2-ohm stable amps ???

inspiredsports
inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
edited January 2012 in Electronics
I know about some of the usual suspects; many transformer coupled tube amps, Pass Labs XA.5 series, the Parasound Halo JC1 . . . are there any bargain 2-ohm stable "sleepers" out there in the 2X150 to 2X250 wrms range?
VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
NAD SS rigs w/mods
GIK panels
Post edited by inspiredsports on
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited November 2011
    Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 and ST-1000.
    "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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  • Pycroft
    Pycroft Posts: 1,961
    edited November 2011
    I have an Odyssey Stratos that is stable to 2 ohms. I think it is a very good amp.

    James
    2 Channel/HT:
    Sony SS-M9 P's (ES version)
    Sony SS-M1CN Center Channel
    Polk RT800 Surround Speakers
    Odyssey Stratos Dual Mono Amplifiers
    TAD 150 Signature Tube Preamp
    Harman Kardon HK354
    Sony SACD Player
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 29,384
    edited November 2011
    my monos for sale ;)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,712
    edited November 2011
    My Anthem MCA20 is 2ohm stable
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,980
    edited November 2011
    Face wrote: »
    Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 and ST-1000.

    Don't forget the SX series as well..
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,650
    edited November 2011
    The older Bryston 7B ST or NRB series mono's switched into parallel mode.Also a number of Class D modules from the likes of Hypex or B&O's ICE power.If your into DIY you could piece together a Hypex based unit quite reasonably.The ICE unit's are harder to source.http://www.hypex.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=71
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited November 2011
    FYI, I have a spare W4S ST-500 that I may be selling. If you're interested, send me a PM.
    "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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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited November 2011
    Sunfire variable load amplifier is a good choice. I also believe all Audio-GD amps double their power down to 2 ohms.
    Jake
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    I guess my other concern that I should have mentioned is to find out if these amps are common ground, and if not, able to be strapped. I can use an AI-1 on my 2B's, but not on my SRS 2's.

    What's prompted all of this is inductor modifications I'm experimenting with that can take the DCR or these speakers well below 3-ohms and put a real strain on mere mortal amplifiers.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,650
    edited November 2011
    The older (non SST) Bryston's mentioned have two modes of operation (switchable) namely series and parallel.In series mode they would be non common ground but in parallel( or low impedance drive mode) they would be strapable thus making them common ground.

    As for the Class D modules the Hypex based amp's are common ground but ICE power units are non common ground.
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    I asked Parasound about some of their amps as there is currently an HCA-1200 in the Classifieds and I already knew of the HCA-1500 and HCA2200II (2200II is 2-ohm rated). I quickly received the following (GREAT customer service).

    Original Message
    From: Richard Schram [mailto:richard@parasound.com]
    Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 7:15 PM
    To: xx; service@parasound.com
    Subject: RE: Driving 2-3 ohm load

    Hi Greg,

    Thanks for your message. These are all excellent and beefy amps.

    The 1200 and 1500 aren't comfortable with 2 ohm loads, largely because their heat sinks/chassis cannot dissipate the additional heat as well as the2200II (which IS 2-ohm rated like the JC1).

    The 1200 would have an edge over the 1500 because it has more output transistors.

    If you cooled them with a quiet fan they might be ok with 2 ohms, but it also depends on the phase angle of the speaker and if its impedance stays at or above 2 ohms.

    There's no way to modify the 1200 and 1500 for 2 ohms operation.

    Kind regards,
    Richard Schram
    President
    Parasound Products, Inc.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    edited November 2011
    The sunfire is comon ground and can do 1-2 ohm without breaking a sweat or heating up. I ran my original amazing speakers that dip to 1 ohm on a sunfire without any issues. I also ran my sda 1.2 and 2.3's on a different sunfire amp without any issues.
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    Face wrote: »
    Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 and ST-1000.

    I searched www.wyred4sound.com where they only publish 4 ohm and 8 ohm specs so I emailed last night. They promptly responded this morning:

    From: Clint Hartman [mailto:support@wyred4sound.com]
    Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 10:43 AM
    To: help@bike-run-walk.com
    Subject: Re: 2-ohm stability for W4S ST-500

    Hi Greg,

    Thank you for having interest in the ST-500. The 500 and 1000 are stable into 2 ohms.

    Please let me know if you have any other questions and have a good day.

