why wont my kappa 8.1s crank???

inkman69

inkman69

Active Member
I like listning to my music loud! I am running a sx1250 overhauled by echowars. I was using JBL Northridge series speakers on the 1250 before but Im always ordering replacements and wearing out the UPS man as well as my wallet. I then bought these kappa 8.1s localy. Thinking great I can finaly listen to some Pink Floyd and not have to worry about blowing something. Well the sound great but I cant turn it up more than 10 oclock with out the 1250 protection kicking on....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Am I doing something wrong? Is this not a good match? I may also add that this is listning to a CD run through my SG 9800

thanks Tim :tears:
 
I'm guessing it's the combination of EQ, tone controls, and relatively low impedance...if you really want things to rip along and feel the need to use a bunch of EQ, etc you should buy a GOOD subwoofer with a high pass/ low pass crossover built in...

sounds like you're just running up against the limits of your speaker/amplifier
 
I'm thinking it's probably the speakers...Ohm rating/efficiency, etc... :scratch2:
If you like it "loud and proud" see if anybody near you has some HPM-100's you can try out. I can hit my HPM's conservatively with 100+ WPC and that is VERY loud !!! That SX-1250 should be able to really put out the tunes... especially after Glen has been in there !!! :yes:
 
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Glenn is the one to ask, but if forced to guess, I'd think that the power supply in the 1250 isn't up to the Kappa 8.1's 2 ohm load in the bass region. Very, very few receivers are up to that, and it's not any kind of a deficiency.

That said, I thought 8.1s were less prone to low impedence problems than the 8s, but my memory is really bad on this stuff.
 
my 9's didn't make a lot of noise until i mated them to a pair of yammie m-80's they still don't have thunderous bass I don't think they were made that way ! a very clean precise sounding speaker a little bright excellent midrange and a believable bass output very nice imaging but you have to drive them with a eye on your settings on your preamp actually i run them flat thru the c-70 preamp i use in this setup
 
Negotiableterms said:
Glenn is the one to ask, but if forced to guess, I'd think that the power supply in the 1250 isn't up to the Kappa 8.1's 2 ohm load in the bass region. Very, very few receivers are up to that, and it's not any kind of a deficiency.

That said, I thought 8.1s were less prone to low impedence problems than the 8s, but my memory is really bad on this stuff.
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Yeah, 2 ohm load could be the culprit for sure. The 1250 should be able to run 4 ohm load ok, but it would do best with some 8 ohm rated speakers.
 
Well, the first thing I'd try in your situation is to remove the equalizer and see if that results in the SX-1250 behaving normally again. If that works, then it would seem to indicate that you are going too heavy on the eq with the bass boost. Speaking of bass-boost, I hope you are also not cranking the volume up high on the receiver with the Loudness control activated as well, thats a no-no. You can also try and make some adjustments on the pots in the back of the speaker to see how it might affect anything.

You mentioned you purchased the speakers locally. Did you audition them from the seller before you bought them? If so, what amplifier was he using with the speakers?

Another idea to consider is biamping the speakers, if you have another amp avaibable to try it.

If youre the type of listener who really likes their music Loud, I would suggest that the Infinity SM models would be quite suitable, as they are very efficient, thus, dont need much amp amp power, and wont put a strain on them.

The Infinity Renaissance model doesnt seem to have impedance issues as the Kappas do, and they are the superior speakers in the product line, though they exude a classy elegance and more refined sound quality that probably wouldnt suit a "headbanging-loud" type of listener.
 
yamahammer said:
my 9's didn't make a lot of noise until i mated them to a pair of yammie m-80's they still don't have thunderous bass I don't think they were made that way !...
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You are the very first person I've encountered who thinks Kappa 9s are weak in bass output!
 
Negotiableterms said:
Glenn is the one to ask, but if forced to guess, I'd think that the power supply in the 1250 isn't up to the Kappa 8.1's 2 ohm load in the bass region. Very, very few receivers are up to that, and it's not any kind of a deficiency.
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Without a doubt exactly the situation, IMO. Huge mismatch.



Negotiableterms said:
You are the very first person I've encountered who thinks Kappa 9s are weak in bass output!
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They produce fabulous bass, if they are fed it.

Vito
 
Thanks

Thanks guys.....I thought they were 8 ohm speakers....and no i didnt test drive them . I had a pair of HPM 100s up untell a few weeks ago. I sold them on Ebay ....I kept blowing the tweeters.
 
inkman69 said:
Thanks guys.....I thought they were 8 ohm speakers....and no i didnt test drive them . I had a pair of HPM 100s up untell a few weeks ago. I sold them on Ebay ....I kept blowing the tweeters.
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Dang man... either you like your tunes SUPER LOUD or something is definitely amiss with your gear somewhere... :scratch2:
I've hit my 100's numerous times with 100+ WPC from the SPEC 4's (3 o'clock position) and they did not even get anywhere close to distorting at all, granted I did not keep them there for too long, as I would have been hauled off by the local police department. Just one of those "let’s see just how dang loud can we go" moods !!!

