Monster Cable amp ....HELP

bassaholic

Hey everyone I won this 2 channel amp on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300061169932&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:MT:11I was hoping to win the matching 3 channel to go along with it but I apparently didnt bid high enough. Well now I'm stuck with this and have no idea how I can use it with my system? I'd appreciate any and all suggestions. My signature lists my equipment. Please be specific if you can. Thanks much!

PolkWannabie

Assuming your receiver has pre-outs you could use it to power your mains ...

... or ...

Make it the beginnings of another two channel rig ...

bassaholic

If I can I will use this to power my RT2000i's however this amp is rated at 250wpc where as my Denon 3805 is only 120wpc. If I use the new Monster Amp to power my fronts I am afraid they will drown out and overwhelm the sound from my other speakers. Since I wont be using the front channel of my Denon anymore can I use that extra power and send it to other speakers in my set-up. Preferrably the RT55i's?

reeltrouble1

I would relist and sell that amp, but that is me.

You can just balance your speakers using an spl meter as long as each is putting out the same SPL at the listening position you will be fine, the two amps will have a different slew rate with one likely being faster than the other with transients and they will sound just a bit different but with HT movies I would not think it would make any big difference.

Many folks here mix and match amps in their HT, not a problem my man.

Edit: you can likely do that with your 55i as long as the reciever is still sending the signal with the pre-out being utilzed but I dont know if you will really be gaining anything, you can use the zone 2 connections to play a different source though.

RT1

louthewiz

Ok I will try to help you a bit,the amplifier can be used to power just the front channels to take the strain off your avr so the processor will have less of a strain and give you cleaner sound and better dynamics.
Using the preamp outs for the front L/R from your denon to the amplifier's input and then take your 2 front speakers and hook it up to the amplifier ,
now you will need to recalibrate your denon's auto setup since the sound will be a little more different and you need to compensate for it by running the auto setup, and now the 2 front speakers will be powered with the amp and the volume will be controlled with the denon since it is now being used as a preamp , if you have an spl meter then use it to make the final adjustments..
Now as soon as you get it all setup be ready to notice a difference in sound quality since adding an amp will "Enhance" the sound and improve the overall performance,And finally I know when you add one amp you will also want to amplify the rest of the channels since this hobby is very addictive.

Early B.

You bagged a great amp at a great price. Put that damn thing on your fronts and be done with it. You'll love it.

cfrizz

Congrats Bassaholic.

Lou nailed it perfectly. Hook that amp up & enjoy.

Please come back & tell us what you think with the new addition.

danger boy

turn around and resell it like reeltrouble1 said. don't even open the box.. keep it boxed up.. and relist it on ebay. shouldn't be any problem reselling it. since ther were 25 other bidders your beat out.

that's what i would do.

bassaholic

I now have a chance to get a 5 channel marantz9000...150wpc. Should I buy this and use it for all the rest of my system. Its an older amp but at a decent price or should I keep shopping for something better? Also can I run 2 different ampsfrom my Denon? A 2 channel and a 5 channel?

Early B.

bassaholic wrote:

I now have a chance to get a 5 channel marantz9000...150wpc. Should I buy this and use it for all the rest of my system. Its an older amp but at a decent price or should I keep shopping for something better? Also can I run 2 different ampsfrom my Denon? A 2 channel and a 5 channel?

Yes to both questions.

bassaholic

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140066245200&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=004
Any thought on this amp as compared to the Marantz MM9000. Its quite a bit more money but the power ratings are more similar to the Monster Amp. Also I'm still confused...can I run 2 different amps from my Denon 3805?

danger boy

[QUOTE=bassaholic.can I run 2 different amps from my Denon 3805?[/QUOTE]

yup.. each pre out from your Denon goes to an input on the back of either a mono block amp.. which is one channel. a stereo amp.. which as you know is two chanel or a multi-channel amp. either 3, 5, or 7 channels.

cheddar

I was wondering who would score that amp. Don't listen to people telling you to sell it. As long as it works, you scored a superior amp at a bargain basement price.

http://www.polkaudio.com/justin/Monster_Adcom_Shootout.pdf

This is an amp that can clearly compete with amps that cost thousands of dollars more (on ebay). However, because of the monster name, demand for it got killed in audiophile circles 'cause of the company's predatory lawsuits and reputation for overpriced wire.

I had a 2250 hooked up for like half a year (I eventually got a 3250 for my back surrounds and center...) to my lsi15 mains in my 7.1 HT setup and listening to music and movies was so much better than with my denon 3803 alone. At lower volumes, I noticed an authority in the bass hits that just wasn't there with the receiver. And at high volumes nuances in music came to the surface as well as hard hitting impact on action sequences like canons in master and commander.

