2. amps-preamps
  3. 169340-10297

Need more power, Bi-amping does it work or does it just sound wrong

I am wanting to pull some amps and speakers from storage and put a system together for another room. I have a PS Audio HCA-2 amp 150 watts, PCA-2 preamp with HCPS preamp power supply and LSA Statement towers 2.5 way with ribbon tweeter 87 db 6 ohm. I use to run the LSA’s with a 200 watt high current doubling watts amp with good results. The HCA-2 claims 150 watts but I’m not sure how true that is.

 It’s sounds nice but I would like more authority and drive. So I was going to find/buy another HCA-2 but my current HCA-2 has been modified by Audio Reference Mods, over $1000 in mods 10 or so years ago, does that matter?
I’m guessing one amp would drive the mid and tweeter and other amp the bass drivers. Wouldn’t one amp drawing more watts and through everything off? With one amp modded and the other being standard would that matter?  Would I be better off selling the amp and buying a more powerful amp, only problem it may be more trouble than I want to deal with and cost more than I want to spend. 


paulcreed
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
I guess I been doing it all wrong, all along..  Identical? Vertical I could see, horizontal I don't think so..

The whole reason to bi amp is to get rid of the tube bloat using tubes as bass amps and use high wattage cooler running SS amps for BASS.

Valves on the other hand, there is no better place for them.. Mids and highs..

Two completely different kinds of amp.. Live and learn ay?

Regards
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,523 posts
 
"...In order to properly bi-amp two identical amps are needed..."

Or a crossover/volume leveling device. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


"...In order to properly bi-amp two identical amps are needed..."

Identical? Vertical I could see, horizontal I don’t think so..


Not really, a nice heavily biased Class-A (or even tube) on the mids and highs and a Class-D for the bass would be nice, with a passive on the one with more gain to match them up once so the gains are the same, and the pre is the master volume.
https://imgbb.com/vBqs7fm

Cheers George
ghdprentice
7,193 posts
 
I have always put all the money I [possibly could into an amp. If I had enough money to double my investment I would buy a better amp (in the past they have always been high powered)… so the upgrade was in quality. I just couldn’t take a fantastic amp and hook it up to just the woofer… but neither could I use non-matching amps. So, I could never do it.
More to discover