Need help picking an amplifier for my focals.

[freshstart4me]

Hi I'm new to the hobby I got a great deal on a pair of focal aria evo X no2 towers and need an amplifier. Iam fine going with separates and am interested in a purifi type amp (hypex). I've been looking at buckeye amps and apollon amps and not sure what would be good for my focals. They handle up to 250 watts they are 8ohms but dip to 2ohms. My room is small I'd be listening 10,12 feet away, hardwood floors l. This room is empty so I'm starting from scratch. I also have a rsl speedwoofer 10s. Anybody in here can recommend the way to go? I asked someone in appolon chat and they said I had to buy the newest purifi amp or my focals will sound thin lol. It was very expensive. My budget is 1,800 thanks

 

[anotherhobby]

I have the Focal Aria 936's, which are basically the same thing with one more 6" bass driver. For several years they've been powered by a Denon AVR X4300H (just replaced this week by a X4800H), and they have zero issues powering them to full volume in a large open floor plan space. This is simply to say that a good mid-range AVR can power these speakers fine, and it'll run room correction software. That said, a Buckeye would get the job done as well! I have the 3 channel Buckeye Purifi 6525 in my theater, and it's a fantastic amp.

 

[freshstart4me]

Thank you for your help. That is good to know. I'm starting to think these speakers are not that hard to to power like I thought.

 

[freshstart4me]

Buckeye Purifi 6525

Is the buckeye end game amp? How does that model sound?

 

[anotherhobby]

Is the buckeye end game amp? How does that model sound?

I imagine it must be, and that's partly why I got it! I know you don't want to hear this, but it sounds the same to me as the Denon's on board amps, which I was expecting. I run 11 channels in my theater, but the X4800H only has 9 amps, so I decided to upgrade the front 3 channels to the Buckeye Purifi 6525 amps to offload as much power as I could from the Denon, and then used the onboard amps for the other 8 surround/atmos speakers. I needed an amp no matter what, and I had set aside money in my budget already for it, so I got the Purifi and have been very happy with it. However, if I didn't have the Atmos channels, I probably would have never got it.

When I first got my Focals back in 2018 (in my Living Room, not in my theater), I thought I'd need/want an external amp for sure. To save money, however, I just used the onboard Denon amps at first. Eventually I did compression testing one day with REW and found the onboard amps didn't clip all the way up to "reference" volume. I never bothered adding the external amp to it.

IMHO, unless you are clipping, there is likely very little if any benefit to beefier amps.

 

[Rit]

I recently purchased a Buckeye/ purify amp, I am very pleased with everything.

 

[Marc v E]

Imo and ime an avr gives the best end result due to dsp. I don't think I would hear the difference between the amps in a good avr and say the purify. I definately hear changes due to eq. I know many including myself crave the best but for an amp that's really not necessary.

 

[Overseas]

Spend a small amount for a Wiim streamer plus Umik1 microphone, this will make the difference by Room Correction.

 

[freshstart4me]

I imagine it must be, and that's partly why I got it! I know you don't want to hear this, but it sounds the same to me as the Denon's on board amps, which I was expecting. I run 11 channels in my theater, but the X4800H only has 9 amps, so I decided to upgrade the front 3 channels to the Buckeye Purifi 6525 amps to offload as much power as I could from the Denon, and then used the onboard amps for the other 8 surround/atmos speakers. I needed an amp no matter what, and I had set aside money in my budget already for it, so I got the Purifi and have been very happy with it. However, if I didn't have the Atmos channels, I probably would have never got it.

When I first got my Focals back in 2018 (in my Living Room, not in my theater), I thought I'd need/want an external amp for sure. To save money, however, I just used the onboard Denon amps at first. Eventually I did compression testing one day with REW and found the onboard amps didn't clip all the way up to "reference" volume. I never bothered adding the external amp to it.

IMHO, unless you are clipping, there is likely very little if any benefit to beefier amps.

so should i get more then a 2 channel buckeye amp for future proof? yea i have not even heard these speakers yet i got them new from a ex focal dealer. for 2,500 open box new. so I'm being very picky

 

[freshstart4me]

I recently purchased a Buckeye/ purify amp, I am very pleased with everything.

what version do you have?