Is this too much power???

Augy

Well-Known Member
I have a pair of Kappa 9's at the moment I am running 2 nak pa-7's in a vertical bi amp. I am thinking of picking up two more identical amps. So I would have two amps on each speaker one for the woofers and the other on the mid and tweeters. I guess I would have to reverse bi wire each amp. Is this too much power. It seems like the speakers would take it. But I don't want to start blowing speakers. I have a few components with low fixed outputs and though the volume isn't too loud the amp volume control is getting up there. Does ths mean the speakers are still getting the power though the volume of the sound isn't too high???
Any info appreciated.
 
As far as I know, you can't have to much power. You'll make your ears bleed before you over power the speakers unless you live in an airplane hangar (really big space)?

It's whether you can control it? Sound like some of the others should pipe in here on the control issue side?
 
Even if you had an amp that could pump out a gazillion watts you would probably only be using between 1-10 watts for listening at a comfortable level.

Peaks could pull 60 - 100 - 120 or much more from the amp if it can produce it but this is usually for very short amounts of time.

It's better to have that headroom capability than to clip a low wattage amp. Clipping is more likely to damage your speakers than giving them too many clean watts.
 
Even if you had an amp that could pump out a gazillion watts you would probably only be using between 1-10 watts for listening at a comfortable level.

Peaks could pull 60 - 100 - 120 or much more from the amp if it can produce it but this is usually for very short amounts of time.

It's better to have that headroom capability than to clip a low wattage amp. Clipping is more likely to damage your speakers than giving them too many clean watts.

I guess my question really is. If my output signal is somewhat low from say a cd player and I turn the volume up on my preamp could the speakers be getting too much wattage even though the volume of sound may not be all that loud. The kappa 9 woofers suck up a lot of power to the point my amp clips on occasion and my amp is rated @ 200 wpc @ 8 ohms... I now have one channel for the woofers and one channel to the mid and highs on each speaker.
 
I guess my question really is. If my output signal is somewhat low from say a cd player and I turn the volume up on my preamp could the speakers be getting too much wattage even though the volume of sound may not be all that loud.
No.
 
How do you plan on connecting the amps? If they are not bridgeable, it sounds like a sure-fire recipe to let the magic smoke out.

If you need/want more power, you need more powerful amps not more quantity of the same.
 
The number of watts you use only depends from the volume you are playing. How sensitiv your source is, that is not important, neither how much you turn the volumepot of the pre-amp...
 
The number of watts you use only depends from the volume you are playing. How sensitiv your source is, that is not important, neither how much you turn the volumepot of the pre-amp...
.....very true, Bunny, but it would probably be better to not "peg" ANY gain....that's where distortion from the unit can come quickly, either there, or down the line....I try to leave at least 1/4 inch on every source or amplifier gain, then the gains on the pre-amp act as Master, with plenty of room to go.....

.....yes, you can never have too much power, as long as it's clean....a 200 watt-rated speaker will sound much better just sipping off of 500 watts at the same SPL level as a 200 watt-rated amp section pushing the same speaker....more authority, more pop....and for the braver souls....just because you might have 2500 watts powering a 200 watt-rated speaker, it doesn't mean you have to twist the volume knob off, does it?....we're talking sound quality at moderate-plus levels here.....
 
This is if both amp have the same quality. Because a good 100watter can sound better then a bad 1000watter. Even if you play with 400watt speakers or something.

And don't get the 'peg' thingie...
 
How do you plan on connecting the amps? If they are not bridgeable, it sounds like a sure-fire recipe to let the magic smoke out.

If you need/want more power, you need more powerful amps not more quantity of the same.

Heres how ...... two amps per speaker both getting the same channell from the preamp by way of splitter cables. Then from the speaker binding posts left and right, two positive wired together and two negative wired together then attached to each set of binding posts on the speaker. Kind of like a bi wire. Since the amps are identical the power is evenly matched on all speaker connections. The volume on the preamp controls power of all. Although it seems like I should just get a couple of mega amps, It would actually be cheaper to pick up a couple of identical amps used @ $6-$800 each.
 
Augy, that sounds like smoke to me. I've never seen anyone suggest connecting amplifers in parallel as you propose to do.

More of the same amps aren't cheaper if they burn, or if they don't do anything for you.

The way to more headroom is an increase of output voltage swing. Even if paralleling the amps would work (again, IMO, not good plan) the voltage swing is not increased. No voltage swing increase, no power increase.
 
