LSi9 Amplification
I understand that these LSi9 bookshelves are 4ohms and need an external amp to properly drive them.
What kind of amps do you guys suggest? I was thinking of this one, Parasound Halo A21
http://www.parasound.com/halo/a21.php
Do you guys think this is a bit overkill? A $2000 amp to power a pair of $900 bookshelves?
What kind of amps do you guys suggest? I was thinking of this one, Parasound Halo A21
http://www.parasound.com/halo/a21.php
Do you guys think this is a bit overkill? A $2000 amp to power a pair of $900 bookshelves?
Post edited by furball on
Comments
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I understand that these LSi9 bookshelves are 4ohms and need an external amp to properly drive them.
What kind of amps do you guys suggest? I was thinking of this one, Parasound Halo A21
http://www.parasound.com/halo/a21.php
Do you guys think this is a bit overkill? A $2000 amp to power a pair of $900 bookshelves?
Awesome amp. Yes it's overkill.
Read here about the new Emotiva amp coming out.
XPA-5 200x5 $799
http://emotivalounge.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=amps&action=display&thread=1192051012
You might want to inquire yourself about it. -
You just suggested a 5 channel amp??
Furball, that Parasound is one heck of an amp. You can get a killer amp for half the price or less though. Do a search for LSi9 or LSi15 and amp and you'll get tons of suggestions... -
You just suggested a 5 channel amp??
Gives him the option to bi-amp.
If not, no harm done.
Outlaw Audio 2200 Mono Blocks would be nice
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html -
Purchase a used amp and save alot.
For example - already sold, but under the price of your 9's. Just have to be ready to jump when you see a deal you like....
MichaelMains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms) -
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll do the search.
I was kind of wonder that Parasound would be an overkill. Nice amp though.
As to the Emotiva gear. Not really my cup of tea, especially since it's a 5 channel amp. I am more into stereo stuff. Thanks for the suggestion though.You just suggested a 5 channel amp??
Furball, that Parasound is one heck of an amp. You can get a killer amp for half the price or less though. Do a search for LSi9 or LSi15 and amp and you'll get tons of suggestions... -
Wow, $800 for a $2000 amp. That's a steal!
How come the listing didn't come up on audiogon when I did a search? Is Videogon separate from Audiogon?Purchase a used amp and save alot.
For example - already sold, but under the price of your 9's. Just have to be ready to jump when you see a deal you like....
Michael -
A monoblock weighing only 18lbs? Am I reading this right?
All the monoblocks I have seen are truly monsters, probably weighing close to 70, 80lbs apiece.
An 18lb monoblock?
I think a good beefy stereo amp would do the job better than a pair of lightweight monoblocks.
Appreciate the suggestion though.mazersteven wrote: »Gives him the option to bi-amp.
If not, no harm done.
Outlaw Audio 2200 Mono Blocks would be nice
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html -
I use a NAD C272 for my LSi9s....and it works great. Even new, it is a great buy...used it is even better. These are not mere bookshelves....they are stout.....
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I know, the LSi9's sure look nice!NeilGabriel wrote: »I use a NAD C272 for my LSi9s....and it works great. Even new, it is a great buy...used it is even better. These are not mere bookshelves....they are stout.....
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mazersteven wrote: »Awesome amp. Yes it's overkill.
Read here about the new Emotiva amp coming out.
XPA-5 200x5 $799
http://emotivalounge.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=amps&action=display&thread=1192051012
You might want to inquire yourself about it.
The emotiva looks sweeettttt! when is that coming out?Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR805
Amp: Emotiva XPA-5
Front: LSI15
Center: LSIC
Sourround: FxiA4
Rear: Fxi3
Sub: Bic H100
TV: Sony 52' XBR4
"The more time you spend researching here, the less money you will have" -
Nevermind, confirmed with emotiva. They are saying early March.. damit. I cant wait that long!!The emotiva looks sweeettttt! when is that coming out?Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR805
Amp: Emotiva XPA-5
Front: LSI15
Center: LSIC
Sourround: FxiA4
Rear: Fxi3
Sub: Bic H100
TV: Sony 52' XBR4
"The more time you spend researching here, the less money you will have" -
You can get a used Parasound HCA 1500 used in the $500.00 range and I think it would do pretty well.Sharp Elite 70
Anthem D2V 3D
Parasound 5250
Parasound HCA 1000 A
Parasound HCA 1000
Oppo BDP 95
Von Schweikert VR4 Jr R/L Fronts
Von Schweikert LCR 4 Center
Totem Mask Surrounds X4
Hsu ULS-15 Quad Drive Subwoofers
Sony PS3
Squeezebox Touch
Polk Atrium 7s on the patio just to keep my foot in the door. -
Wow, $800 for a $2000 amp. That's a steal!
