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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
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Message started by PipHelix on 01/25/21 at 02:01:30

Title: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by PipHelix on 01/25/21 at 02:01:30

I’ve been peeking in on this forum and reading around about Decware amps on and off for almost a year. Now that I’m about to pull the trigger, I find that sales are through the roof and the wait is longer than ever! Good for Decware!

Anyway, I have a pair of Omega Junior Alnico XRS speakers rated by the company at a sensitivity of 95dB. All of my sources are 2V except my CD player which is 2.5V. My listening room is 10’x15’ with a 10’ ceiling. I don’t listen all that loudly. Maybe 80dB or so most of the time with occasional pushes towards 100dB.

My suspicion is that I should be looking at a Torii Junior but I just wanted some input from more knowledgeable folks.

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by Jeff of Arabica on 01/25/21 at 04:33:09

Welcome PipHelix!

Having been an Omega speaker owner myself, you cannot go wrong with ANY Decware amp you choose. Your listening volume is rather modest at 80dB. Out of curiosity, what led you to gravitate to the Torii Jr. over say, the 25th Anniversary Zen Amp?

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by PipHelix on 01/25/21 at 12:55:01

I guess what influenced my thinking is so-called “overhead.” The lowest wattage amplifier I’ve ever owned is rated at 40wpc and part of me is hesitant to accept that 2wpc will be enough. Everything I’ve read suggests that it will be, I’m just nervous.

I first thought of the “Rachael” at 6wpc but the suggested input voltage for sources is 2.5V for maximum output and of my three sources, only one—my old CD player—outputs at that voltage. The rest output 2V.

Or is that overthinking it?

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by Lon on 01/25/21 at 13:21:15

I use two pair HR-1 each in a different system which are multi-driver and possibly 92 db, and I was afraid from my experience with a modded C amp that the 25th Anniversary would not quite have enough power. I went with a pair of the SE84UFO3 Monoblocks, and also a Taboo Mk IV and all of these include the 25th Anniversary mods. The Taboo in my largest room and the Monoblocks in my main system in a smaller room both give me plenty of power with some reserve. So those are possibilities to consider--both are excellent amps!

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by HockessinKid on 01/25/21 at 14:42:38

PipiHelix,

First welcome to the forum and for considering your first Decware amp purchase. Given the small size of your listening room any of the Decware amps will serve you well.

Give some thought to the long term. Do you expect changing your system components, particularly speakers, over time. Perhaps a larger listening room with a relocation? This could influence your decision on how much amplifier power you might need.

If you're committed long term to high sensitivity or single driver speakers, then you can't go wrong with Steve's 25th Anniversary Zen amplifier. You can always add a Decware preamplifier for additional output, or if you add additional sources, at a later date. If you opt for another, you can't go wrong opting for 25th Anniversary modifications.

Also, if you have a dedicated listening room, consider some room treatments. It's a critical element that many folks fail to take into consideration.

HK

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by CAJames on 01/25/21 at 15:20:39

My room and listening habits are very similar to yours. I have basic UFO amps (with the copper beeswax signal cap, bypass cap mod and stepped attenuation options) configured as balanced monoblocks feeding Omega Super AlNiCo monitors (94.5 dB) and the sound is fantastic. I expected high resolution and got much more than I expected, but what I didn't expect was how impressive the dynamics are. The system can really punch you in the gut when called upon.

I've never actually tried a single UFO in my room but I'm virtually certain it would be perfectly satisfactory if that is the way you want to go.

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by will on 01/25/21 at 16:22:32

Good advice here, so not much to add except in case you opt for longer term flexibility in room size and speaker choices.

My room is bigger, and speakers less efficient, but in my setup, a Taboo, and even an earlier SE34 (that later evolved into a "Rachael"), with 92.5 dB HR-1 speakers (and even with 94 dB MG944s) were too low power across all recordings for me....at least for what I think of as immersion level serious listening. Rather than getting more efficient speakers, I went for a Torii.

So in my main setup, I drive HR1s with a Torii MKIV which is rated at about 25 watts with stock tubes. But mine is less, using less powerful tube choices in several places. Also liking a ZBIT (bringing my DAC up to 6 volts max) before a CSP3, then into the Torii, I can run into minor distortion at a little lower volume than using only one of these pre stages. So I don't know the ultimate Torii power the ways I use it. But in my space, for serious listening-seat immersion, I run pretty close to max distortion free volume with my system and room.

The room is hard for me to calculate accurately since there are numerous segues with partial walls, but roughly averaging, ±30' x ±18' x ±9. Most times I listen much quieter, but my late night immersion sessions are really important to my musical pleasure. For this, my loudest listening, dB averages (iPhone app) are from the high 70s into low 80s, with peaks into the mid/high eighties, and more rarely near or above 90. At these levels, if not a little careful, I can get minor drops into distortion on extra hard notes while doing serious listening. So in this larger room with 92.5 speakers, I am near the edge headroom wise.

Anyway, my thought is that "enough power" depends on lots of things, and this is the way it worked out for me.

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by PipHelix on 01/25/21 at 17:03:26

Wow! Lots to think about here!

It almost makes me wonder if I should play around in the used market before making a longer term financial commitment. Problem is that I’ve noticed a lot of the older Decware amps seem to prefer 4 ohm speakers and mine are 8 ohms. I’ve noticed that the newer amps seem to mind that a lot less and have impedance selector switches.

I’m definitely determined to keep my speakers. They’re fairly new and I really love them so I’d like to buy an amp that suits them.

Thanks for listening to me think out loud here...!

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by Archie on 01/25/21 at 18:37:54

I think you'll find good flexibility with the speaker impedance. I actually though it was the opposite and that most took both. My ZMA has 4 and 8 ohm taps.

Title: Re: Which amplifier for my speakers, inputs, and room?
Post by piezoman on 01/25/21 at 20:22:26

Pip, I have the same speakers you have, and my room is similar at 12x10. You made an excellent choice for your room size, as I can attest. The are extremely detailed and revealing, and the alnico single drivers are unworldy good, they keep getting better and better.

Like Lon, my amp is a Taboo MK IV with full mods. Also have an official 25th anniversary edition CSP3 preamp. My DAC puts out 4.5v, attenuated by a ZBIT. The entire combination fills the room, plenty of power, deeply immersive.

System puts out upper 80's db with ease, and peaks in the mid-upper 90's range [as measured by sound level meter].

I agree with Lon and HK.......my .02 for your consumption ;)