MC 7200 Bridged or Bi Amp?

Jere Tomko

New Member
Using Monitor Audio PL100's. The switch from MAC4100 to MC7200 was a great improvement in bass. Getting 2nd MC7200 back tomorrow from AC and was going to bridge them to power my speakers. A friend mentioned it might be too many watts. So now wondering if I should Bi Amp? Which would sound best? In bridged is L negative and R positive?
 
Me personally, I'd bridge them (see my sig). You could also vertically biamp. Either way has one amp for Left and one amp for Right so you'll get the benefits of mono blocks.

If you elect to bridge, refer to the specifics outlined in the owners manual.
 
I just came up empty looking for one. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of anyone running bridged MC7200s so you’re obligated to report back with your impressions.

Have fun!
 
Using Monitor Audio PL100's. The switch from MAC4100 to MC7200 was a great improvement in bass. Getting 2nd MC7200 back tomorrow from AC and was going to bridge them to power my speakers. A friend mentioned it might be too many watts. So now wondering if I should Bi Amp? Which would sound best? In bridged is L negative and R positive?

The issue with bridging into the PL100, the impedance is to low causing the amplifier to have a 2 ohm load in bridged mode. Most amps need a minimum 8ohm speaker when bridged to keep the loading at 4 ohms or higher. I'm sure the manual will cover this issue. Not sure why you want to apply that much power to the PL100's - inefficient power hungry speaker?
 
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Using Monitor Audio PL100's. The switch from MAC4100 to MC7200 was a great improvement in bass. Getting 2nd MC7200 back tomorrow from AC and was going to bridge them to power my speakers. A friend mentioned it might be too many watts. So now wondering if I should Bi Amp? Which would sound best? In bridged is L negative and R positive?

Can't speak specifically to this amp but, usually, the input channel is the positive output in bridged mode. IOW, if the right input is the specified input for bridged mode then the amp's right speaker (+) terminal would be the bridged (+) connection and the amp's left speaker (+) would be the bridged (-) output.
 
The issue with bridging into the PL100, the impedance is to low causing the amplifier to have a 2 ohm load in bridged mode. Most amps need a minimum 8ohm speaker when bridged to keep the loading at 4 ohms or higher. I'm sure the manual will cover this issue. Not sure why you want to apply that much power to the PL100's - inefficient power hungry speaker?
They show to be 4 Ohm speakers and the MC7200 is pretty widely reported to make big current into 2 Ohm per channel loads. I’d sure give it a go but agree with the question of why so much power with a bookshelf speaker with an 88dB sensitivity rating.
 
A 7200 is a power full beast. When you get your manual look at page 15. I'll try to attach it here. Unfortunately the file is to large. You could get 800 watts rms to 1200 watts providing you have 20 amps or more at the wall for each amp in the mono mode. One amp is 392 watts rms 544 watts peak per channel across 4 ohms. I have friends who own 7200 driving 4 ohm and 2,66 ohm loads and the 7200 is a real game changer. But be prepared to add some extra cooling fans if you flash your Power Guard lights to often for long periods. I just wish they had higher signal to noise ratios. What I liked about them in addition to their tight strong bass was the sweet highs. I didn't have the space for all the 7200's I would need so after dragging my heals for 20 more years I have two 207's and a 206. The 207 is the winner here. It can drive 2 ohm loads, too quite successfully, but as I only use 20 to 40 watts at the most for music and push 100 watts to 150 on a rare DVD. I have never had any issues using the amps with electronic crossovers set for tri amping with the crossover at 250, and 9600 hz. The load on the mid/tweeter channels in 8 ohms and the super tweeter loads is 6ohms with the woofer load at 2 ohms. I don't use fans. Even after the Greatest Show man I could comfortably place my hands over all the heat sinks. I always wanted to bi- amp and by the time the 7200 came along, tri'amp. I just didn't have the room and My Crowns were doing OK. But when they were pushing 35 years old and I heard the 207's I knew I had to change in 2008. So I bought my first 207 to supplement my 206 I was using for my bi amped center, rear and side channels. Then I bought the second 207 to replace the 206 and am using the 206 now for remote speakers and electro static head phones. The 207 are now both 10 years old and the 206 12 I believe. Will they last 35 years, hope so. I wish I could. But me reaching 98 seems unlikely.

