Few tube amps make my 1626 monoblocks jealous, but 2a3 amps at the top of that list.I feel the same way about the poor folks whose loudspeakers aren't capable of full range, concert level output driven by a single-ended 2A3 amplifier (ca. 3 watts per channel). I am just sayin'.
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Cute new schiit speaker amps
- Thread starter Vini darko
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I like 'em.
1626 are fine little power triodes, too. 750 milliwatts or so single-ended.
MKWingchun
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Unfiltered class D does not sound good, as engineer Bruno Putzney points out in this article on the evolution of class D sound:
Life on the Edge - A Personal Perspective on the Past, Present, and Future of Class D Audio Amplifiers - HomeTheaterHifi.com
The past quarter century of class D developments look strikingly different when seen through the eyes of the audio consumer and through...
hometheaterhifi.com
There is probably a limit to what you should expect from an amplifier module that costs $1.22 per 10 pieces lot.Unfiltered class D does not sound good, as engineer Bruno Putzney points out in this article on the evolution of class D sound:
Life on the Edge - A Personal Perspective on the Past, Present, and Future of Class D Audio Amplifiers - HomeTheaterHifi.com
The past quarter century of class D developments look strikingly different when seen through the eyes of the audio consumer and through...
Wow amazing article! Shots fired for sure.Unfiltered class D does not sound good, as engineer Bruno Putzney points out in this article on the evolution of class D sound:
Life on the Edge - A Personal Perspective on the Past, Present, and Future of Class D Audio Amplifiers - HomeTheaterHifi.com
The past quarter century of class D developments look strikingly different when seen through the eyes of the audio consumer and through...
If I understand right I think you might have the right goal here, what is the threshold of audibility regarding objective measurements?
If I understand correctly it's 115 sinads. In a lab setting. I don't think more than 1% of people can hear better than 100 though.
I am satisfied with anything past 90 as I listen to music sourced from magnetic tape (sinad of 60 or 65 or maybe 75 with 30 ips reels?) and cd (90 or 96 sinads?).
tmtomh
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It's also worth noting that the ambient noise level of a quiet residential listening space is typically 30dB (or higher), while sustained exposure to SPL above 85dB can damage your hearing. That's a signal to noise ratio of 55dB.
I am NOT saying that's all we should aim for of course - there's headphone listening, peak SPL, times when we want to listen louder than 85dB, and the fact that very low noise and distortion are important aspects of good engineering. I just think it helps to have a little perspective - in normal listening our ability to distinguish between a system with a -80dB noise floor and one with a -95dB noise floor is questionable at best.
I am NOT saying that's all we should aim for of course - there's headphone listening, peak SPL, times when we want to listen louder than 85dB, and the fact that very low noise and distortion are important aspects of good engineering. I just think it helps to have a little perspective - in normal listening our ability to distinguish between a system with a -80dB noise floor and one with a -95dB noise floor is questionable at best.
MKWingchun
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Around 115, if I remember correctly. Does that change as we get older, has anybody seen studies on that?
I just bought a Gjallarhorn to pair with my new Saga 2 preamp, to use in the upstairs workroom system for winter...will be interesting to see how that combination compares to the restored Kenwood KA-3500 and Marantz 2216 amps I've been using up there...
Agree. Don't ask for a drop forge when all you need is a tack hammer.
D
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Hi all,
I'm a longtime lurker who finally joined ASR, so please be kind to this first-time poster for resurrecting a thread. It looks like Schiit is dropping the Rekkr, and they are now selling for $99.
I know there are a lot of questions about what the Rekkr can and can't do, so I will share my experience. I'm a big fan on the Rekkr--it's actually the best power amp I've ever had. I'm running two of them as monoblocks as part of a stack with the the Mani and modi switched by a sys then into a magni, then the amps. The amps power modestly efficient Elac DBR 62s, which are in a 12 x 15 room with listening position about 3 meters out. I listen around 67 dB - 70 dB on average, and I'm anywhere from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock on the magni depending on the source (sys volume is always at max and never used).
The amps give plenty of power for any genre tested, from classical with huge dynamic range to punchy bass from Massive Attack. It's all there--beautiful highs, mids, lows, and bass that is only limited by the speakers. I use the system to watch movies with a sub, and it works cleanly and flawlessly.
I think power amps, like to be worked a bit to sound their best, which is why 50+ wpc sounds anemic to me at real-world listening levels. How many of us are listening at 100 dB? I tried to see how loud I could take the Rekkrs but had to turn down at 95 dB due to neighbors. Honestly, one rekkr is loud enough, but it's nice to have a monoblock setup. These are wonderful little amps.
I'm a longtime lurker who finally joined ASR, so please be kind to this first-time poster for resurrecting a thread. It looks like Schiit is dropping the Rekkr, and they are now selling for $99.
