Two stereo amps as mono blocks

insider9

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I find myself in a situation that I have a few amps too many on hand.

Would there be any benefit of using one amp per channel? Not talking about bi-amping in a usual sense but using stereo amps as mono blocks. Worth adding amps I'd use do not have a switch for mono operation.

Matching the level is not an issue and volume will be controlled from a preamp.
 

newlash09

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Nice to see you attempting every experiment I had ever had in mind :)

From my limited knowledge, I understand that power amps are used in bridged mode and they have dedicated button for it. Besides most manufacturers advise not to use bridged mode to drive speakers below 8 ohms.
 

Vladimir

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In an active setup I'd use 2 amps in bridge mode for the bass drivers. As newlash09 pointed out, these would have to be 8ohm drivers or the amps should be capable for 2ohm loads with ease in bridge mode.
 

newlash09

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Can you please elaborate a bit on using 2 amps in 2x2 mode for the bass drivers. If both the amps don't have a switch to put them in bridged mode. Then do we use one amp only for bass drivers in both speakers. And the other one for the mid bass and tweeter. Thanks
 

insider9

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Vladimir said:
In an active setup I'd use 2 amps in bridge mode for the bass drivers. As newlash09 pointed out, these would have to be 8ohm drivers or the amps should be capable for 2ohm loads with ease in bridge mode.
It's for passive setup at present. My Minidsp is out of action still. Hence I've more amps than I need.
 

insider9

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newlash09 said:
Nice to see you attempting every experiment I had ever had in mind :)

From my limited knowledge, I understand that power amps are used in bridged mode and they have dedicated button for it. Besides most manufacturers advise not to use bridged mode to drive speakers below 8 ohms.
Glad to hear it. Yes I've only got one but won't be using it for this. It's the benefit of using stereo amps I'm wondering about.

Would it be similar to dual mono design? But using two amps...
 

newlash09

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I plan on adding an external power amp once funds allow. A parasound halo A 21 to be precise. And I also want to utilise the inbuilt wattage from the halo integrated. That would be 160+250=410 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Don't know if I really need that kind of power. I plan on using integrated's pre outs to run the power amp, and the halo outputs to both the speaker terminals and pre outs simultaneously. My soon to be speaker are tri-ampable. So how do I go about doing the whole thing, without blowing anything up. Thanks for your suggestions.
 

insider9

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macdiddy said:
can we have the make and model number(s) of your pre/power amps.

*music2*

 
Cheap as chips :) I use them to power my diy active setup and I'm happy with them.

Yamaha WXC-50 as pre

2 x Sony STR-DB930 used as power (no preamp stage used)

Could also use another cheap Sony integrated but only looking to use 2 channels (right and left)
 

insider9

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newlash09 said:
I plan on adding an external power amp once funds allow. A parasound halo A 21 to be precise. And I also want to utilise the inbuilt wattage from the halo integrated. That would be 160+250=410 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Don't know if I really need that kind of power. I plan on using integrated's pre outs to run the power amp, and the halo outputs to both the speaker terminals and pre outs simultaneously. My soon to be speaker are tri-ampable. So how do I go about doing the whole thing, without blowing anything up. Thanks for your suggestions.
Newlash09, power figures won't stack like this. Sadly
 

newlash09

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You have 4 channels of amplification coming out of the 2 amps. But the source is only 2 channel coming from the wxc-50. Thus the only way in my opinion is to use one amp per speaker. And bi amp it .
 

newlash09

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I was actually thinking of using the integrated to drive different drivers and the power amp to drive different ones. And the problem is to drive 3 driver from two sets of terminals . So I thought I could use the power amp to drive the mid bass and bass driver with them connected. And the tweeter by the integrated. Or may be a different combination perhaps

Worse come scenario, I could use the integrated only as a pre amp going into the power amp. But then I would be wasting 160 watts I paid for.
 

Vladimir

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newlash09 said:
Can you please elaborate a bit on using 2 amps in 2x2 mode for the bass drivers. If both the amps don't have a switch to put them in bridged mode. Then do we use one amp only for bass drivers in both speakers. And the other one for the mid bass and tweeter. Thanks

You can't put any amp in bridge mode. You need to check the user manual if your's is engineered to do so and instructions how to do it.

When you put a stereo power amp in bridge mode it effectively becomes a monoblock (monoaural amp) able to drive only one channel, but twice the power. Two bridged amps, one for left, one for right channel and you get stereo again.
 

newlash09

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The A21 in bridged mode goes to 700 w. I don't need that power, and neither can I afford two of them at the moment . I could stretch to one of these if there are sonic gains to be had. Is there any way I could use the integrated in conjunction with the Poweramp to split speaker driving duties. Thanks again.
 

Vladimir

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newlash09 said:
I was actually thinking of using the integrated to drive different drivers and the power amp to drive different ones. And the problem is to drive 3 driver from two sets of terminals . So I thought I could use the power amp to drive the mid bass and bass driver with them connected. And the tweeter by the integrated. Or may be a different combination perhaps

Worse come scenario, I could use the integrated only as a pre amp going into the power amp. But then I would be wasting 160 watts I paid for.

You will get more headroom with passive biamping, you may not notice it at all if the smaller integrated amp did a good job already. If the speakers were underpowered, you may notice some difference in the LF.
 

insider9

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Newlash09, with the setup you describe there would be some benefits. Just not extra power. The biggest drawback would be the passive crossover.

How audible they would be I don't know.

In my case I actually have 4 independent channels from each amp. 8 channels from both. That's how I use it to power actives.

Why am wondering is whether splitting signal into two different units would give me more signal separation, less crosstalk.

It's not really to do with power but potentially achieving similar results to dual mono designs.
 

Vladimir

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newlash09 said:
The A21 in bridged mode goes to 700 w. I don't need that power, and neither can I afford two of them at the moment . I could stretch to one of these if there are sonic gains to be had. Is there any way I could use the integrated in conjunction with the Poweramp to split speaker driving duties. Thanks again.

700W for a 6.5" woofer, kinda pointless IMO.

I think any upgrade of your current amp and the speakers become the bottleneck in the system. You haven't even heard your setup yet and you think of buying a poweramp with money you don't have. This isn't called system planing but 'upgraditis'. Sleepless OCD territory. *biggrin*
 

newlash09

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I will be sticking with the integrated for now. Was just thinking aloud about my future plans if funds permit. I have cotton ears, and everything sounds beautiful to me. So I go by suggestions like...more power is better, just for the assurance that iam listening to good music. But I've already blown my budget this year. Have to keep mum till next year for now.
 

Vladimir

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newlash09 said:
I will be sticking with the integrated for now. Was just thinking aloud about my future plans if funds permit. I have cotton ears, and everything sounds beautiful to me. So I go by suggestions like...more power is better, just for the assurance that iam listening to good music. But I've already blown my budget this year. Have to keep mum till next year for now.

Chronic upgraditis. You already have THREE audio setups dude.
 

newlash09

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I thought I'd go back home and sell the bluesound powernode , Sony str-dn850 and audiopro 5.0 system to recover some costs. But after listening to this cheap Chinese system, in a near field setup. Iam now tempted to keep the powernode for my bedroom desk and add something like the elac uni-fi 5.
 

insider9

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ellisdj said:
Just do it and let us know how you get on :)
Will do :)

I wanted to avoid doing something completely pointless. No votes against, so I'll have a go tomorrow and see if there's any difference.

If it wasn't for gym this evening I'd know in an hour or so.
 

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