Just when I thought audio made sense.....

dorokusai
dorokusai Posts: 25,577
edited August 2007 in Electronics
It's a neat idea, hardly groundbreaking but I love the verbage used in the writeup. Imagine coupling this with an HSU product.

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/supercharger/index.html
CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Gaara
    Gaara Posts: 2,415
    edited August 2007
    Thats the thing I saw on the cover of this month's Stereophile.

    Bumps any 50wpc+ amp up to 550watts? What if you already have a 550wpc amp?
    The Basement HT
    PC Rig
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  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited August 2007
    Gaara wrote: »
    Thats the thing I saw on the cover of this month's Stereophile.

    Bumps any 50wpc+ amp up to 550watts? What if you already have a 550wpc amp?

    Buy that and place it behind a 550w amp YOU'LL GET NOTHING MORON. ;)

    Speakers
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    Electronics
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    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
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  • Gaara
    Gaara Posts: 2,415
    edited August 2007
    disneyjoe7 wrote: »
    Buy that and place it behind a 550w amp YOU'LL GET NOTHING MORON. ;)

    Maybe you get a superdupercrazy charge...like 5Kw output, now that would be something. Real men have amps in the quadruple digits.
    The Basement HT
    PC Rig
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited August 2007
    It shunts the power from the incoming signal. It doesn't add anything but 550wpc.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited August 2007
    Its just a power amp that has a special input to accept speaker level inputs just like many sub amps.
    Testing
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited August 2007
    I think it's cool, and I also think Jesse needs a pair. Of course, he will want to get some speakers from the past decade also, but that's another thread.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited August 2007
    Would it add some of its' own sonic signature? Could it be used for tube amps?

    Not interested, just curious.

    Thanks,
    Mike
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
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    Usher CP 6311

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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited August 2007
    Midnite Mick wrote: »
    Could it be used for tube amps?
    Yes but the tube amp would be basically just operating as a high powered preamp.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited August 2007
    Any amp would be.

    I think the feature is nice, but makes no sense at the pricepoint. Why add on, just replace?
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited August 2007
    I think it dumbs down the gear and I'm hoping that our resident MF owners will comment. MF is high end and this is just weird to me.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited August 2007
    RuSsMaN wrote: »
    Any amp would be.
    Yes but he asked specifically so I answered thusly.:)
    I think the feature is nice, but makes no sense at the pricepoint. Why add on, just replace?
    Or just use a normal preamp,it has a standard line input as well.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,828
    edited August 2007
    I think they are weird too. I read the promo info and just shook my head.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • SKsolutions
    SKsolutions Posts: 1,820
    edited August 2007
    Looks like you could hang it on a telephone pole without it looking out of place

    What is that. . . a 5 Farad Cap with a plug and some LED'z.
    -Ignorance is strength -
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,816
    edited August 2007
    A big waste of money comes to mind.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited August 2007
    GV#27 wrote: »
    Yes but the tube amp would be basically just operating as a high powered preamp.

    But would you still get the tube sound from the tube amps?

    I'm curious how well these would work with my ASL Wave-20's and if I'd loose the sound and fun of the tubes.

    I didn't see an MSRP on the site? Anyone know the cost of those things?
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,221
    edited August 2007
    Could I use it on my car? :p

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited August 2007
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Could I use it on my car? :p

    H9


    This is old news in car audio, lots of car amps have been made with high level inputs.
    Never Forget
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  • Gaara
    Gaara Posts: 2,415
    edited August 2007
    phuz wrote: »
    But would you still get the tube sound from the tube amps?

    I'm curious how well these would work with my ASL Wave-20's and if I'd loose the sound and fun of the tubes.

    I didn't see an MSRP on the site? Anyone know the cost of those things?

    $5000/pr according to the glowing stereophile review.

    They also seem to say it makes the sound much more dynamic without changing the sonic signature of the amp being used, so it should be perfect for a tube amp.

    Wow are they big, 16.75h x 8.4w x 8.6d, not sure on the weight as stereophile lists them as 75lbs while the manual states 27.
    The Basement HT
    PC Rig
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  • venomclan
    venomclan Posts: 2,467
    edited August 2007
    It cannot be better than a 200 Watt+ Sunfire....:p
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited August 2007
    phuz wrote: »
    But would you still get the tube sound from the tube amps?

    I'm curious how well these would work with my ASL Wave-20's and if I'd loose the sound and fun of the tubes.

    I didn't see an MSRP on the site? Anyone know the cost of those things?

    Sorry, but you are definetely going to lose the sonic signature in the amp up the chain unless it is extreme and most likely is so colored it sounds like ****.