    Best Regards,
    Clint

    support@wyred4sound.com
    www.wyred4sound.com
    Ph: (805) 466-9973
    Fax: (805) 462-8962
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited November 2011
    Class A and Class A/B:
    Depends on what you mean by 2-ohm stable. Anthem MCA20 advertises it, but just barely doubles it's 8 ohm output (should be close to 4x). What this means is that it has the heatsinks to dissipate the heat, but doesn't have the power supply to deliver the juice.

    And that's what it comes down to: Power supply and thermal limit. Bryston doesn't recommend it, but you can run just about all their amps at 2-ohm since they use components that are rated for the higher temps and the power supplies are a little beefier than they need to be. You're not going to get the 4x power output like you see from Krell and Pass, but they'll do fine.

    You can always get a little extra from an amp by putting a fan on it, but you can almost tell the ones that are 2 ohm stable by looking at them: Huge heatsinks? Go for it.

    Class D amps behave a lot differently, but most of them will do fine
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,650
    edited November 2011
    inspiredsports wrote: »
    I searched www.wyred4sound.com where they only publish 4 ohm and 8 ohm specs so I emailed last night. They promptly responded this morning:

    From: Clint Hartman [mailto:support@wyred4sound.com]
    Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 10:43 AM
    To: help@bike-run-walk.com
    Subject: Re: 2-ohm stability for W4S ST-500

    Hi Greg,

    Thank you for having interest in the ST-500. The 500 and 1000 are stable into 2 ohms.

    Please let me know if you have any other questions and have a good day.

    Best Regards,
    Clint

    support@wyred4sound.com
    www.wyred4sound.com
    Ph: (805) 466-9973
    Fax: (805) 462-8962
    IIRC these are based on the ICE Power ASP modules, if so won't comply with your common ground requirement.
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited November 2011
    Yamaha MX-1000u is 2ohm stable. Oldies buy goldies.
    Main Surround -
    Epson 8350 Projector/ Elite Screens 120" / Pioneer Elite SC-35 / Sunfire Signature / Focal Chorus 716s / Focal Chorus CC / Polk MC80 / Polk PSW150 sub

    Bedroom - Sharp Aquos 70" 650 / Pioneer SC-1222k / Polk RT-55 / Polk CS-250

    Den - Rotel RSP-1068 / Threshold CAS-2 / Boston VR-M60 / BDP-05FD
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited November 2011
    nguyendot wrote: »
    Yamaha MX-1000u is 2ohm stable. Oldies buy goldies.

    I'd check this throughly. I used to sell those and others in the line new and they had a huge habit of choking and shutting down with even a 4 ohm load. There isn't near enough heat sinking and many of the Yammy amps of this era are current limited because of lack of heat sinking.

    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 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,065
    edited November 2011
    Sanders
    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
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    unc2701 wrote: »
    Class A and Class A/B:
    Depends on what you mean by 2-ohm stable. Anthem MCA20 advertises it, but just barely doubles it's 8 ohm output (should be close to 4x). What this means is that it has the heatsinks to dissipate the heat, but doesn't have the power supply to deliver the juice.

    And that's what it comes down to: Power supply and thermal limit. Bryston doesn't recommend it, but you can run just about all their amps at 2-ohm since they use components that are rated for the higher temps and the power supplies are a little beefier than they need to be. You're not going to get the 4x power output like you see from Krell and Pass, but they'll do fine.

    You can always get a little extra from an amp by putting a fan on it, but you can almost tell the ones that are 2 ohm stable by looking at them: Huge heatsinks? Go for it.

    Class D amps behave a lot differently, but most of them will do fine

    I'm not too concerned about power beyond 200-250 wrms. The mission is to find an affordable high-sound-quality amp that keeps it's cool.

    Old polk SDA circuit inductors added between 2 an 3 ohms to total DCR. As I experiment with some of the new, high quality, heavy gauge inductors available, total DCR can drop to 2.5 ohms or below so I'm looking for an amp that is comfortable with that light load.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    tonyb wrote: »
    Sanders

    Wow! Now there's a company I never heard of that looks to be absolutely top-shelf.

    http://www.sanderssoundsystems.com
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited November 2011
    It is good stuff, send Rich (SCompRacer) a PM he has Sanders amp and has talked a lot with Sanders, etc. At Polkfest in Bloomington, IL in 2008 he had his Inner Sound Eros speakers which have panels and are very difficult to drive. The Sanders amp which is designed for that type of load powered them fine. We tried McLoki's Cineova which was more power and because the amp puked the panels arched.

