Amp Pairing for Focal Sopra N2: Buckeye Purifi (6525A vs 9040) vs. NCx500 in 2.2 Setup

[rimmi2002]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for community input on the best amplifier pairing for a pair of Focal Sopra N2 speakers. I’m planning to run a 2.2 setup with two Rythmik FV18 subwoofers, using a miniDSP Flex HT for preamp/DSP functions.

My room is roughly 30' x 15' with 11' ceilings (approx. 5,000 cu. ft.), and my primary listening position is about 10–12 feet away from the speakers. I’m primarily considering options from Buckeye Amps, but I have some questions about power vs. performance. My budget is roughly $2k–$3k max, and I’d like to stay in that range unless I’m leaving a significant amount of performance on the table by not spending more.

Current Considerations:

• Purifi 1ET6525SA (2nd Gen): I like the lower price point ($1050 for 2ch vs. $2600 for 2x Monoblocks of 9040BA), but I'm worried if its 230W/ch @ 8Ω will be a limiting factor, especially since I might run a low crossover (around 40-60Hz).
• Purifi 1ET9040BA Monoblocks: These offer the most output (375W @ 8Ω), but they are significantly more expensive. Wondering if the $2600 2 ch cost vs. $1050 will lead to any noticeable improvement in audible performance.
• Hypex NCx500: I believe the power here is plenty (380W/ch @ 8ohm), but I’m wondering if the lower distortion and higher damping of the Purifi modules would pair better with the Sopra's detailed Beryllium tweeter.
• Bryston 4B3: Still on the radar if a used unit pops up at a great price for that classic Class AB synergy. Wondering if anyone can compare how this Bryston can stack up against the Purifi 1ET9040BA or Purifi 1ET6525SA

Specific Questions for the Forum:

1. Is 230W enough for Sopra N2s? Given their 91dB sensitivity but a minimum impedance of 3.1Ω, is the 6525A sufficient for a low crossover setup, or will I run out of headroom during high-dynamic movie peaks?
2. Purifi vs. Hypex NCx500: For critical listening on the Focals, is the superior transparency and micro-dynamic detail of the Purifi 1st/2nd Gen audibly worth the extra power / cost comparter to Purifi 1ET6525SA/1ET9040BA
3. The Budget Sweet Spot: Within a $2k–$3k budget, is there a clear "winner" that maximizes the Sopra's performance, or do I need to step up to the 9040 monoblocks to truly do these speakers justice?

My usage is roughly 60% movies/shows and 40% music videos. I want to ensure the main amp provides the best possible clarity and effortless headroom while the Rythmiks handle the heavy lifting below 60Hz.

Thanks for any insights!

 

[staticV3]

Is 230W enough for Sopra N2s? Given their 91dB sensitivity but a minimum impedance of 3.1Ω, is the 6525A sufficient for a low crossover setup, or will I run out of headroom during high-dynamic movie peaks?

That depends entirely on your listening distance, listening environment, and playback levels. In other words, no one can answer that for you.

One thing I can tell you though is that people tend to overestimate the amount of power that they need.

Also: If your current Amp meets your power requirements, so drives your louspeakers to your desired playback levels without clipping, then you will gain nothing from upgrading to a more powerful Amp. The resulting sound will be identical.

Edit:
Also also, you can measure your Amp's in-situ output voltage, and use that to A) Calculate your specific power requirements and B) Calculate how much of your Amp's power budget you're using, with just a cheap multimeter.

 

[Mort]

people tend to overestimate the amount of power that they need

People don't listen to music loud enough is the problem.

 

[rimmi2002]

That depends entirely on your listening distance, listening environment, and playback levels. In other words, no one can answer that for you.

One thing I can tell you though is that people tend to overestimate the amount of power that they need.

Also: If your current Amp meets your power requirements, so drives your louspeakers to your desired playback levels without clipping, then you will gain nothing from upgrading to a more powerful Amp. The resulting sound will be identical.

Edit:
Also also, you can measure your Amp's in-situ output voltage, and use that to A) Calculate your specific power requirements and B) Calculate how much of your Amp's power budget you're using, with just a cheap multimeter.