Your mains are your main audio guns for music and movies. Don't worry about slight imbalances in the amp and receiver ratings. Properly callibrated, it's hard to notice any difference in the sound levels between the denon and the 2250 except for less of a dynamic punch in the denon for tough passages. Which is a good thing in my opinion, 'cause it means that the mains are being brought to life.

At 500 clams, use the friggin thing. You can't touch that quality of power at that price from any other manufacturer. The only regret you might have is not giving all your speakers a seperate amp. But the 3250 is actually the more common amp on ebay. So just wait a while if you still want it. You've got nothing to lose by hooking it up. It's a used amp anyways. I know that the lsi15 is a demanding speaker on amplification, so you may not get the same results I did. But somehow I think you won't be dissappointed. .

bassaholic

Thanks Cheddar....awesome write up. Now I'm even more excited to get this amp.

cheddar

No problem. BTW, customer service is top notch with Monster Cable. From reports on this board, they've been known to ship out and replace missing parts on these beasts no questions asked. So if it comes without a power cable, rack ears, whatever, just contact monster cs. The 400 series power cable that the beast comes with is only available in the signature series. You can't even buy it at retail. So if anything's missing, be sure to try and get it replaced. They shipped me a replacement for my balanced ics (seperate purchase than the 2250) with no hassle. So they get an A+++ rating in my book.

scottvamp

These Monster amps flat out ROCK. I have 2 3250's and have been nothing but impressed with thier performance. Tons of POWER. When i watch movies the watts barely even register.......:eek:

bassaholic

Ive got about an hour to pull the pin and buy this amp. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140066245200&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=004 Is anyone familiar with these or how it will mate to the Monster Amp I bought? Or will this Marantz be sufficient http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180065970200&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1 The Marantz is actually 150wpc. Thanks much for any input!

MikeC78

scottvamp wrote:

These Monster amps flat out ROCK. I have 2 3250's and have been nothing but impressed with thier performance. Tons of POWER. When i watch movies the watts barely even register.......:eek:

Ditto!

I have two 3250's as well connected to four LSi15's and an LSiC. Goobs of power I will never use, they really make my LSi's sing!:)

Mike

cheddar

bassaholic wrote:

Ive got about an hour to pull the pin and buy this amp. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140066245200&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=004 Is anyone familiar with these or how it will mate to the Monster Amp I bought? Or will this Marantz be sufficient http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180065970200&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1 The Marantz is actually 150wpc. Thanks much for any input!

I see you didn't bid on either yet. Why in so much of a hurry? Used amps will pop up all the time. Why not just wait for the 2250, hook it up, and get your listen on. After a good run of music and movies, you'll know a lot more about if and how much you want to put into amplification for all your channels. I've got a 7.1 system with the rears still run off the 3803. Your mains and center get the most workout for HT. The back surrounds next, with the rear surrounds a very distant third. So for me, it was just diminishing returns getting another monster amp. Although I still look from time to time 'cause they're so cheap and I'm probably going to get an HDMI 1.3 pre/pro in the next year.

So you may just want to take some time to experiment with your setup. I find that experimenting is half the fun in this hobby anyways and it really helps you spend your money wiser if you don't max out your budget until you know what you want. See what the amp does for your system on the mains. If the surrounds sound wanting, then make another decision then. IMHO anyways...

Edit: I also just looked up your speakers. I didn't realize that your mains have powered subs. You have quite a mixture of speakers and subs there. But since the only thing you're really powering with the amp are the tweeters and mid-ranges, you really should try experimenting with the amp on all your speakers. You even have a chance to compare the single 6.5" in your mains with the two 6.5" mid-ranges in your rears (try them as your mains on 5.1 tracks without the 2000is. You might be surprised at the results. See what happens to the detail and nuances in the sound that each speaker produces on the 2250. All your bass punch seems to be coming from already powered subs. There must be all sorts of interactions between them as the low frequencies combine from all four subwoofers. I'm assuming you've already experimented with different combinations and placements. If not, you certainly should try to experiment with them as well. But my guess is that the weak amp powering your 2000i 8" ers may be a weak link. So the gain you get might be more subtle than with an Lsi15 where the amp also has to bring the 8" woofer under control.

pearsall001

Let me get this straight, you placed a bid on an amp you never even wanted in the first place. Now that you won the bid you feel like you're stuck with it. Don't be sorry, hook it up to your DENON to run the mains. Great amp, great price, "HELLO"