decent amp for my interdyn bt2's

[yanz]

Hey guys,

thank you all for having me. I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to audio, so please bear with me. I'm just looking to assemble a fairly simple yet decent home stereo setup.

I recently got my hands on a pair of Interdyn BT2's floorstanders. the power rating is 200 watts at 8ohms, and so far I'm currently using an Onkyo A9110 to power them but they seem to be a lacking something..... they just don't really quite seem to have the punch that I thought they would. Two of the bass drivers and tweeters have recently been replaced by the previous owner, and while they sound nice as they are, I'd really like to give them a little nudge to help reach their full potential. I'm also aware of pushing them too hard and clipping with the current setup as it is.

I understand that my current amp is probably not powerful enough, being only 50w/pc, but I am also aware that it's more important to match the ohms rather than wattage for the most part. Since the 9110 is 4ohms, I was looking into perhaps the Cambridge Audio CXA81 as a replacement. Iv'e done a bit of reading and it seems as though this amp imho would be a decent pairing with the speakers? with a power rating of 80w/pc @8ohms, would this be enough to scratch my itch?or is there another way to add something to the setup as is to help push them a little harder? (probably a stupid question, I'm sorry)

I mainly listen to drum and bass and hiphop and I'm not looking for insanely loud sound, just crisp and balanced with decent bass response on a fairly limited budget, as I do live with neighbours in fairly close proximity.

having said all of that, would it help if I invested in some decent cabling as well, seeing as its just a super basic setup? is it worth bi-wiring them even? there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can upload photos if that helps at all, I'm sure a lot of you would like to check them out anyway. they are really beautiful looking speakers.

thank you

 

[Gray]

I can upload photos if that helps at all, I'm sure a lot of you would like to check them out anyway. they are really beautiful looking speakers.

Welcome yanz.
I looked at pictures of the speakers and they look good (and I always like to see front rather than rear ports).
Somewhat concerning is the need for someone to have replaced 3 drivers on yours though 🤨.....hopefully the correct parts, all done properly - as there's obvious potential for sound compromise otherwise.

The ideal way to finalise an amp choice is to compare, using your speakers in your room.
But that CXA-81 is likely to give the extra punch you desire.
Maybe its digital inputs and Bluetooth could be useful to you in the future, but if plain, analogue amplification (in a black finish) is all you need, then Richer sounds currently have this for £499:

Musical Fidelity M2si review

Great sound compensates for this amplifier’s comparative lack of features

www.whathifi.com

Don't worry about it having 4 watts less than the CA - it apparently delivers its 76 watts with peaks of 25 amps so, with drum and bass, will still sound lively enough for your (poor) neighbours.
Note that it doesn't have a headphone output.

Also don't worry about fancy cable or bi-wiring.
If your cable is at least 2.5mm 79 strand copper (preferably with gold plated banana plugs) you'll be fine.

Whatever anyone recommends, use your ears to choose.
Good luck

 

[yanz]

Heya Gray,

thanks for the reply and your input. I really do appreciate it a lot.

there's not too much info out there on them which is a shame, but I've read that they have a bit of a cult following. and yeah, all parts were replaced properly with seas drivers. the guy that owned them before me was a lovely genuine dude and a bit of an audio nerd too.

I had a look at the m2si, and while I do find it more appealing in a few ways, particularly aesthetically, its an extra 500 dollarydoos (I'm based in aus). plus I'm sure I'll appreciate the bluetooth compatibility at some point.