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Looking for amp advice (punk, rock & reggae edition)

My current amp isn’t doing it for me. Marantz pm6005 which is class D @45 wpc. Speakers are Focal Chorus 807V. It’s very detailed but a little clinical, my biggest gripe is a lack of midbass. According to Stereophile the impedance curve dives to 4 ohm between 100 and 200 hz which is where I think I the problem lies. All indications are that more power is needed to corrrct this which seems plausible as the more volume I give it the more it fills in in that range. The problem is that apartment living doesn’t allow 100db listening sessions.

So, I’m looking for an amplifier (separates or integrated) that has the current needed to round out the sound. The speakers are staying for many more years so replacing them isn’t a viable option, plus I love the sound.

Im interested in going tube but I have no experience with tubes. I have so many questions regarding tubes it could probably be it’s own thread but it seems to me that people love these more than SS on the whole. I’m open to any suggestions though.

My budget is $2500 (used ok but prefer new)

I listen to punk, post punk, lots of reggae (specifically dub), some electronic, a little jazz and some jangle pop (think REM).

Im looking for a warm side of neutral sound with good detail that can keep its composure with fast music yet be gentle enough for jazz. I like bass, if there’s an 808 or that dubby bass guitar, I want to hear it. These speakers do a nice job when the signal is right.

My analog front end is a PDC with a 2M Blue through a Lounge LCR MKIII. All interconnects are AQ Evergreen.

Thanks
gochurchgo
tooblue
1,931 posts
 
Check out Quicksilvers New integrated amp, in your budget, made in the USA and sounds awesome in the two setups I have heard them in.
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
Good discussion. Speaking of class A amps, I just bought a tube integrated that runs in class A and with only 10wpc it delivers a dynamic full-bodied lush sound driving a pair of 90dB/1m/1w speakers in my small listening room. Something about the circuit running full-bore all the time that just sounds warm and full. It does get hot so it needs to live in open space. I would not however recommend this set up for your type of music. I think an amplifier that doubles the power as the load is halved should work for you, class A or AB, and almost all solid state class A amps can do that trick. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,841 posts
 
I think its current as a large section of the impedance curve is closer to 4ohm than 8 ohm.
Current is not the issue here. If the amp can make the power, the current is present. This is because power cannot exist without current. The power formula is
Power = Current x Voltage.

Now the idea that the speaker is 'voltage driven' is verbal shorthand for the fact that the designer of the speaker expects the amp to behave as a voltage source (otherwise amps would not be called 'power amps'...). The amp does not need to double power into half the impedance to be a proper voltage source!! If the amp has sufficient negative feedback (and it does) the amp will simply be limited to 60 watts in the 4 ohm portions, and the higher impedances will see less power; half of that if double the impedance.

It may simply be that you don't like how your amp sounds on this speaker, but the idea that it does not drive the speaker correctly is simply not true.

IOW your amp has plenty of current to do the job. The current is not the problem!

In that regard, a class A amplifier is a good suggestion, not because it might be able to make any more power or have more 'current'; it might simply be that it sounds better. Many (cheaper) class D amps don't do so well in the bass as far as sonics go, while all the time having the specs needed to drive the speaker!

If you are on a budget and 30-40 watts is enough power, you might want to try a tube amp on this speaker and see what you think. A Dynaco ST-70 should do the job and they are not particularly pricey. You may find that tube amps make better bass than you thought- I've seen many that put many class D amps to shame.

cleanrodney
7 posts
 
Huge punk and reggae fanboy and here is what rocks my office daily for about 6 hours a day (get ready to laugh but it works):
- TubeCube 7 _roughly 7 WPC from the 4ohm taps ($180 standard tubes & power cord)
- Energy A3+2 (free from a body of mine)
- Maverick Audio Tube Magic D1 ($250 with upgraded tube and OpAmps)

When the weather is cool enough, I break out the Dynakit ST-70 for a few hours (KT 88s). Both setups hit the mids you are looking for. 
gochurchgo OP
921 posts
 
It may simply be that you don't like how your amp sounds on this speaker, but the idea that it does not drive the speaker correctly is simply not true.


So the fact that the speaker impedance is at its lowest in the midbass (4.2ohms at 118hz) and that I am not getting the mid bass I feel I should be getting is not related?
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