My room is roughly 30' x 15' with 11' ceilings (approx. 5,000 cu. ft.), and my primary listening position will be about ~10–12 feet away from the speakers. Currently I am just running Onkyo NR7100 for 5.1 setup...I don't think that is going to cut it with Sopra N2 Towers. Especially given I plan to use them in stereo setup. The AVR has a poor DAC and amp for that purpose.

The speakers recc'd amp power is 30-300W. Impedance is 3.1 to 8ohm. I feel the Purifi 1ET6525SA (230W @ 8ohm and 450 at 4ohm) should have enough juice at that distance given the speaker is likely to dip down to 4ohm impedance when bass/mid bass. Also if I am adding a sub even if even I use a crossover of 40-60 that should help take some load of the speakers.

Just wanted to double check my thinking before investing in an amp and finding out it is underpowered for my speakers. 2x Purifi 1ET9040BA monoblocks are ~$1400 more than a 2 ch 6525SA Setup. They will most definitely do the job, but just wanted to check if I can save the $1400 and perhaps spend it somewhere else.

 

[Svend P]

Do you already have the speakers? The Focal Sopra N2 are insanely expensive. Otherwise you could get better results with cheaper active speakers from the like of Genelec or Neumann for less than half. Or some nice Kefs

 

[Mart68]

The speakers recc'd amp power is 30-300W. Impedance is 3.1 to 8ohm. I feel the Purifi 1ET6525SA (230W @ 8ohm and 450 at 4ohm) should have enough juice at that distance given the speaker is likely to dip down to 4ohm impedance when bass/mid bass.

Having owned very similar but much older Focals I'd say that was easily enough power.

 

[vicenzo_del_paris]

I have focal Kantas 2 (min impedance is 2.9) in a similar room and listening distance, fed by NCx500 modules (Boxem multi channel power amp) with a minidsp Flex HT upfront.
Thus a very similar setup. And this is enough power !
I don't see any reason why you would hear any difference between the purify modules and hypex ncorex modules.
Just get the best power/price ratio

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Having owned very similar but much older Focals I'd say that was easily enough power.

Especially if the user is rolling off the low bass to the associated subs!

 

[delta76]

Do you already have the speakers? The Focal Sopra N2 are insanely expensive. Otherwise you could get better results with cheaper active speakers from the like of Genelec or Neumann for less than half. Or some nice Kefs

Some people have money to buy "nice things", because they like the look and they like how they sound. Objectively better means statistically more people will prefer it, but not necessarily everyone will prefer it.
Given he/she is asking about Purifi/hypex and not some absurdly expensive amp that has 50wpc I think he/she has done the research. Let people pick what they like

 

[delta76]

sopra no2 is pretty sensitive and you can rock your room with 100w, especially if you set the crossover around 40hz and leave the lower end to the subs. Any of the options you listed will be fine. 300w will be what to not damage your speaker, not the required power of your amp.

 

[quattro98]

1) Do you already have the speakers?
2) What are you currently using for an amp?

Sensitivity is lower than spec.

“Sensitivity: 87.5dB (averaged 300Hz-3kHz on Listening Window, 2.83V/1m”

SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: Focal Sopra No2 Loudspeakers

www.soundstagenetwork.com

Usual Crown link for power.

Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English (US)

www.crownaudio.com

 

[rimmi2002]

Some people have money to buy "nice things", because they like the look and they like how they sound. Objectively better means statistically more people will prefer it, but not necessarily everyone will prefer it.
Given he/she is asking about Purifi/hypex and not some absurdly expensive amp that has 50wpc I think he/she has done the research. Let people pick what they like

sopra no2 is pretty sensitive and you can rock your room with 100w, especially if you set the crossover around 40hz and leave the lower end to the subs. Any of the options you listed will be fine. 300w will be what to not damage your speaker, not the required power of your amp.

Thanks you. Really liked the sound of the sopra's when I heard them at a family member's house. I had been looking for months on the used market and pulled the trigger when I finally found something I could manage. They are still not in hand...so anything is still possible. Just trying to plan ahead for other gear that I need, hoping they will arrive at planned.

Given both NCx500 and purifi 6525SA have enough juice for the speakers...can anyone who has listened to both amps comment if purifi's better distortion/SINAS will lead to any real life perceptible audible improvement? if not then perhaps I just buy a 2ch NCxAMP or 3ch to make it more future proof if I ever add a center in future.