How come the listing didn't come up on audiogon when I did a search? Is Videogon separate from Audiogon?
Yes, they often have the same ads, but not always. They are separate sites.Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms) -
A monoblock weighing only 18lbs? Am I reading this right?
All the monoblocks I have seen are truly monsters, probably weighing close to 70, 80lbs apiece.
An 18lb monoblock?
I think a good beefy stereo amp would do the job better than a pair of lightweight monoblocks.
Appreciate the suggestion though.
Amp weight no longer is a good gauge of sound quality. I much preferred my 7lb mono blocks to my 140lb amp. The 7lbs also put out 2x the power of the 140lb amp.
The A21 should be a great match to the 9s. I had the A23 for quite a while and felt it had great synergy. -
How did you find the A23 and the LSi9? Does the A23 have enough power to drive the LSi9's? And how well controlled is the bass, mids, highs, when the LSi9's are driven by the A23?
Did you encounter any problems with the A23? I heard that there were some quality control issues with the A23.
And what preamp did you use with the A23? The P3?
And about those 7lb monoblocks. Are they digital amps? Digital amps are class D amps, and they weigh far less than traditional class AB amps. They have their strengths and weaknesses compared to the traditional class AB amps. You have to compare apples to apples.Amp weight no longer is a good gauge of sound quality. I much preferred my 7lb mono blocks to my 140lb amp. The 7lbs also put out 2x the power of the 140lb amp.
The A21 should be a great match to the 9s. I had the A23 for quite a while and felt it had great synergy. -
How did you find the A23 and the LSi9?
Did you encounter any problems with the A23?
And what preamp did you use with the A23? The P3?
And about those 7lb monoblocks. Are they digital amps? Digital amps are class D amps, and they weigh far less than traditional class AB amps. They have their strengths and weaknesses compared to the traditional class AB amps. You have to compare apples to apples.
Yes they are digital amps, specifically they are 500wpc Icepower mono blocks using modified 1000ASP modules. I have tried many amps over the last year or so and these were the only ones that performed better then my Cinenova. I was only mentioning them since you seemed to dismiss the outlaws on weight alone.
As for the A23, I brought my Lsi9s into a small local shop and listened with a Pioneer Elite DV-47ai as a source, the P3 as the pre, and the A23 as the amp. I was very impressed with the sound, great bass in a big open room. I remember being impressed top to bottom, good highs good mids and great bass, and I also recall really understand what soundstage was that day. I bought the A23 and enjoyed it just as much at home, but eventually replaced it with a Earthquake Cinenova Grande. I feel that the Halo gear has very good synergy with the LSis, and really enjoyed my A23 and A52 (when it worked).
I never had issues with the A23 besides the heat. This thing would get hot, to hot to touch and would really warm the room up. That is ultimately the reason I got rid of it and replaced it with a cooler running amp. I did on the other hand have issues with a A52, two defective A52s are the reason I have my Cinenova. -
Thanks for your input on the A23. I don't know about the A23, but on the A21, the first 8 watts are run in pure class A. That's why the amp would get hot. Class A operation produces a lot of heat.
I think I might just go with the A23. Less than half the price of the A21.
Is that Outlaw amp a digital amp? I wasn't aware that Outlaw started making digital amps. And it isn't advertised anywhere on their site.
If it is a digital amp, then weight would not matter. If it is a traditional class AB amp, then weight does matter. For a traditional class AB amp, an 18lb monoblock is in the featherweight class. -
I understand class A amps. I have class A amps that run much cooler yet give off more power then the A23. I believe the A23 is 5 watts of class A. The outlaw is class G, which if I recall correctly is a class A/B amp with a SMPS. They have made these type amps for years.