Heres how ...... two amps per speaker both getting the same channell from the preamp by way of splitter cables. Then from the speaker binding posts left and right, two positive wired together and two negative wired together then attached to each set of binding posts on the speaker. Kind of like a bi wire. Since the amps are identical the power is evenly matched on all speaker connections. The volume on the preamp controls power of all. Although it seems like I should just get a couple of mega amps, It would actually be cheaper to pick up a couple of identical amps used @ $6-$800 each.


this is crazy.

how did you think it?

the best case is to fire up the protection circuit and the worse to destroy the amps.

maybe you should try the new rotel class d.

2x600/8
2x1100+/4

but don`t buy it without a test because your amps are realy
good and rotel maybe sound worse.
 
this is crazy.

how did you think it?

the best case is to fire up the protection circuit and the worse to destroy the amps.

maybe you should try the new rotel class d.

2x600/8
2x1100+/4

but don`t buy it without a test because your amps are realy
good and rotel maybe sound worse.

I dont understand why this is crazy...I dont see how it could be bad for the amp. Please explain Essentailly its the same as bi wiring one speaker. The connections are the same.
 
Augy, that sounds like smoke to me. I've never seen anyone suggest connecting amplifers in parallel as you propose to do.

More of the same amps aren't cheaper if they burn, or if they don't do anything for you.

The way to more headroom is an increase of output voltage swing. Even if paralleling the amps would work (again, IMO, not good plan) the voltage swing is not increased. No voltage swing increase, no power increase.

You misunderstood...they are not in parrarel.... Let discuss only hooking up ONE channel ....I put a splitter cable on the preamp output I can then put an audio cable into each end ( both getting the same signal ) On the back of each amp I put a splitter cable ( One female to two male ) The male ends into the left and right inputs. I connect the audio cable into each Female end of the splitters on the back of the amp. So now each amp is connected and getting the same signal from the preamp. I then bi-wire each amp to each binding post on the speakers.
 
this is crazy.

how did you think it?

the best case is to fire up the protection circuit and the worse to destroy the amps.

maybe you should try the new rotel class d.

2x600/8
2x1100+/4

but don`t buy it without a test because your amps are realy
good and rotel maybe sound worse.

Please read my last thread on the connections ...I think you may have misunderstood my proposed set up.
 
No, I don't believe I am misunderstanding, but just to be sure...

Currently, you have two speakers and two amps. These two amps are connected in vertical bi-amp.

You propose to get two more amps and also connect these to the same pair of speakers so you will then have two amps per speaker, yes?

Assuming the latter is true, you will have four channels of amplification to connect to one speaker. The bi-amp connections facilitate two channels of amp to be connected. How do you propose to make use of the second pair amp channels? By saying bi-wire, it implies you will be connecting the amps in parallel because that's what a biwire connection is - and that's not a good idea for amps.

Take a look at the attachment. Does that show what you intend to do for the amp to speaker connections? I don't care about the preamp to amp connections, that side is highly unlikely to cause damage.

Like I said before, if you want more power, the ONLY way is with more powerful amps, not more of the same amps. I don't care how you connect them together, the power is not additive, and is likely a recipe to damage the amps.
 
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Kappa 9 need all the grunt you can give them.

Dunno, but that's the common theme so I'll assume it's true.

However, based on what I think Augy is proposing, it's not going to work as he expects and, again, needs bigger amps not more of the same if increased power is the goal.
 
I agree with whoaru99, if the circuit proposed is as shown on his sketch. I was having a hard time visualizing what Augy was trying to say, and it sure would be better to work with schematics going forward to nail down a workable connection scheme.

As shown, there is a direct connection path from the output of one amplifier to the output of the other amplifier. From all that I've read this is definitely a very bad idea, even if the two amps are identical. It is having both amps in parallel to the speaker. Those amps need to be hooked up so they do not know the other one exists.

Augy, I think you need to make use of the split speaker circuit, such that one amp is driving the bass section only, and the other amp driving the hi frequency section only. This is dictating that each amp is bridged I think. The unfortunate part is that bridging reduces the amps ability to work with the very low loads that will still be seen in each circuit. Hopefully some other folks can help with whether this is a significant concern or not.

Of course, you could use just one channel of each amp to drive the upper and lower frequency sections of the speaker as in one horizontal bi-amp (well one side of a horizontal bi-amp).

This is a cool problem :yes:
 
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