Generally, tweeters blowing are caused by an amp clipping... :para:

Good luck and hopefully you will get it all straightened out soon.
 
Yesssss...super loud. Okay....I turned off the EQ and the loudness. Im now able to turn it up to 11-12:00 range unless the song goes into some strong bass then it cuts off. :no:
 
inkman69 said:
Thanks guys.....I thought they were 8 ohm speakers....and no i didnt test drive them . I had a pair of HPM 100s up untell a few weeks ago. I sold them on Ebay ....I kept blowing the tweeters.
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Tweeter blowing is usually caused by amplifier clipping. :smoke:
 
FWIW, bass eats up power fast. If you really want loud, turn the bass down.

Although the 1250 is 160WPC, that power will only do so much. For sheer loudness, the effeciency of the speaker is what matters (and their power handling capability as well), and becomes more important than the amp.

I wish I knew more about high-effeciency speakers that are capable of handling a lot of power as well as high SPL's, but I do not. Most of the high-efficiency stuff for high SPL's that I'm even remotely familiar with are for sound reinforcement applications (re: rock concerts), and this gear isn't known for sound quality, but rather for just plain getting loud.

Perhaps some of the others might know more...
 
I have a pair of kappa 9s and I tried to use a sx 1250 with them, it just can't be done. You basicly have 2 choices
1 Get a more powerful amp
2 get rid of the speakers
I just went through this a few years back. If you go with option 1 Its going to get very expensive. When i say a more powerful amp I'm talking about American or Brit made High power and extreme hi current. I think about the min you will be able to get away with is a Mcintosh MC 2100. Even tho the little Mcintosh is only 100 WPC it will stomp the Pioneer when driveing these speakers. It just has the ability to deal with the low inpedance and has very high current output. This also will be the least expensive too as they can be had on audiogon or Epay for about 400-600 clams. Then you need a pre amp but you could use your sx 1250 with pre out main in jumpers removed. I personally wouldn't even use the sx 1250s amp to run the mids and tweets of the kappas. If you want to make those Kappas sing you might think about an Aragon ST 8008. That will still set you back $800 or more used on audiogon. Forget about NAD Adcom Carver and other little 30 lb high current WANNABE'S They just don't have what it takes to drive Kappa 8s and 9s. If you think that that sounds expensive, it only gets worse from there.
I have a ton of experence with big Kappa 8s and 9s. They can be more trouble then they are worth unless you willing to pay the amp gods. If you choose to pay the amp gods you will be rewarded.
I agree hole heartly with yamahammr. these speakers are not the greatest speaker for in you face chest pounding bass.
By the way sorry if I offended any of the NAD Adcom or Carver crew here. I'm just speaking from experence here, these are all fine products and I own most of them but they are just not up to task of the Kappa 8s or 9s.
 
The SX-1250 has a very nice preamp & tuner sections. It comes with pre out/main in on the back.
I can strongly recommend the Yamaha M-80 or M-85 both of which are capable of 1000 watts dynamic power into 2 ohms. Both can be had for $400-$500 on eBay or check Audiogon.
Among receivers, I think the Concept 16.5 (250 wpc RMS into 4 ohms) might be one of the only receivers capable of driving the Kappa 8.1.
But you do need to get a big amp. Soundcraftsmen would be great, too, and really fly under the radar for their quality build and sound quality.
BTW, I have an extra Yamaha M-70 amp for sale, and a big Soundcraftsmen MA5002A, too.
 
inkman69,
Additionally, if you decide to go the power amplifier rute, you can consider the Phase Linear 700 power amplifier. One or two pop up monthly for sale. avoid the 700B model, but either Series One or Series Two will do the trick. Whatever you decide, I highly recommend muffin fans for cooling. You actually do have many options. Good luck
Vito
 
Not sure how similar these are to your Kappas but I run a pair of RS-6000s off my Denon AVR-3600 and it really cranks. The Denon is rated for 2-ohm loads and mine go very loud with lotsa base without hitting the overloads. It is impressive to me and I am tough to please.

I am planning on adding three more RS-6000s to make a rock concert based HT system. The Denon uses five discrete amps so I am hoping it should be able to perform the same with three more boxes. And I'll be able to grill my steak on the receiver at the same time, I'm sure.
 
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