Biamping with very different amps

Thanks Al, I value your opinion.  The current drive train for the 107/2s is Parasound (JC 3), JC 2 BP, 107/2 KUBE, and JC 1.  When I replace the Esoteric SA-60 with an Ayre DX-5 DSD, a Bryston SP3 may replace the JC 2 BP so HDMI can be used for SACD and BD surround.

I've used a CAD 572 SE to drive LS50s with surprisingly good results, so that stirred my imagination without thinking it through.  The sensitivity of the LS50s is 5 dB less than that of the 107/2s, so I may try setting up a switch between the amps, but the 107/2s do sound magnificent driven by the JC 1s -- a JC 1 also drives the Reference 204/2C center.

db

george, the suggestion of using a volume control device such as Schiit Sys will not work in this particular situation since that will reduce the overall volume going into the preamp and not change the gain of the amplifier. Al has accurately and completely covered all the pitfalls of this proposal arrangement. If the amps were closely matched in their power/voltage outputs, some of the other concerns could have been overcome or tolerated at best.

Thank you, Kalali. Note though that George suggested placing the passive volume control device at the input of the amp having higher gain, not at the input of the preamp.

In any event, though, the KUBE would probably make that a moot point, while leaving the other issues I cited unresolved.

Best regards,
-- Al

george, the suggestion of using a volume control device such as Schiit Sys will not work in this particular situation since that will reduce the overall volume going into the preamp and not change the gain of the amplifier.

Read again, the Shiit is to go between the active preamp (or kube if being used) and only the power amp with the highest gain, so to just reduce it to the same gain as the other power amp. Then the active preamp will be master volume.

Cheers George

n any event, though, the KUBE would probably make that a moot point, while leaving the other issues I cited unresolved.

If a Kube is used then it would drive the (lowest gain) poweramp and also the Schiit, which drives the (highest gain) poweramp, then the main volume control duties are up to the active preamp.

Cheers George