Out of curiosity where are you getting your info on amps, and how many have you tried with the 9s? I find it strange that you are focusing so much on weight. I own a Monarchy SM-70 which is a 25wpc stereo Pure Class A amp...thats only 18lbs. There are plenty of smaller A/B amps that perform well and don't weigh all that much.
As for the A21 vs A23, I have no experience there. The A23 ran the 9s quite well and I never felt that I was running out of power. It performed admirably on the 7s on surround duty for well over a year with no issues. -
Also check on some older B&K stuff.Quality and cheap on the used market.Carver,Adcom, are also good choices to be had on the cheap.Now if you want tubes.......:DHT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Thanks for the Adcom suggestion. I actually was looking into some Adcom stuff. That Adcom 5500 stereo amp really does look nice, and cheap on the used market.
But one thing about that Adcom is, there is no variable gain knob. That's kind of a bummer. If the speakers are sensitive, then that volume control on the preamp wont have much useful working range (the volume gets unbearably loud just past 8 o'clock).
As to my "obsession" with weight. Well, think about it, a traditional class A/B amp needs a beefy power supply, big caps, good beefy heat sinks, etc. All these things add to the weight, considerable weight. These are just not things you can skimp on. A class A/B monoblock weighing only 18lbs, really makes me wonder where the "weight loss" is coming from.
About that 25 watt pure class A amp weighing only 18lbs. I confess I don't know anything about that amp. That amp may well have a very efficient design and some clever engineering. But usually, weight is a sign of good quality, and quality parts. Many low end receivers claim they can output 100 watts into 5 channels, and most of them only weigh around 20lbs. This really makes me shake my head.
How hot does the A23 get? Toaster hot? Or hot coffee hot? If you put your hand on the amp when it's hot, do you have to pull your hand away right away? Or is it comfortable for you to leave your hand on there, even though it's hot.
This heat issue makes me wonder if the A23 has a beefy enough heat sink. I don't know, if it gets too hot (even though class A does run HOT), it might adversely affect the longevity of the electronics. Might go with the A21 after all... -
As to my "obsession" with weight. Well, think about it, a traditional class A/B amp needs a beefy power supply, big caps, good beefy heat sinks, etc. All these things add to the weight, considerable weight. These are just not things you can skimp on. A class A/B monoblock weighing only 18lbs, really makes me wonder where the "weight loss" is coming from.
How hot does the A23 get? Toaster hot? Or hot coffee hot? If you put your hand on the amp when it's hot, do you have to pull your hand away right away? Or is it comfortable for you to leave your hand on there, even though it's hot.
I did some measurements using a temp probe and the A23 would get to 100+. During idle the A23 would be very warm, after a action packed movie it was very hot on top. The A52 was worse, that thing was hot all the time, uncomfortable so after a movie. My dealer does have a A21 and I have experience with it, it gets hotter then the A23 after a movie.
As a comparison the Cinenova is a 300wpc 5ch amp that is 141lbs. During Idle it runs slightly warm, and after a movie it is very warm. I think it idled at low 80s and after a movie was in the high 80s. The 25wpc Class A that I was talking about before runs very warm during idle and in use. It never gets uncomfortable to touch like the Halos.
I wouldn't get to hung up on weight. A good amp is a good amp no matter the weight and newer amps especially have much more efficient power supply's that drastically decrease weight. It is something to look at but I wouldn't put to much weight into it (bad pun).
P.S. Some could argue that big power supplies and big caps are actually a detriment to sound quality. This is the approach minimalist gainclones take. -
Can't do a comparison between chip amps and class a/b amps.Two total different designs.When talking class a or a/b,a beefy power supply is a must.And thats not a minimalist take on it either.Look at BAT amps,change that beefed up power supply,like on a VK 500 OR 600,do you think it will sound as good?There is reason why things are the way they are for class a and a/b amps.Design plays a huge roll in that.I'll agree a good amp is a good amp no matter what the weight,it's the sound that counts in the end.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
After much debate, finally decided to go with a Denon PMA-2000IVR integrated amp to power the LSi9's. Just placed an order for both the integrated amp and the speakers this afternoon.
http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/553.asp
Sure looks beefy enough. Hope it's enough. It may not be the last word in audiophile sound, then again my budget is not the last word in audiophile budget either.