    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 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited November 2011
    What's your budget?

    Pass Aleph 5 on Audiogon right now. This would have no problem at all.

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1323794002

    The amplifier is stable into any load impedance or reactance including a direct short, and will
    deliver clean audio signal into 4 ohms at 180 watt peaks.
    The Aleph 5 is impervious to electrostatic shock at the input and dead shorts at the output.
    You can safely plug and unplug inputs and outputs while the amplifier is running. (Do not try
    this with other products).The Aleph 5 is protected from overheating by a 75 degree C.
    thermostatic switch, and from internal failure by a slow-blow fuse.
    "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 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    What's your budget?

    My initial intent was to keep this an experiment at under a grand, but if it becomes my "go to" amp and I put my VTL on the auction block, a Pass Aleph is definitely a contender.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited November 2011
    Personally, I think that budget is unrealistic. It takes some real balls or iron or design to drive a 2 ohm load and you don't find that in your run of the mill stuff. I have not priced ICE module amps so I don't know how they compare to a conventtional A or A/B amp price-wise. But I'm guessing getting in under $1K for those would be difficult as well.

    Good luck

    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 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited November 2011
    You can get the raw 1000 watt icepower modules for about $350 each if you you trust a Taiwanese ebay seller. Will have to hunt it down, but I've seen 'em for $450 from someplace in the US. You'll need to add about $100 in connectors and chassis, but they're very easy to work with.

    Can't comment on how they'll work w/ SDA's (using the interconnect cable).
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,502
    edited November 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Personally, I think that budget is unrealistic. It takes some real balls or iron or design to drive a 2 ohm load and you don't find that in your run of the mill stuff. I have not priced ICE module amps so I don't know how they compare to a conventtional A or A/B amp price-wise. But I'm guessing getting in under $1K for those would be difficult as well.

    Good luck

    H9

    I know it will be difficult to find one, but the (used, discontinued) Parasound HCA-2200II for instance is definitely a low price possibility. Also, as Parasound wrote, the HCA-1200 is close and they are around $300.

    DCR on my 2B's is now 2.9 ohms (I understand DCR & actual music impedance are different). My VTL tube amp and trusty NAD 2600A amp don't break a sweat (yet), but I'm contemplating some inductors that I believe will drop DCR to about 2.3.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited November 2011
    $1100:

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1326049228&/Bryston-4BST-amp17inch-ver.-mi

    not as sexy or exotic as the Aleph, but it'll handle that load. (no affil)
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited November 2011
    Personally, with the VTL and NAD I think you'll be just fine unless you are constantly at the limit. I do believe you may be over thinking this too much. Do the mod, try it with what you already own and then evaluate. I'm quite sure both pieces have built in protection if they can't handle the load or it just won't sound as good as before.

    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 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Evrythngmatters
    Evrythngmatters Posts: 187
    edited November 2011
    Classe CA series amps will drive 2ohm loads with ease. Never met a speaker they will not drive.

    A little info. from their FAQ:
    Why are the amplifiers not specified to 2 ohms?
    All amplifiers except the CA/CT-5300 have a virtually linear doubling of output between 8 ohms and 4 ohms but since it can be a misleading figure, we do not supply details of their performance at 2 ohms.

    This by no means implies that our amplifiers cannot operate at 2 ohms, which they obviously can. Impedance varies with frequency and most high quality speakers have the capacity dip to 2 ohms. Since our amplifiers are specifically designed to drive the world's best speakers, they will have no problem driving a 2 ohm load.

    Any other FAQ can be found here:
    http://bwgroup-support.com/faqs-classe.html

    Nevertheless, driving 2 ohms in the real world requires an enormous amount of power, which is sometimes technically unavailable from the AC mains power outlet. This means that these types of specifications are vulnerable to external conditions, and can therefore be misleading. Clearly, we do not want our customers to make decisions based on potentially misleading information.
    Everything matters. That is all.
    Money cannot buy happiness, but it sure can buy a bad **** boat to pull up along side it though.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,222
    edited November 2011
    Just pick up a bad **** Krell & be done with it.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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