    I am a bit ambivilent about them. Although I suspect they might work for someone who has a pre they really like....maybe a spectral.....and an amp they do not.....j/k......It would seem Antony is trying to reach a market of folks who want the power of the Kw but for a bit less dough. I see the power supply of the supercharger is smaller and suspect this is where the cost savings is.........

    Like Russ for the dough I would wonder why not total replacement, unless nostalgia and all that......

    My other theory is Antony has been perusing Frizz's posts and ensured a product where everyone could get to at least 200 wpc and beyond........

    One wise ole Polkster has been oft quoted, "nothing like a large amount of power on a radiating surface" or something close to that.

    RT1
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited August 2007
    Gaara wrote: »
    $5000/pr according to the glowing stereophile review.

    They also seem to say it makes the sound much more dynamic without changing the sonic signature of the amp being used, so it should be perfect for a tube amp.

    Wow are they big, 16.75h x 8.4w x 8.6d, not sure on the weight as stereophile lists them as 75lbs while the manual states 27.

    EFF THAT. $5k?? Yeah I'd just get new amps.

    I was curious, but now I'm just confused. I don't get it. :confused:
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  • blakeh
    blakeh Posts: 491
    edited August 2007
    If this wasn't manufactured by Musical Fidelity, I'd call 'Bullsh*t'. Still, it reminds me of this little gem from late night infomercials:

    tornado_fuel_saver_large.jpg
    /COLOR] [U][URL="http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=68366"][COLOR="Blue"]My Rigs[/U][/COLOR][/URL] [COLOR="Red" Balanced Audio Technology | Revel | Dodd | Monarchy | PS Audio | MIT | Polk | Etc.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,039
    edited August 2007
    Think of it as a "linear" for your hi-fi, good buddy.

    These are the same guys who sell a "tube buffer"... a little, unity gain distortion box. (and I say this as a fan of the vacuum state in hi-fi).
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited August 2007
    PolkThug wrote: »
    This is old news in car audio, lots of car amps have been made with high level inputs.


    High level inputs are not that far fetched in the high fidelity world. I've read of a few companies which use high level inputs on their subs to keep the character of the sound the same as the rest of the system. Some examples are the REL and Avantgarde subs. At first glance I thought it was somewhat low class (just to give an indication of my thoughts at the time) but my opinion was formed back when "booster amps" for cars were rampant, people wanted to add cheap subs to their non-audiophile systems and all amps sounded the same. I've changed my mind lately.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,612
    edited August 2007
    Still, I have to wonder why? Adding down stream seems a bit odd
    unless your speakers were widely spaced. Why not just go
    amplified speakers? Makes as much sense. Better, since you could
    actively drive bass, tweeter, and mids.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,039
    edited August 2007
    well, you could argue it's just another gain stage, and pigggy-backing gain stages is a time honored tradition.

    The only problem is that the speaker output of a hifi amp is designed for a very low impedance load; not the sort of thing (I would think) you'd design ab initio to feed into another active device.

    I think it's just a bad, bad idea.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited August 2007
    Oh, BTW, my comments were only on high level inputs for subs, not this particular use. Seems a little weird to me to do what MF did here.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited August 2007
    Ok lets not forget that they are still some very nice, very powerful, monoblocks. They have line level inputs and can be used as any other amp can.

    From what I've now gathered so far from online info and reviews they do indeed retain the sound of the upstream amp(s). So it's a new product that probably fills a small gap where one might have some classic low power or tube amps that they really love, but just aren't capable of driving a Dynaudio Evidence or B&W N800.

    As long as they really do retain the sonic signature of the preceding components in the chain, then I can understand the need and I'd be interested in trying them out. I can see where they would add a little bit of "cool factor" to any system, and keep things fun since one could now try out any low powered tube amp or whatever without any power or speaker worries.

    Like I said I'd love to have the chance to put them between my ASL amps and Contour S1.4. Lord knows the danes need it. Not for $5k though...

    I wonder how long it will take for someone to hook them up to a $200 AVR from a big box store and complain about how bad it sounds....
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited August 2007
    See if I translated this correctly guys.

    From what I gather, we shouldn't be talking in WPC. Instead we should be talking about decibel level since we hear in decibels & not watts. And the decibel level we like to hear things at is around 110 decibels? Which translates into how many wpc?

    However, after reading your responses & seeing the outrageous price of the thing, it makes better sense (and a whole lot cheaper)to just get an amplifier of 200wpc or more & be done with it!
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • venomclan
    venomclan Posts: 2,467
    edited August 2007
    cfrizz wrote: »
    it makes better sense (and a whole lot cheaper)to just get an amplifier of 200wpc or more & be done with it!


    LMAO, how did I know you were going to say that? I just got off the phone with the Psychic Friends Hotline.
    V
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