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Choice of Amps

I have an FT Audio LW-1 Passive with NEAR speaker's which have Metal Drivers.I have a choice of amps ,but cannot audition any of them.
My choices are:
Electrocompaniet AW-100
Classe DR-8
Monarchy 100DELUXE's

I was wondering which you would buy.The Monarchy's are the newest of the 3 .The Classe and Electro have been checked out.
NEAR's can handle as much power as you can give them up to 300watts.

My question is which would be the most musical?
abex
cdc
1,757 posts
 
Classe and metal drivers are a terrible match IMO. Or else Revel F-30's, F-50's, M-20's, Joseph Audio 33's are bad speakers. I heard all these with Classe.
Bad ringing, harmonics, overbright cymbals.
In a review of Classe pwoer amp, I think, Stereophile said all Classe amps are designed around the same basic circuit. So I don't think any Classe amp would be better than another to excuse the bad sound I heard.
abex OP
322 posts
 
Well I read that there was a Electrocompaniet\Wilson Watt combo that worked well.The Nears use an Inverted Ywetter which is of the same basic design which the Wilsons use.

I thought that might be a good combo to try with only some Electro's showing up on the used market.I would also think that the problem which someone had eluded to would have been caught by now this far along and would have been fixed.

What amps would you choose for Metal Drivers?
pops
2,273 posts
 
The only knock on Classe and metal drivers i've heard was a reveiw from stereophile on the m 700's - i can only speak for the newer classe's the ca series and they work extremely well with thiels which have metal drivers.
dan53e1
20 posts
 
CDC - If you've never heard the original DR series of Classe amps, then your comments are completely out of context. Even so, to generalize all Classe amps as being a poor match with all speakers using metal drivers is equally unfounded and unhelpful. Let's keep the comments constructive.

I would bypass the DR-8 and pickup one of the three DR-9s that are available here on the 'goN. The DR-9 is a classic and will certainly give you the "warm" sound you're after. It's also way overbuilt and delivers a TON of current to control virtually any speaker you throw behind it. The DR-9 was frequently paired with Apogee Divas (straight 1 ohm resistive load).
abex OP
322 posts
 
Dan-If CDC has had experience with Classe' amps and found them not to a good match for Metal Drivers,esp. NEARs,then I would really like to know about it.That's being constructive by warning me of a vertual mismatch that I can avoid.
If on the other hand he has not had a chance to try the DR series and has not tried Classe Amps with Metal Driver's then you might be right.

CDC-Please post a update and explain your experience with them.

Just trying to narrow my choices.
Thx
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