Any amp recommendations for 703?
koote
Posts: 5
Just grab a pair of 703 when this model is on sale at $449. Found I need an amp to drive them, after hours of research on internet, I think Yamaha A-S501 is a good fit for a non HiFi man, any suggestions?
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Think quality, not quantity.Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)
There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus -
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/168143/results-integrated-shootout-with-lsim703/p1
I also had good results with a Peachtree Nova.
If you are a non hifi man then an amp probably isn’t necessary. What are you using now?Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
I have the Yamaha A-S501 with the 703s in my home office and like it a lot and think it’s good bang for the buck. Many here have had Dayens and speak highly of the combo.Living Room
Parasound HINT 6, Yamaha Aventage RX-A 1060, Oppo 103D, Cambridge Audio Azur 851N, KLH Model 5s, Polk CSi A6, Samsung 65" LED
Office
Yamaha A-S501, Auralic Aries Mini, LSiM 703s
Douglas Connection ICs and Cables -
According to Polks specs from https://d3vqw2nv1topde.cloudfront.net/assets/Product Documents/Product Information Sheets/LSiMSeries InfoSheet.pdf, the nominal sensitivity of this speaker's 88 dB SPL at 1 meter for 2.83 AC volts input. The impedance is listed as "compatible with 8 ohm" (whatever that means); at face value, 50 watts is probably OK -- depends on the size and acoustical 'state' of the room in question, one's taste in music and how loud one likes to play it. It also depends, a lot, on the actual impedance curve of this speaker (which is a pretty good guide to how easy or difficult of a load it is for an amplifier to drive).
Unfortunately, that information isn't available from Polk. Fortunately, John Atkinson at Stereophile actually tested these, and his comments are illuminating
https://www.stereophile.com/content/polk-lsiiim703-loudspeaker-measurements
All this being said, it's always a good idea to go with empiricism -- if folks say that these amps work well with these speakers... they probably do.
And I totally agree that the quality of an amplifier's output, umm, trumps the sheer number of watts on tap.
Indeed, especially at low volume levels, many high power amplifiers are, simply, not at their best.
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All i can say is that the mid bass bloat did not come under control until I got a 200 WPC rotel RB 993. A Marantz AVR was the pre. That was a pretty sweet combo...Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
Parasound is a good match for the LSiM series.
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My rule of thumb is that the original retail price of an amp + preamp or integrated amp should be close to or above the original retail price of a pair of speakers being driven by the combo. The price the LSiM line is being discounted to does not reflect their performance capabilities. The Yamaha integrated will work, but it will not get the best out of the LSiM speakers. If the short term goal is just to get decent sound out of the 703s the S501 would be fine. The Signature line would really be a better match for the S501 though. With the 703s, I'd at least kick up the integrated to the S801 model.
I am currently using a Parasound A21 on mine, but an A23 also works well. -
You guys have some odd surrogate markers for pairing amplifiers and loudspeakers.
FWIW -- I like to use my ears.
E.g., I am sure you can find some perfectly awful 200 wpc amplifiers to pair with these Polks. Heck, I can even think of some
Likewise, price... well... is that MSRP, Amazon, Walmart, used, or close-out street price?
Sorry, I am being unnecessarily (if not atypically
) argumentative -- I am really mostly amused by these rules of thumb -- not really dead-set against them.
Can't beat empiricism, though -- e.g., @DSkip, presumably, has listented to the specific pairing he recommends (I have not!), and 'reports from the field' suggest he has a pretty good sense of good sound. I.e., I'd certainly give serious consideration to his suggestion, but I'd sure as heck want to give a serious listen before plunking down filthy lucre for one (or, at least, have a relatively painless return option if a pre-purchase auditions' not possible).
And not that the other folks replying to this thread don't speak from relevant experience, but I've become a lot less enamored of, shall we say, rubrics (or recipes) for good sounding hifi in the past couple of decades.
Sorry to be tangenting again
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Jeebus mark did you actually read my post? I gave no rule of thumb. I tried several amps and didn’t get sound that I was really satisfied with until I paired them with a specific amp, a rotel RB993 that happens to be rated at 200 wpc. I did NOT say only a 200 wpc amp would work fwiw...Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
Yup, sure did. I inferred that you thought the 200 wpc part was important. It may or may not be. Thus (half of) my little tirade.
The 200 WPC was, I presume, important in your analysis, since you mentioned it.
I guess the important part was the amplifier, not the power output. I do apologize that I misapprehended that.All i can say is that the mid bass bloat did not come under control until I got a 200 WPC rotel RB 993. A Marantz AVR was the pre. That was a pretty sweet combo...
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I need amp since I am going to use this pair of 703 with my TV. I don't have any AVRs.https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/168143/results-integrated-shootout-with-lsim703/p1
I also had good results with a Peachtree Nova.
If you are a non hifi man then an amp probably isn’t necessary. What are you using now?
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Thanks, A801 is affordable, what is the difference between A801 and A501?My rule of thumb is that the original retail price of an amp + preamp or integrated amp should be close to or above the original retail price of a pair of speakers being driven by the combo. The price the LSiM line is being discounted to does not reflect their performance capabilities. The Yamaha integrated will work, but it will not get the best out of the LSiM speakers. If the short term goal is just to get decent sound out of the 703s the S501 would be fine. The Signature line would really be a better match for the S501 though. With the 703s, I'd at least kick up the integrated to the S801 model.
I am currently using a Parasound A21 on mine, but an A23 also works well.
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I would agree, but I would also say "both and" for the parameters of sensitivity* (not efficiency per se -- sensitivity is a more 'real world' parameter... well, at least, it's easier to quantify!) and the impedance curve. That said, nasty-a$$ impedance curves and low sensitivity tend to go hand in hand, IME/IMO.
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* The efficiency/sensitivity thing is a bit of a sore subject for me, too -- sorry! Yeah, I realize that most folks use the terms interchangeably, and we do know what they mean. Efficiency is a measure of just that -- the percentage of input electrical power converted to output acoustic power. Efficiency is independent of distance. Sensitivity is a measure of dB SPL per unit of input power (usually 2.83 AC volts, which is 1 watt into 8 ohms) at a fixed distance (usually 1 meter) from a loudspeaker under test.
Sensitivity varies with distance; a speaker capable of 88 dB SPL at 1 meter for (nominally) 1 watt input produces (in free space) 85 dB at 2 meters, 82 dB at 4 meters, etc.
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Thanks, got a positive feedback on A501+703 combo:)rburgess714 wrote: »I have the Yamaha A-S501 with the 703s in my home office and like it a lot and think it’s good bang for the buck. Many here have had Dayens and speak highly of the combo.
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Thanks, A801 is affordable, what is the difference between A801 and A501?
The 801 has a stronger power supply and a built in USB DAC. I think it's a better value overall for the price difference.
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The 801 is better, I got a great deal on 501 and with the Auralic Mini it’s fine for office duty with the 703s. There are certainly better options and the 703s were much livelier with my Parasound stack but that’s in the main system. Maybe the OP can give us his budget and we can help spend his money😀Living Room
Parasound HINT 6, Yamaha Aventage RX-A 1060, Oppo 103D, Cambridge Audio Azur 851N, KLH Model 5s, Polk CSi A6, Samsung 65" LED
Office
Yamaha A-S501, Auralic Aries Mini, LSiM 703s
Douglas Connection ICs and Cables -
Just a point of clarification: if you don’t have an AVR you’ll either need one plus an amp or you’ll need an integrated.Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
