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What Class D amps will drive a 2 ohm load

Just asking.

I see specs into 4 ohms but nothing into difficult speaker loads (like Thiel CS5's).

Thanks for listening, 

Dsper


dsper
ricevs
1,543 posts
 

I know someone using the Icepower IceEdge modules on his Thiel CS3.7's and he can blast it all he wants.  I have tested the IceEdge module to do 1000 watts at 2 ohms.  That is a lot of power but less than half on what a JC-1 will do.

I think very old design speakers with this kind of impedance don't make sense.  You limit yourself to amps and I have no doubt there are far more transparent higher efficiency speakers out there.....Check out Spatial, GR Research, Tekton.  These speakers are very sensitive and very transparent.  You could even make some speakers for very little that would be mucho better....and easier to drive.  Almost everything I have is DIY.

BTW, the Stereophile review shows a 2 ohm load for the CS5....where does one half ohm come from?

https://www.stereophile.com/content/thiel-cs5-loudspeaker-measurements-0



georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Speakers like these Thiel CS5's, their bigger bother the CS7's, all Wilson Watt/Puppy, Alexia's mkI an mkII, also the Alex, Max ect ect ect and many other brands, have sound to behold when "driven" with amps that can do current, that can keep doubling the full output wattage for each halving of impeadance loading, and to say this type of speaker doesn't make sense, shows high degree of ignorance, bad hearing or never heard them "driven" properly.

Cheers George    
ricevs
1,543 posts
 


The CS5 is a very old design using not the latest drivers, caps, resistors, wire, etc. etc.  Any of the speakers I mentioned would kill it.   Comparing an outdated old speaker to newer speakers is ignorant. Check out the reviews on the Ulfberht......one guy thought it was better than his big Wilsons.....and these are $9000 delivered and 98 db sensitive.  No big current doubling into 2 ohm amps needed.  Sorry, low impedance speakers are silly....even the latest most expensive ones....simply silly.  When you can get moderately priced super transparent and easy to drive speakers under $10K.....these giant current hogging speakers are like an old model T.   May they rest in peace.

I am not saying the latest Wilsons, etc. do not sound good.  Its just that you have to be super rich to buy them and buy a super expensive high current amp to drive them (Parasound JC-1s are not even in the running for transparency in the $2K range today, however, they do make a fine bass amp) .  Save your money.  Give the money saved to those that need it.  Do you think it makes "sense" to spend lots of money on super expensive current hogging speakers and super expensive current producing amps when you can get as good or better sound with way less expensive high sensitivity speakers and reasonably priced amps?  Maybe you have a different "sense" than me.


georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

The reason you are putting **** on this type of speaker, is that class-d won't drive them to their maximum sound quality. These types of speakers are engineered to be far closer to having ideal test mearsurements and sound perfection than easy to drive speakers, that are far more comprimised. 
dsper OP
663 posts
 
I just could not resist - sorry - My Thiels were $2,600 delivered about two years ago, so I think it is just silly to pay any more for speakers🙂! 

I have tried tried Class D amps from W4S and Audio Research with Maggie 3.6's, Thiel CS 3.6's, and Thiel CS5's in my listening room. In every case, they could not get the job done. I have looked at Nord but they do not double down into 2 ohms so I suspect they could sound lean as well.

Class D is attractive because of all the good reasons but still evolving, I guess. And maybe, at least for now, driving 2 ohm loads is not important to class D amp manufacturers.

Perhaps I will ask the question again in another couple years!

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

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