Thanks.

1) Do you already have the speakers?
2) What are you currently using for an amp?

Sensitivity is lower than spec.

“Sensitivity: 87.5dB (averaged 300Hz-3kHz on Listening Window, 2.83V/1m”

SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: Focal Sopra No2 Loudspeakers

www.soundstagenetwork.com

Usual Crown link for power.

Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English (US)

www.crownaudio.com

Currently I am just running a 5.1 setup with Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2's for LCR running off Onkyo NR7100. No discrete amp. (1st time looking into buying one, have learned a lot from all the research and advice from members of this forum. Thankful there are affordale high quality options available like buckeye.

 

[skankhobag]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for community input on the best amplifier pairing for a pair of Focal Sopra N2 speakers. I’m planning to run a 2.2 setup with two Rythmik FV18 subwoofers, using a miniDSP Flex HT for preamp/DSP functions.

My room is roughly 30' x 15' with 11' ceilings (approx. 5,000 cu. ft.), and my primary listening position is about 10–12 feet away from the speakers. I’m primarily considering options from Buckeye Amps, but I have some questions about power vs. performance. My budget is roughly $2k–$3k max, and I’d like to stay in that range unless I’m leaving a significant amount of performance on the table by not spending more.

Current Considerations:

• Purifi 1ET6525SA (2nd Gen): I like the lower price point ($1050 for 2ch vs. $2600 for 2x Monoblocks of 9040BA), but I'm worried if its 230W/ch @ 8Ω will be a limiting factor, especially since I might run a low crossover (around 40-60Hz).
• Purifi 1ET9040BA Monoblocks: These offer the most output (375W @ 8Ω), but they are significantly more expensive. Wondering if the $2600 2 ch cost vs. $1050 will lead to any noticeable improvement in audible performance.
• Hypex NCx500: I believe the power here is plenty (380W/ch @ 8ohm), but I’m wondering if the lower distortion and higher damping of the Purifi modules would pair better with the Sopra's detailed Beryllium tweeter.
• Bryston 4B3: Still on the radar if a used unit pops up at a great price for that classic Class AB synergy. Wondering if anyone can compare how this Bryston can stack up against the Purifi 1ET9040BA or Purifi 1ET6525SA

Specific Questions for the Forum:

1. Is 230W enough for Sopra N2s? Given their 91dB sensitivity but a minimum impedance of 3.1Ω, is the 6525A sufficient for a low crossover setup, or will I run out of headroom during high-dynamic movie peaks?
2. Purifi vs. Hypex NCx500: For critical listening on the Focals, is the superior transparency and micro-dynamic detail of the Purifi 1st/2nd Gen audibly worth the extra power / cost comparter to Purifi 1ET6525SA/1ET9040BA
3. The Budget Sweet Spot: Within a $2k–$3k budget, is there a clear "winner" that maximizes the Sopra's performance, or do I need to step up to the 9040 monoblocks to truly do these speakers justice?

My usage is roughly 60% movies/shows and 40% music videos. I want to ensure the main amp provides the best possible clarity and effortless headroom while the Rythmiks handle the heavy lifting below 60Hz.

Thanks for any insights!

With the amps you’re looking at, it’s very doubtful you’ll be able to hear any difference between them.

That being the case and you using Rythmik subs (great choice, though, personally, I’d go for the sealed boxes), there’s no need to have lots of power. The subs will do all the heavy lifting.

The least expensive Purifi amp will have more than enough power for the Focals.

The absolute lowest you’ll want to crossover the Focals will be 70Hz since any speaker’s least linear performance will be in the lowest octave it covers (especially so with ported designs). The higher you crossover the No. 2’s, the greater the dynamic range of your system.

The highest crossover to the subs should be around 100-120Hz (re Brian Ding of Rythmik).

Ideally, you’ll want run steep FIR filters.

You may also want to check out the interfaces by Colinear. They have 10 times the processing power of the MiniDSP boxes, but aren’t drastically more expensive.

 

[rimmi2002]

Usual Crown link for power.

Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English (US)

www.crownaudio.com

Thank you. This is a great tool. I picked high than usual numbers to estimate max usage scenario. From what I looked up 85dB is considered reference level (which should already be plenty loud) so I went about 5dB above that. Is that reasonable number to pick as the upper end of where I might listen to the system or did I use absurd numbers for desired SPL? I also used 10dB for headroom just to be super safe.

