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EQUIPMENT FORUMS >> MINI TORII >> Couple of questions before i decide to buy
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Message started by Bob on 10/21/10 at 18:49:05

Title: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 10/21/10 at 18:49:05

Hello,

I've got a couple of questions before I decide to purchase this amp.

1) - My speakers are 6 ohms. Would this amp combined with the stock tubes drive my speakers. I only ask as in the specs it says 4 ohms, but i thought I read else where it could drive 4 to 8 ohm speakers...

2) - I own a little dot mkIII headphone amp with mullard ef92 tubes. This amp can be used as a pre-amp. Could I use this pre-amp with this amp. Would there be any advantage in this ?

Thanks for any help.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Rivieraranch on 10/22/10 at 02:02:33

To answer your questions, seriatim:

1) Yes;
2) Yes; H-E double hockey sticks NO!

Now the explanation:

The impedance of the speakers is perfect for the range of the output transformers. My speakers are DECWARE MG944's which are rated at 4 ohms, and the MINI TORII performs stunningly with the MG's.

Although you could hook up a preamplifier to the MINI TORII, the unit DOES NOT need one. In fact, I think it would get in the way. The MINI TORII can take a standard CD player's 2 volt signal and bring the unit to deafening volume. There is just no need for a preamplifier.

Sell that Little Dot and save up for a CSP2+ as a head unit. Or get a headphone jack for the MINI and use the right headphones for it.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 10/22/10 at 07:58:48

Hi,

Ok, thanks for the answers.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 10/22/10 at 23:10:15

K, despite my mates protests, rather than spend my money in the local pub, I've gone an placed ma order.

Wonder how long it will take tae get tae Scotland.... :)

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by opnly_bafld on 10/23/10 at 02:30:39

Bob,

What speakers will you be using?

Thanks,
Lin

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 10/29/10 at 12:20:53

Hi, at the moment I will just my bookshelf 6ohm speakers.

I'm at work at the moment and for the life of me I can't think what make they are, but the sound quality has been great so far.

Once I've paid off this amp, my next purchase is going to be speakers, but they will need to be in the £200 to £400 range.

Would I be better going for some 4ohm or 8ohm speakers?

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by opnly_bafld on 10/29/10 at 14:47:25

My concern was more for their output with a low power amp, do you know their ?dBs/1w/1m spec?

From the Mini Torii specs:
Speaker dB/1w 89 dB minimum / 96 dB is ideal

As long as the amp is designed to work from 4 to 8 ohms any impedance between the two should be fine.

Thanks,
Lin

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 10/29/10 at 20:23:25

Ok, now I'm getting a little woriod about my purchase. Just been to my local hi-fi store and spoke to the manager. He advised that they sell speakers from £60 to £4K but these top out at about 86db. His advise was to get some second hand speakers from the 7O's.

Anyvbody got any ideas?

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Rivieraranch on 10/29/10 at 22:58:01

Buy the MINI TORII then go have a pint and celebrate.

When the MINI arrives try it with your present speaks. I am certain they will sound a hellovalot better than what was connected to them before.

After the MINI is paid off, then look at another pair of speaks. DECWARE makes a bookshelf, for not a lot of money. My Von Schweikert mini monitors were 89DB/8 OHM and the MINI TORII was fine with them.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 10/31/10 at 02:45:15

Well.... spent all morning trolling the net looking at speakers.

Wow, I was amazed by how narrow a spec band there seems to be in speakers, regardless of price.

The average min watt (RMS) seams to be about 20w-30w, some going down to 15w-20w, but no many.

Not seen a single one go down as low as 2watts. But I did see a pair of Kef Q100's http://www.soundandvision.co.uk/hifi/speakers/bookshelf/kef-q100-english_cherry_bookshelf_speakers_q-series

They have the lowest min @ 10watts (RMS), but @ 8 ohms.

I not seen a single high efficiency speaker with the same or better specs, would this be a good choice as a speaker?

Does anybody else have any ideas? Bearing in mind I would rather not have to import speakers, but buy them in the UK.

Thanks.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Rivieraranch on 10/31/10 at 03:03:57

Don't buy speakers based upon specifications. That does not work. See how your current speakers do with the amp and then look further from that reference point.

Looking for a speaker that can handle only 10 watts is not what you should be concerned with. There are people who have 2 watt amps driving Klipsch RB7's, which are rated at hundreds of watts.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by AsiSan on 10/31/10 at 17:51:52

I am kind of in Bob's situation. I also have a mini torri on order. My current speaks are def tech BP7006, which supposedly are rated 92 db. So I will try them out. They have powered 8" (200mm) subs and who knows how they are spec'd.

I have been considering the full range drivers from audio nirvana as a budget friendly alternative and having enclosures made to my liking.

I also have checked out Tekton and the Decware bookshelf model is still in the race.

Any way, just thought i would chime in an introduce myself since I am brand new to the forum. Lots of great advice here.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Rivieraranch on 10/31/10 at 19:39:31

You, too, should try the MINI TORII with your present speakers. The new amp will make them sound better than they did with whatever other gear you had.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 11/04/10 at 23:45:56

Hi,

Ok, took the plunge and bought a pair of the new DM945 speakers. These will be the first speakers I've owned that allow you to b-wire the speakers.

With this amp, can I run two sets of cables from each post to each speaker or I'm I better off just running a single cable form each post and leaving the jumpers on?

Has anyone here had experience of bi-wiring, does it make a lot of difference or just a minor difference?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Rivieraranch on 11/05/10 at 00:52:00

I believe that I bi-wired a pair of Klipsch RB5-II speakers that I had. I don't really remember whether there was any difference. You could try and do it, see how you like it and decide whether to single or double wire the speakers.

If I were limited to bookshelf speakers I might have bought a pair of these, too. They look like a speaker that would cost a lot more than they do. There is a lot of value there.

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by AsiSan on 11/05/10 at 19:01:38

Never understood the bi-wiring thing myself. I understand bi amping though.

The new DM945 seem like they would be great. I was also checking
out the Zu Audio Omens since there is currently a promo sale at $1,000 and they will not need a sub or stands.

They claim 98 db @ 1 watt/1meter but 12 ohms. The mini torri, which has 4/8 ohms tap, so how does this affect the power and ratings and other stuff? So with the mini torri, I assume one would use the 8 ohm tap, but what happens?

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Rivieraranch on 11/05/10 at 22:32:46

There are not separate taps in the MINI TORII. I think the EX transformers would handle 12 OHMS

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 11/10/10 at 12:55:22

K, ordered the amp a couple of weeks ago, ordered the speakers last week.

Can't wait for them to arrive, but dreading the custom charges and parcel force charging me even more for telling me there is a custom charge. No doubt I'll get two charges as the amp and speakers will arrive at different times.

bah ! >:(

Title: Re: Couple of questions before i decide to buy
Post by Bob on 12/11/10 at 18:55:12

Well I received my Torii today.

Great build quality, sounding amazing, bringing a lot more detail to my music.

Just waiting on the speakers now.

Thanks