Question on preamp matching with Wright 3.5 2A3 am

Absolutely, as Jond says, the primary reason for the limited volume is the
mismatch of a low-efficency speaker with a flea-powered amplifier. I could
never drive my 89db efficeint SR17 monitors beyond very low volumes
without alot of distorition with my 3.5's. The Cain&Cain is certainly efficient
enough for a good match. I have not heard them myself, but they sure are
beautiful to look at, and the Voight pipe design they are based upon is a
standard in the single-driver world. Be aware, you are going into a whole
other direction that your what you are used to with your B&K and whatever
you were driving them with before. You may want to make sure it is just what
you want before dropping $1500 on a new pair of very large speakers. There
are other choices in the more 'conventional' monitor/multi-driver speaker
you are used to that may work nicely with the 3.5's. I'm into the older Klipsch
horns myself, which are also quite large and do not sound like conventional
speakers. In the realm of what you are used to there are the Reference
DeCapo 3a's which can be had used for the price of a pair of Abby's. Look for
something with at least a 96db efficiency if you want to play music at more
realistic volumes with the 3.5's. Do a search here and on AudioAsylum
(perhaps in the high-efficiency speaker asylum) of your amplifers and see
what others are using. You should certainly be able to use your Rogue at that
point, but I'd still recommend a Wright pre for great synergy.

Be aware also that those 3.5 amps are all about midrange. When set up well,
they will yield of the most stunning midrange reproduction you are likely to
hear from amps of that price. However, in my experience, they do not do
bass well if you have expectations around more conventional push/pull
designs. So if you do have such expectations, and are a big fan of low bass,
I'd definitely seek out a speaker that is known for it's ability to reproduce
lower registers well. If you are a bass freak you may even end up considering
a sub. Of course, if midrange is all you need than you sure came to the right
place!

Marco

Thanks guys for your comments. I actually purchased the IM Ben's that are a new double horn from Cain & Cain. They are said to be another level or two above the Abby. I also purchased the Baily sub from Cain & Cain.

I have decided to go whole hog SET after hearing some 1975 Altec Lansing (I think) speakers with the Wright SET amp and pre. The system used Radio Shack speaker cable and an older Cary tubed CD player - 300 I think. The sound blew me away. I have built many high end "big rig" systems with "great" gear that did not sound this enjoyable or musical.

I am looking forward to hooking it all up. Also purchased the Paul S. anti-cable for my new speaker and sub cables. Only $80 per 8 foot set! I use an Ack dack(battery operated) with a belt drive Parasound transport. I am confident this will be sonic heaven for me. We will see.

The only component I am not sure about is the Rogue preamp.
I think the 66 Mag is a steal used, but not sure of how it will mate with the rest of my system.

Thanks again for your help.

Bill

I'm betting you'll love your setup given your reaction to the Altec/Wright rig. I wouldn't worry about the Rogue if you already have it, but if not, I'd seek out a Wright pre to complete the magic.

Marco

I second Marco's recommendation of the Wright preamp. I heard my 3.5s with four different preamps, and the Wright pre lent the least coloration and most body to the music.
By the way, Bill, have you rolled those tubes in the Wrights? You're in for a real treat, especially with some of the excellent 6SN7 tubes available. Virtually everything out there--RCA, GE, Brimar, etc.--will have you tossing the stock EH's in a hurry.

Please let us know how your system sounds when all together. I'm curious to hear what you think of the Ben's.

Howard

I agree with Howard (and several others) that the Wright preamp works wonders with Wright amps lending body to the music. I use the Wright pre with the Wright 1.75's (type 45 tubes at 2w/ch). I also tried and enjoyed the Eastern Electric Minimax pre so you'll probably do well with the Rogue, just a different flavor to the sound with each pre. If you like the flavor provided by the Rogue 66 and appreciate the remote, just stick with it and enjoy.
Great system!