A Supercharger for your Amp?

nooshinjohn
nooshinjohn Posts: 25,553
edited November 2009 in Electronics
I have never heard of such a thing, but appearantly, you add this thing between your amp and your speakers and it boosts the output to 550wpc, and uses speaker wire for the connections. Could this be a viable solution for those that do not have pre-outs on their receivers?

Personally I would choose to go another route, but thought the producr was intriguing enough to start a conversation about it...

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/81862
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
Post edited by nooshinjohn on
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Comments

  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited October 2009
    It's just a power amp with special hi level inputs that allow it to accept the input from another amp.It also has the usual (low leve)l pre inputs.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2009
    They're over rated: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=997294&highlight=supercharger#post997294
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Paden501
    Paden501 Posts: 286
    edited October 2009
    This reminds me of car audio amps. A lot of them also have 'line level' converters built in, so that you can plug your factory rear channel speaker wire into the amp instead of running pre-amp RCA cables all the way back through your car.
    ~Matt
    My System

    Front L/R: Definitive BP10Bs
    Surrounds -Polk Audio Monitor 4As
    Preamp: B&K Reference 20
    CD: Jolida JD100a
    L/R Amp: Carver TFM-24
    Turntable: Pioneer PL-516 W/ Shure M97xe
    TV: Sony 52" XBR9
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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,260
    edited October 2009
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    ... Could this be a viable solution for those that do not have pre-outs on their receivers? ...
    ... Hmmm ... at $1,000 per speaker, for a demo unit ($2,500 otherwise), that would be an expensive upgrade for any receiver that is an entry level model (since it has no pre-outs). It would be a whole lot cheaper just to buy a new receiver for less than $500 (there are lots of choices nowadays for that price), sell the old one for $100, and get a regular amplifier.

    I'm not quite sure what the intended market is for this device. Can you imagine buying five, or even seven?
    Connections:
    Line level inputs: 1line level RCA connector
    Speaker inputs: 1 pair 3-Way Binding posts (Banana compatible)
    Speaker outputs: 1 pair 3-Way Binding posts (Banana compatible)
    Alea jacta est!
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited October 2009
    Paden501 wrote: »
    This reminds me of car audio amps. A lot of them also have 'line level' converters built in.
    Exactly.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,553
    edited October 2009
    Kex wrote: »
    ... Hmmm ... at $1,000 per speaker, for a demo unit ($2,500 otherwise), that would be an expensive upgrade for any receiver that is an entry level model (since it has no pre-outs). It would be a whole lot cheaper just to buy a new receiver for less than $500 (there are lots of choices nowadays for that price), sell the old one for $100, and get a regular amplifier.

    I'm not quite sure what the intended market is for this device. Can you imagine buying five, or even seven?

    +1... I am not by any means saying they are a viable product for 95% of us, only that they were interesting.;)
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,788
    edited October 2009
    Kex wrote: »
    ... Hmmm ... at $1,000 per speaker, for a demo unit ($2,500 otherwise), that would be an expensive upgrade for any receiver that is an entry level model (since it has no pre-outs). It would be a whole lot cheaper just to buy a new receiver for less than $500 (there are lots of choices nowadays for that price), sell the old one for $100, and get a regular amplifier.

    I'm not quite sure what the intended market is for this device. Can you imagine buying five, or even seven?

    Well if you don't like demo's, Audio Advisor has been selling these for $1250 new for a long time now. I don't think they were a hot seller.


    http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MF550K%20%20%20%20E
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited October 2009
    WilliamM2 wrote: »
    I don't think they were a hot seller.


    I think in part because of the way in which MF marketed it as a" supercharger" and not just a poweramp.I think some were confused as to its purpose and purists likely shun the "booster amp" concept prefering the standard pre approach. Used in regular fashion driven by a preamp, it may well be a good sounding amp.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2009
    GV#27 wrote: »
    I think in part because of the way in which MF marketed it as a" booster amp" and not as a poweramp.I think some were confused as to its purpose.
    Or thought they sounded "gimmicky".
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited October 2009
    I got heat for this when this was discussed before but I thought they were a cool idea. Limited demographic, but cool. Want to mate those sweet sounding 10 watt tube monoblocks up with some Dynaudio Evidence Temptations? These make that possible.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited October 2009
    The most ridiculous product MF has ever made.
    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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  • Krazyz1
    Krazyz1 Posts: 256
    edited November 2009
    Sounds like a EXPENSIVE twist to a Carver M-400
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited November 2009
    It is a great idea, you guys just don't get it. It preserves the sonic character of an audiophile quality flea powered amp while allowing use of low efficiency speakers. Avantgarde utilizes the same philosophy to power the woofers in their horn speakers, otherwise they would have to use really big enclosures.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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