bi-amping cambridge 640a v2 (need more volume)

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Hi Guys I am currently running a cambridge 640a v2 through kef iq7 speakers and am pleased with the set up ...but I am running it in a fairly large room 10 ft by 30ft ,trouble is i am looking for a bit more volume, was wondering what you guys thought the best solution is

1 either upgrade to the 840a (expensive ...but gives me an extra 45watts) and the option to bi-amp with my existing 640a

2 or bi-amp with another 640a or even a 540a

any idea how much more volume both of these would give me ...as I do not know how much the tweeters would use up on a bi-amp set up with these speakers?

thanks in advance for the replies

Murray
 
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Anonymous

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I thought bi-amping would give me slightly more volume as one of the amps would be for the tweeters and the other would be for the bass????
 
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Anonymous

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Andrew Everard:

The 840 will give you a bit more volume, but not a huge amount more.

Biamping won't.

What's the limiting factor then, the drivability of the speakers? An additional 45 wpc is about 60% more than the current 640A is giving..... I understand that amp power and volume are not liniarly related, but I would have thought the additinoal 45 wpc would give a fairly decnet volume increase....

Cheers
 

Andrew Everard

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Basically, a 3dB increase in absolute level requires getting on for twice the amp power, so just a small amp step-up isn't going to do too much for the system.

The alternative would be to look for some speakers with greater sensitivity, or capable of higher peak SPLs - or a much more powerful amp.

You could always try these...
emotion-14.gif
 
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Anonymous

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Andrew Everard:

Basically, a 3dB increase in absolute level requires getting on for twice the amp power, so just a small amp step-up isn't going to do too much for the system.

The alternative would be to look for some speakers with greater sensitivity, or capable of higher peak SPLs - or a much more powerful amp.

You could always try these...
emotion-14.gif


I see - thanks.

Re superchargers.... awesome. How come these are not more popular? What is the compromise? What are the challenges involved in making such a device to demand such a high price? There must be some or surely somebody would be manufacturing more affordable models....
 
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Anonymous

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jbadman:Andrew Everard:
Basically, a 3dB increase in absolute level requires getting on for twice the amp power, so just a small amp step-up isn't going to do too much for the system.

The alternative would be to look for some speakers with greater sensitivity, or capable of higher peak SPLs - or a much more powerful amp.

You could always try these...
emotion-14.gif


I see - thanks.

Re superchargers.... awesome.ÿ How come these are not more popular?ÿ What is the compromise?ÿ What are the challenges involved in making such a device to demand such a high price?ÿÿ There must be some or surely somebody would be manufacturing more affordable models....

ÿ

ÿ

Agreed, that looks amazing, surely that price can be brought down with some competition, why haven't other manufacturers been interested?ÿ
 
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Anonymous

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Why don't you just replace your amp to something with a bit more grunt?
 
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Anonymous

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330 Musical Fidelity watts for £1500? Just need some competition but already sounds like a bargain.

Edit: Ah just noticed that's per channel, £3000 out of my league
emotion-9.gif


Edit 2: Just been reading this months WHF, £1300 per pair! What's with the conflicting reports?
 
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Anonymous

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EvilWolf:Why don't you just replace your amp to something with a bit more grunt?

Clearly that would be the standard approach, but that doesn't answer my question about superchargers!
 
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Anonymous

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jbadman:

EvilWolf:Why don't you just replace your amp to something with a bit more grunt?

Clearly that would be the standard approach, but that doesn't answer my question about superchargers!

Sorry, that came out sounding lairy....,apologies!
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Would connecting a power amp to the 640a be an option ...thus using the 640a as a pre-amp....please excuse my ignorance on these subjects as it all new to me.... but I do enjoy learning about these things!....was maybe looking at a second hand quad 909 power amp...would that be suitable to hook up to my 640a...or any other suggestions welcome!

thanks

murray
 
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Anonymous

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could i use the 640a as a pre-amp with the quad 909 ???

murray
 
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Anonymous

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You certainly could, and I might even go as far as saying that it would be a good match for the KEF's and your Cambridge. They are more scientific to Quad's warmness. But don't quote me on that.
 
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Anonymous

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any idea how much more volume this would give me....cambridge 640a plus a quad 909 power amp....

thanks guys

murray
 

Andrew Everard

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murgord:what then would give me a large increase in volume??

An even more powerful amp, but bear in mind that the maximum SPL the KEFs can deliver is 111dB, when measured at 1m - that's a limit created by the excursion of the drivers.

Add to that the fact that sound is attenuated with distance, losing about 6dB every time the distance from the speakers to the listening position is doubled, and you'll see that at 3m or so, a fairly notmal listening distance, we're down to a maximum possible SPL at the listening position of 100dB or so.

However much power you throw in, you're not going to get more level than that without changing the speakers.
 
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Anonymous

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thanks for the very informative reply Andrew...do you think it is worth buying a quad 909 (second hand) then?.. been offered one at a half decent price..bout £300.will it improve/benefit my current set up?

thanks

murray
 
Hmm (fingers tapping on the desk). I believe, in my humble opinion, the only way to increase volume significantly is to change the amp. It's not ideal, I know, but I would plump for the Roksan Kandy LIII. Two reasons for this: firstly, it will match your Kef's well and secondly, I believe, I could be corrected on this subject, the Kandy is going to be replaced. If that's the case, You could pick up a bargain.
 

Andrew Everard

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plastic penguin:Hmm (fingers tapping on the desk). I believe, in my humble opinion, the only way to increase volume significantly is to change the amp. It's not ideal, I know, but I would plump for the Roksan Kandy LIII.

It's really not significant enough a power increase.
 
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Anonymous

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the roksan candy amp seems to have 20 watts less power than the quad though?? ....surely less volume then?

murray
 

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