2. amps-preamps
  3. 1140468501

bi-amping with Mc352 and Mc2102

Does anyone have any thoughts about bi-amping my speakers, B&W N802, with a Mac 352, solid state, 350 watt outpupt on the bottom end and a Mac 2102, tube 100 output, for the mid and upper end? I haven't read much about using both solid state and tube amps together. What are the implications of using 2 amps with different power outputs? I suspect that may be the more troublesome question. I have no problem with the sound I am getting now, but I feel some more power would bring out even more dynamics of the setup.
larryrosen
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
the 352 on its own should drive your speakers using only a fraction of its rated power withsweet mids and highs. bi amping in this case may be overkill.
velo62
255 posts
 
Hi Larry, you seem to be a mac fan like myself. I owned the 800N and didnt care for it, powered it with a mc402 and just couldnt get the bass to do anything. Previous owner had a pair of levinson 336's bi amped with similar poor results. Bi amping without an active crossover wont help here. If your prepared to spend $$$ on a 2102 / MC352 and are not married to the 802N sell both and treat yourself to a beautiful used MC2000. Sell the 802 for a better and efficient speaker. Be prepared for the different powercord/cables suggestions...load a crap. Whatever I tried on my 800N was always the same result..anemic bass and a wide overpowering imaged midrange, no linearity at all.
larryrosen OP
83 posts
 
Thank you for the input, but can anyone help me with the pairing of tubes and solid state, along with different output power? Plus, with out adding a crossover and utilizing the seperate input terminals on the speakers, am I getting closer or further away from optimizing my equipmet's potential. My preamp, a Supratek Cabernet, has two set's of rca outputs. Currently I am using the singel set of balanced outputs. So, I am really trying to get to the best set up I can, using the gear I have, while adding an additional amplifer. Confusing, yes, but interesting, definatley!
aball
2,016 posts
 
Hi Larry

I have done something very similar - a McIntosh MC7200 SS amp and a Conrad-Johnson MV55 tube amp on my JM Lab Electra 926s. Getting the gain to match is the tricky part but in my case, it ended up working out pretty well. The 7200 has gain controls but I had to max them out and still didn't quite have enough gain to match the CJ. Then I realized I could switch the input sensitivity to 1.4V to get a little more and it turns out, it was just enough.

In your case however, the MC352 and 2102 have neither option so your only chance is that they "happen to have" the right amount of gain to work well together. If you don't get the gain to match correctly, you definately won't be getting your system's full potential and will be better off with simply one or the other amp, as Jaybo suggested.

Otherwise, as John said, you need an active crossover which will really complicate things. For me, I didn't keep the biamped setup very long. I now use bispeakering and that works much better with the amps I have. Good luck! Arthur
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