I know there are a lot of questions about what the Rekkr can and can't do, so I will share my experience. I'm a big fan on the Rekkr--it's actually the best power amp I've ever had. I'm running two of them as monoblocks as part of a stack with the the Mani and modi switched by a sys then into a magni, then the amps. The amps power modestly efficient Elac DBR 62s, which are in a 12 x 15 room with listening position about 3 meters out. I listen around 67 dB - 70 dB on average, and I'm anywhere from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock on the magni depending on the source (sys volume is always at max and never used).
The amps give plenty of power for any genre tested, from classical with huge dynamic range to punchy bass from Massive Attack. It's all there--beautiful highs, mids, lows, and bass that is only limited by the speakers. I use the system to watch movies with a sub, and it works cleanly and flawlessly.
I think power amps, like to be worked a bit to sound their best, which is why 50+ wpc sounds anemic to me at real-world listening levels. How many of us are listening at 100 dB? I tried to see how loud I could take the Rekkrs but had to turn down at 95 dB due to neighbors. Honestly, one rekkr is loud enough, but it's nice to have a monoblock setup. These are wonderful little amps.
Dreamslayer
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After reconfiguring my desktop audio system around a Wiim Ultra, I think it's time to replace my Parasound Halo with a smaller amp.
I'm currently using the Parasound with the HT pass through which makes it work like a power amplifier. 160W@8ohm / 240W@4ohm is spectacular but also massive overkill for a pair of LS50 Metas sitting less than 3ft away - plus I'm using an SVS Micro 3000 for bass.
I like the form factor of the Gjallahorn and it would work well with my Ultra and my Teac 301 CD Player.
Alternatively, I'm considering the Aegir (I'm worried about heat in my already hot office) and Vidar - both of these seem like a bit much.
These crazy guys at IOM have made an Ncore amp that matches the Wiim Ultra - this might be perfect but could be a hassle to get service if there is an issue...
internetofmusic.nl
I'm wondering if anyone else has had good luck with the Gjallahorn and ~85dB speakers...
I'm currently using the Parasound with the HT pass through which makes it work like a power amplifier. 160W@8ohm / 240W@4ohm is spectacular but also massive overkill for a pair of LS50 Metas sitting less than 3ft away - plus I'm using an SVS Micro 3000 for bass.
I like the form factor of the Gjallahorn and it would work well with my Ultra and my Teac 301 CD Player.
Alternatively, I'm considering the Aegir (I'm worried about heat in my already hot office) and Vidar - both of these seem like a bit much.
These crazy guys at IOM have made an Ncore amp that matches the Wiim Ultra - this might be perfect but could be a hassle to get service if there is an issue...
The IOM Ultra is special designed for the Wiim® Ultra
The IOM Ultra is a high-end stereo power amplifier. It's housed in a compact full aluminium chassis with trigger on/off control.
internetofmusic.nl
I'm wondering if anyone else has had good luck with the Gjallahorn and ~85dB speakers...
40th Anniversary
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But you can run the Ghorns via XLR...and the AEGIR @ 30 watts via RCA only. A detail worth noting for some.
How does it compare?
It sounds good, drives bookshelf speakers fine to normal listening levels. I really like the Saga 2 volume control capabilities with the stepped resistor, allows for perfect channel matching down to very low listening levels. One tends to use the remote with the Saga instead of the knob.
The gain control on the Saga is not as useful as I thought it would be. Passive mode is very quiet (of course) and does require the Gj to drive near top of its range. The gain 2 and gain 3 settings are pretty close - sound pretty close, anyway - so I just tend to leave the unit on high gain. Headphone jack is a nice plus.
The Gjallarhorn is best for smaller room setups when used in stereo. I'm sure a pair make very nice monoblocks for a larger room, but at $600, that's pretty close to the cost of a VIdar 2, and that math becomes a bit troublesome.
(And, compared to the Marantz, my Kenwood has the most power of all, it far overpunches its wpc rating.)
40th Anniversary
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I'm running 2 gjallarhorn with KEF LS 50 Meta. Low to medium volumes and sounds really good.After reconfiguring my desktop audio system around a Wiim Ultra, I think it's time to replace my Parasound Halo with a smaller amp.
I'm currently using the Parasound with the HT pass through which makes it work like a power amplifier. 160W@8ohm / 240W@4ohm is spectacular but also massive overkill for a pair of LS50 Metas sitting less than 3ft away - plus I'm using an SVS Micro 3000 for bass.
I like the form factor of the Gjallahorn and it would work well with my Ultra and my Teac 301 CD Player.
Alternatively, I'm considering the Aegir (I'm worried about heat in my already hot office) and Vidar - both of these seem like a bit much.
These crazy guys at IOM have made an Ncore amp that matches the Wiim Ultra - this might be perfect but could be a hassle to get service if there is an issue...
The IOM Ultra is special designed for the Wiim® Ultra
The IOM Ultra is a high-end stereo power amplifier. It's housed in a compact full aluminium chassis with trigger on/off control.
I'm wondering if anyone else has had good luck with the Gjallahorn and ~85dB speakers...
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