2. amps-preamps
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Do I need bi amping?

Hello guys

I have a pair of power amps, one Line Magnetic LM-508 (300B-805 tube my favorite) and one Hypex NC500 class D.

I'm using today the tube amp, wich has more than enough power to drive my speakers at every volume level possible and the class D amp is in a closet.

As I have both amps and my speakers accept bi amping, I was wondering to try it out, using the tube amp for highs-mids and the class D amp for lows. 

Would you recomend bi amping? Have you tried it? 

I listen to all of my music streaming Tidal and my 2.2 system today sounds superb for me (I've heard some much more expensive ones sounding much worse). I also have pretty good hi end gear for the money and paid attention to every detail I could: AC dedicated line, AC filtering, cables, audiophile switch, digital signal processing, antivibration tweaks, speakers and subwoofers positioning, upgraded caps and resistors on my tube amp, better tubes, etc etc. I'm not looking for extra power, just better sound.

By the way, my Audio-gd Master 1 has RCA and XLR outputs to drive boths amps, but thr only caveat is that I need to match the gain of the outputs as they are different. 

If I do it right, would I get better sound?
plga
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
plga OP146 posts12-09-2020 6:25amThank you George
That’s a very good option to try. Thank you.

Have you tried some similar configuration or do you know someone who did it? Is it really a good upgrade un sound?


Yes many have, it’s quite simple when you look at it, all it cost is $49.
If you have amp/s like you have that are good in the bass and another that’s good in the mid/highs it’s the logical way to go. Like say a Schiit 20w Class-a Aegir and a Schiit 100w Class-a/b Vidar, a perfect combo for this configuration.
And what you have with the Sys, is that you can tune the sound a little, warm it up (more bass) or cool it down (less bass)

Cheers George

plga OP
184 posts
 
My Audio-gd Master 1 has two outputs, one XLR and one RCA. 

If it can drive both amps without problem, as I believe, I will use a cheap passive preamp on the XLR side to lower the XLR output level (it's higher than the RCA on the Master 1) to the Class D amp.

I will let you know my findings.

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
My Audio-gd Master 1 has two outputs, one XLR and one RCA.

If it can drive both amps without problem

Yes, but you still need the $49 Schiit Sys on the input of the louder of the two amps as you need to equalize the gains of both. The you use you preamp as the master volume control.
Cheers George


lloydc's avatar
lloydc
751 posts
 
to fully implement oldhvymec's suggestion, wouldn't you need a crossover in front of both amps, such as the JL Audio CR-1, to relieve the LM from bass duties and the Hypex from mid on up?
plga OP
184 posts
 
Yes, but maybe it's easier to use level the gain (on the XLR) with a passive preamp like this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/253180664213

It's cheaper more adecuate as it has XLR ins and outs like I need
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