When I had crowns I used them horizontally so the bass modulations wouldn't influence the HF amps. Crowns didn't havePower guard so if the bass amp started straining it wasn't heard because the mid/tweeter amp and the super tweeter amps stayed clear and pure. I know the idea of using a 207 to strictly drive all the channels of the front speakers seems like a compromise. Well maybe it is compared to using 6 301's . But where would I put 12 301's and 4 MC 152's?. And unfortunately all my speakers prefer direct couple amps with out autoformers. So do I compromise signal to noise and deal with space issues with 10 7200's? No I'll stick with the 207's and 206. Besides if you are not using a MX 151 you are really missing out. It just really out performs my former MX-119 and 120 hands down and makes the 207' really and truly out perform my C-34 with either crowns or 7200's. There is a lot to be said about owning a great pre-amp or processor.
 
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Can't speak specifically to this amp but, usually, the input channel is the positive output in bridged mode. IOW, if the right input is the specified input for bridged mode then the amp's right speaker (+) terminal would be the bridged (+) connection and the amp's left speaker (+) would be the bridged (-) output.
Thanks whoaru99 I thought the same thing. Manual should be here soon.
Apachef1 thanks for the WTF are you thinking answer. Now I know I will need 8ohm speakers if bridging.
Through circumstances I now have 2 MC7200's. Maybe I should just replace the MAC4100 in the shop and buy new shop speakers after selling the 4100 and CR7.
 
Its just bridging can be tricky and amplifier dependent. Amplifer spec's change when bridging, watts go up but damping factor and load impedance to the amplifier go down just to name a few. I would try bi-amping PL-100's first, then bridging and see what differences in sound develop. Being monitors I'm not sure they need 700 watts to sing for you. Like tw... stated, Last thing you want is the power guard engaging regularly.

It will be fun, Enjoy
 
You guys really should educate yourselves about the design goals of the MC7200 and its capabilities ... twiiii is spot on. Damping factor is a marketing specification and nothin more - we've debunked that here multiple times.
 
You guys really should educate yourselves about the design goals of the MC7200 and its capabilities ... twiiii is spot on. Damping factor is a marketing specification and nothin more - we've debunked that here multiple times.

Not necessarily but thats for another thread.
 
The MC7200 is a real gem and you have two, lucky man. Used in stereo mode they are stable to 1 ohm as per manual and I don’t think they were kidding. You have to work them pretty hard before the power guard lights flash.
 
They were designed to run 'amp killer' speakers; they could provide 50 amps into a 1/2 Ohm load, so a lack of current won't be an issue. I'd try both, but I suspect vertical biamping would be the way to go.

You could probably bridge them and still run a 4 Ohm load...
 
Only flashed Power Guard a few times and made a note not push it that hard. Looking at speakers now need to audition some.
 
Only flashed Power Guard a few times and made a note not push it that hard. Looking at speakers now need to audition some.

That's what PG is for, let 'er rip...(Depending on the power handling of your speakers; 350 watts min if you use PG as your volume control; like Tony)

With the 7200, you were probably running out of voltage, not current. There are protection circuits for both in there.
 
Bridge those babies, no experience with the 7200 but I am running a pair of 7270's bridged into a pair of 4430's.......all I will ever need.
 
That's what PG is for, let 'er rip...(Depending on the power handling of your speakers; 350 watts min if you use PG as your volume control; like Tony)

In my 20s I definitely resembled that remark ... now, I typically see the needles approaching the 6w marks (12w per amp) at the loudest. Makes me wonder just how well I’d enjoy a pair of 301s ...
 
Do not see many if any 8 ohm speakers out there. That is OK sounds great running in stereo. Plus a lot of speakers are not very sensitive. Liking Legacy Focus models but still looking.
 
Do not see many if any 8 ohm speakers out there. That is OK sounds great running in stereo. Plus a lot of speakers are not very sensitive. Liking Legacy Focus models but still looking.
Are you scared to try the amps at 4 Ohms bridged? Well within their capabilities ...
 
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