Marantz MA500 mono blocks Bridging????

gwh
gwh Posts: 1,451
edited June 2008 in Electronics
How do you bridge two of these mono blocks?
I've googled it and came up empty.


Thanks for furthering my audio education!




G
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Comments

  • Hawkeye
    Hawkeye Posts: 1,313
    edited June 2008
    I might be wrong, but what is there to bridge? They are monoblocks and don't have a second channel unless your planning to use 4?
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited June 2008
    your best bet is to contact Marantz.
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited June 2008
    If you really mean bridge as in double the wattage here's what you do:

    1)preamp to input amp #1
    2)Inverted output amp #1 to input amp #2
    3)Strap the negatives together.
    4)Hook the speaker to the positives.
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  • gwh
    gwh Posts: 1,451
    edited June 2008
    If you really mean bridge as in double the wattage here's what you do:

    1)preamp to input amp #1
    2)Inverted output amp #1 to input amp #2
    3)Strap the negatives together.
    4)Hook the speaker to the positives.

    Yes this is it!
    It's all clear to me now.


    Thanks,


    G
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited June 2008
    No problem!

    FYI, you can bridge just about any common ground amp or identical monoblocks (where the negative is at zero potential) using the above method - assuming you can get an inverted signal somehow.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited June 2008
    i think you can invert the signal on the Marantz MA500 and MA700 mono blocks.. and with the MA500's if I recall.. it should pump out about 360 watts once bridged ;)
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  • Hawkeye
    Hawkeye Posts: 1,313
    edited June 2008
    Yep, I was wrong. At least I learned something today!
    2 Channel -
    Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
    McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
    WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
    Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8)
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,294
    edited June 2008
    Just buy a pair of McIntosh MC501's & be done with it!!! :D Right Gordon!!!
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  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited June 2008
    Face wrote: »
    your best bet is to contact Marantz.

    This is excellent advice. Bridged amps usually only see 1/2 of a speaker's impedance. If you are using 8 ohm speakers the amp will see them as 4 ohms in bridged mode.

    If the MA500 is specified for use with 4 ohm speakers, it may require a minimum of 8 ohms in bridged mode. If the impedance dips too low in bridged mode, you could damage the amp.

    Your power output may or may not double depending to whatever current limiting arrangement the amp uses.

    You should check with Marantz to see if the MA500 can be configured in bridged mode. Some amps cannot be configured that way. If they can be used in bridged mode, Marantz can tell you how the performance (power output and impedance requirements) will change in bridged mode.
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited June 2008
    The MA500's were specifically designed to be bridged (thus the inverted output).

    I can't seem to find the manual, but see:
    http://www.marantz.com/pdfs/u_amp_ma500_bck.pdf
    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
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    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • gwh
    gwh Posts: 1,451
    edited June 2008
    So bridging two at one 4ohm speaker would produce a 2ohm load...correct?
    HT:
    Martin Logan Motion 40
    Martin Logan Motion 50XT
    Emotiva Airmotiv E2
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    Yamaha RX-A3070

    Signal Cable speaker wires & interconnects.
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