Considerations on my system

[manoweb]

I'm about to finish my second AMP-10b. I will use the two for bi-amping my main speakers; one AMP-10b will do the woofers, the other the tweeters. I will build an active crossover for this.

In the future, when I will have time, I'd like to integrate the system with a pair of "rear" speakers that I already own, and then a central speaker too. I have an AMP-5 at home back in Italy sitting in the garage; I might use that; how would you integrate it in the system? Maybe use the AMP-5 for the woofers, and the two AMP-10b's for the frontal tweeters and rear speakers? What about the central, I am not sure which AMP-* I should use for it, as it would be a mono speaker.

bye
Alessio

[thomaseliot]

Ciao Alessio,

with Tripath amps to separate channels is a real improvement, so I'd use one amp to bi-amp each speaker: one channel to to tweeter the other to woofer.

The third amp (Amp5?) can be used for center channel and sub, otherwise for the rear speakers. Anyway you need another amp.

[manoweb]

Yeah but the AMP-5 is supposed to be more "powerful" than the AMP-10b. This is why I thought to use it for the woofers; am I wrong here?

bye
as

[pinkfloyd4ever]

They're all spec'd the same, use the same Tripath chip, and I believe all use the same basic amplification schematic, so I don't know why there would be any difference in power between the 3

EDIT: Ahh I think I just saw where you got that, the "hi-power" option on the Amp5 right? It's basically just 2 more bulk capacitors and an additional rectifier, both of which are standard on the regular Amp10 (not 10Basic). So I'd go with either a 5 with the high power option or a regular 10.

[manoweb]

Well the inductors are also "bigger".

[thomaseliot]

The inductors are the same 10uH (micro-Henry) for both AMP10 and AMP5. The difference is in core material, wire and package, but they form the same filter at the same frequency cut.

[manoweb]

What about the power rating? It seems to me we are talking in circles here

[thomaseliot]

AMP1, AMP1b, AMP5, AMP10 and AMP10b are all based on the TA2022 chip: power rating it that of the chip, 50W 8ohm 100W 4ohm.

Power rating is not that important, because doubling the power you just add 3dB loudness, just a few mm of volume knob course. A 100W amp is just 3dB louder tha a 50W amp.

[manoweb]

I was referring to the power rating of the inductors.

[thomaseliot]

Standard toroids are rated 5-6A, i think it is the same for compact ones. Maybe there will be a difference in sound but I never tried a comparison.