS Audio Delta, Forte3, as well as ATI ) found the sound to remain more on the panels and not as much in the room. After a few tunes broke out a test of mine Miles " Kind of Blue". I was totally taken away how much the soundstage expanded and the warmth and ease this amp handled these speakers. Very much reminded me of my time with some Apogee Calipers with good amplification. Left and right disappear and the sound stage just laid in place. Quite a great match.

Just my 2 cents.

 

RE: Amplifcation for ET VIII, posted on July 28, 2016 at 08:36:06
fin1bxn@msn.com
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: new jersey
Joined: November 15, 2005
 Good for you- I have both Odyssey amps and ET speakers. They both are an excellent product and cost efficient. Happy Listening

 

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