1.2 tl's with bi-amp'd Adcom GFA 585's

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Boost1
Boost1 Posts: 13
edited December 2018 in Vintage Speakers
I've had these speakers on and off since new in 1990 and used many different amplifiers. I just hooked up a pair of GFA 585's and I have to say, they've never sounded anything like this. Sound stage is even more pronounced and instruments are all over the place. Just wondering if anyone else has tried this setup? On a side note, I've updated the tweeters to the 198's.
SDA SRS 1.2tl's
Adcom GFA-585's

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  • honestaquarian
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    Welcome to the forum
    Are you using the AI-1 non common ground interface cable?
    Show us what you've got there.
  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
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    585s are common ground @honestaquarian.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,577
    edited December 2018
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    So using one on each still doesn't pose a problem? Said two in use.
    Are they being ran in mono? Running 450 into tweeters makes little sense to me. I'm not following
  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
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    Fairly certain they can't be run as mono blocks. Note that description states bi-amped as well.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,100
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    Just wait til you update those crossovers. They will have you smiling like the Joker on April Fools Day.
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  • [Deleted User]
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    That's my configuration with two Yamaha M-65's. A little less power, same effect.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,577
    edited December 2018
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    FestYboy wrote: »
    Fairly certain they can't be run as mono blocks. Note that description states bi-amped as well.

    My bad i was looking at the 585se
    450 8 ohm
    600 4 ohm
    1000 bridged

    I now see plain 585 @ 250 wpc 8 ohm and 400 4 ohm correct does not look like it is bridgable
    I stand corrected
    Move along
  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,100
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    I still have no idea how two '585s can power 1.2TLs without an isolation transformer in the SDA interconnect cable, unless one amp is powering the midwoofers and the other is powering the tweeters. If that's the case, I'd expect the midwoofer amp is doing all the real work, and the tweeter amp is loafing.
  • honestaquarian
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    Schurkey wrote: »
    I still have no idea how two '585s can power 1.2TLs without an isolation transformer in the SDA interconnect cable, unless one amp is powering the midwoofers and the other is powering the tweeters. If that's the case, I'd expect the midwoofer amp is doing all the real work, and the tweeter amp is loafing.

    While I tend to agree with @Schurkey, at the same time if the Original poster says it made the speakers come alive for him then who are we to argue??
  • Boost1
    Boost1 Posts: 13
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    I have one running the tweets and the other the mid-bass. I initially thought the same thing in regards to too much power, but on occasion I like to listen to my music very loud and these can do that. These speakers suck the life out of an amp as you all know. Every so often I would under-drive the tl's with the 555's and get the distortion alert. Doesn't happen with these.

    And yes, the tweeter amp is definitely loafing but I really can't tell much difference in the heat output between the two. I'll have to shoot them with my lazer thermometer after a good run and see what that says.
    SDA SRS 1.2tl's
    Adcom GFA-585's
  • Boost1
    Boost1 Posts: 13
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    Just wait til you update those crossovers. They will have you smiling like the Joker on April Fools Day.

    I've been looking at the crossovers all over the place. There are alotta options out there. Any suggestions?
    SDA SRS 1.2tl's
    Adcom GFA-585's
  • honestaquarian
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    Talk to @VR3 or @westmassguy about that.^^^
  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,352
    edited December 2018
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    A fellow here by the name of Gimpod makes a nice crossover board if you want to start fresh.

    Around 14 years ago, I purchased a pair of SRS2’s from a guy. He was powering them with two GFA-555's.

    In the manual, he had written "Adcom GFA-555, one or two." Seems he had been blowing woofers/tweeters out running them with a receiver. Someone at Polk warranty department told him buy one or two of them GFA-555's and you won't have any more problems.
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,100
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    Boost1 wrote: »
    I have one running the tweets and the other the mid-bass.
    Boost1 wrote: »
    And yes, the tweeter amp is definitely loafing
    The '585 has a single power transformer serving both channels. You'd have more available current supply to the midwoofer drivers if you just used one amp for left channel mid/tweet and one amp for right channel mid/tweet. Of course, you'd need an isolation transformer with this arrangement.

    As is, both high-amperage draws (left and right mid-woofers) are pulling on the same power supply, in the amplifier used for the midwoofers.
    Boost1 wrote: »
    but I really can't tell much difference in the heat output between the two. I'll have to shoot them with my lazer thermometer after a good run and see what that says.
    As long as you're testing, find out what the DC offset is on each channel of both amplifiers.

    For the record, the "laser" has nothing to do with the temperature-sensing of your infra-red thermometer. It's just a pointing device.
    Boost1 wrote: »
    I initially thought the same thing in regards to too much power,
    Who's telling you you have "too much power"?



  • Boost1
    Boost1 Posts: 13
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    #Schurkey Great information. I have considered running one amp to each speaker but quite frankly haven't spent enough time looking into the transformer. You can never have too much power.


    SDA SRS 1.2tl's
    Adcom GFA-585's
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,050
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    Have you heard how your 585's sound in the bridged mode? You may not like their sound as it does change. In my case a single Adcom 555 sounded better than the bridged pair I had on my polks.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,577
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    Have you heard how your 585's sound in the bridged mode? You may not like their sound as it does change. In my case a single Adcom 555 sounded better than the bridged pair I had on my polks.

    They are not bridgable from my understanding
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,050
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    ^^^^^Ok then; after a bit of research I see you're correct and they're not bridgeable.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,577
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    ^^^^^Ok then; after a bit of research I see you're correct and they're not bridgeable.

    the SE versions are
  • codycatalist
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    I have a question, it was posed somewhere else and no one answered. Now I am not going to Bi-Amp (can't anyway) but if you do attach one amp to the top inputs and another to the bottom does this change the impedance load presented to the amp?

    Let's say one amp to the mid driver input on both speakers, one amp on the tweeter input on both speakers.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,577
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    Shouldn't it all goes through the same crossover.
  • codycatalist
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    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    Shouldn't it all goes through the same crossover.

    I'll accept it haha. I was just curious and never got around to satisfying that curiosity by asking until now. Thanks Ivan!
    Just a dude doing dude-ly things

    "Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
    " I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
    "Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
    "Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
    "Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,100
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    The overall "speaker" impedance is a goofy composite of the "Tweeter" impedance and the "mid-woofer impedance".

    How the tweeter impedance varies from the midwoofer impedance will affect the impedance presented to the HF vs Mid-and-Low frequency amplifiers.

    'Course, it's all frequency-dependent anyway. The impedance presented to the amplifier is a complex interaction of driver and crossover properties as installed in the cabinet, modified by the instantaneous frequencies being reproduced AND with SDA speakers, the instantaneous difference between L and R channels.

    Knocking all that down to a single number such as "6-ohm impedance" is a gross simplification.
  • honestaquarian
    honestaquarian Posts: 3,186
    edited December 2018
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    SCompRacer wrote: »
    A fellow here by the name of Gimpod makes a nice crossover board if you want to start fresh.

    Around 14 years ago, I purchased a pair of SRS2’s from a guy. He was powering them with two GFA-555's.

    In the manual, he had written "Adcom GFA-555, one or two." Seems he had been blowing woofers/tweeters out running them with a receiver. Someone at Polk warranty department told him buy one or two of them GFA-555's and you won't have any more problems.

    @westmassguy sells @gimpod crossover boards