 

[rimmi2002]

With the amps you’re looking at, it’s very doubtful you’ll be able to hear any difference between them.

That being the case and you using Rythmik subs (great choice, though, personally, I’d go for the sealed boxes), theirs is no need to have lots of power. The subs will do all the heavy lifting.

The least expensive Purifi amp will have more than enough power for the Focals.

The absolute lowest you’ll want to crossover the Focals will be 70Hz since any speaker’s least linear performance will be in the lowest octave it covers (especially so with ported designs). The higher you crossover the No. 2’s, the greater the dynamic range of your system.

The highest crossover to the subs should be around 100-120Hz (re Brian Ding of Rythmik).

Ideally, you’ll want run steep FIR filters.

You may also want to check out the interfaces by Colinear. They have 10 times the processing power of the MiniDSP boxes, but aren’t drastically more expensive.

Thanks for that great advice. Once I am swing it, the plan is to move from FV18 to sealed subs unless the Rythmik's just work well. Any advice of what would pair the best with these speakers? I head paradigm XR13 / Perlisten D12 / JL audio F12 or F13 are good choices.

Also thanks for suggesting Colinear. I checked them out. Amazing how much more powerful it is that Flext HT and how the cost is not that much more compared to the Flex HTx (Which it what it stacks up better against) . Seems like they are new company and launched last year. The 8C preamp is out of stock.

Only downside for me is that they don't accept HDMI audio input and don't have Dirac Compatability if I wanted to try it out in future. I will definitely keep an eye on them down the line. I do not completely understand how the FIR filters (4096/ch in Flex HT vs. 49,000/ch in D8C) impact sound. From what I looked up it is will have the most impact on the low end frequencies which unfortunately is what I value the most.

 

[Chrispy]

FWIW another calculator http://www.hometheaterengineering.com/splcalculator.html

 

[skankhobag]

Thanks for that great advice. Once I am swing it, the plan is to move from FV18 to sealed subs unless the Rythmik's just work well. Any advice of what would pair the best with these speakers? I head paradigm XR13 / Perlisten D12 / JL audio F12 or F13 are good choices.

Also thanks for suggesting Colinear. I checked them out. Amazing how much more powerful it is that Flext HT and how the cost is not that much more compared to the Flex HTx (Which it what it stacks up better against) . Seems like they are new company and launched last year. The 8C preamp is out of stock.

Only downside for me is that they don't accept HDMI audio input and don't have Dirac Compatability if I wanted to try it out in future. I will definitely keep an eye on them down the line. I do not completely understand how the FIR filters (4096/ch in Flex HT vs. 49,000/ch in D8C) impact sound. From what I looked up it is will have the most impact on the low end frequencies which unfortunately is what I value the most.

The big deal with number of taps and the accelerators is the steepness of the FIR filters slopes and how low the latency can be (the faster the processor, the shorter the latency).

If you’re only doing this in stereo, the upcoming 4C processor would be the one to choose. There are HDMI to digital out converters available that are inexpensive.

Also, sealed Rythmik 18” subs will kick ass and be as good or better than any of the subs you’ve listed. Their servo subs are top notch.

 

[quattro98]

I’d use more headroom in the calculator, but this is personal. Something like 15-20 dB. The actual sensitivity of the Focal speakers is a little lower than the specs (see measurements above).

The real value of the calculator is to note how little power is required to make normal sound levels at the listening position and how much more is required for dynamic peaks.

 

[n00brx]

I have the focal Sopra n2 but listening position is around 2.4meter from the speaker.
I find my Purifi 1ET400 is more than enough for my usage and I also confirmed with Naim/Focal Customer service that the highest power handling for Sopra n2 is 300 watt @3.1ohm only. You do not need higher power than this.

 

[Chrispy]

I’d use more headroom in the calculator, but this is personal. Something like 15-20 dB. The actual sensitivity of the Focal speakers is a little lower than the specs (see measurements above).

The real value of the calculator is to note how little power is required to make normal sound levels at the listening position and how much more is required for dynamic peaks.

Using a calculator conservatively is the way I generally go but 15-20dB?