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Amp Options - Infinity Kappa 9s

Hi All,

I recently made my first foray into some upgraded speakers and settled on the Infinity Kappa 9s. Being a novice to the HiFi game still, I didn’t have a full appreciation for just how hard these things seem to be to find an amp/s for!

I’ve spoken to a few people and been given different paths. I’m just hoping to get some advice on a few different options. Any input would be much appreciated as I start to build my knowledge. The 3 amp options I’ve been presented are below. Would any of these run well in either/both of the Normal/Extended modes for the K9s?

Cheers,

Ash

 

Mcintosh MC352

https://audio-database.com/MCINTOSH/amp/mc352-e.html

Pair of Xindak XA8800MNE (200W, Class A Monoblocks)

From what I can find, these are only rated down to 4Ohms but he had them driving Infinity RS4.5s which seem to have similar issues to the K9s. 

http://www.xindak.com/en-us/product_detail_info.aspx?ProductID=265

Pair of Emotiva XPA-1 (Monoblocks)

 

schmerly92
arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,572 posts
 

@russ69 

 

what Russ said. Last,amp you will ever need!

 

almost unlimited power, the Magtech monoblocks, kicked the MBL Radiostrahler speakers in the pants, as not many,amps will. 
 

 

erik_squires
16,058 posts
 

Hey Ash, some of those crossover upgrades significantly improve the impedance relative to original, so I would not necessarily compare them to a production unit.

If you have one of those impedance improved crossovers just about any reasonable amp will work. 

I do think you need to broaden your listening horizon though for amps:

 

  • Ayre
  • Luxman
  • Pass

are alternatives you really should consider.  However, given the unique HF drivers you really should audition them to make sure they are a good match.

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,499 posts
 

Kappa 9s have a min impedance of about 1 ohm.  This is one of the most notoriously difficult speakers of all time to drive.  I had the first edition Kappa 8s which were bad enough at 1.7 ohms.  I blew a lot of fuses. These are worse.  That said, they are actually extremely efficient and you don't need a lot of topline power.  50w into 8 ohms that will double to 1 ohm is far better than 1000w into 8 ohms if it is not stable at 1 ohm.  

Whatever amp you choose needs to be stable to 1 ohm and these speakers are forward so a warmer tonal profile is important.  For new you could look at any of Naim's power amps.  AGD is surprisingly capable at low impedances.  The Tempo is a good choice.  I use it with 2.4ohm Vivid Kayas and it sounds great.  

Can't speak about most of the the other options here.  

 

schmerly92 OP
2 posts
 

Cheers all. Australia poses some challenges in access to a lot. It’s a bit of wait and see what options come up. 
 

I was recommended an ME850 as being able to drive them well. I’ve copied the link to specs below. Could I ask you guys to take a look and give me your thoughts? I will likely upgrade this when other options come up but just looking for something to get me by. It’s supposed to have strong current and doubles output down to 2ohm and below. 
 

https://www.winovate.com.au/me-service-and-repair

jwpstayman
399 posts
 

I would look around for a used McCormack DNA 500 for the Kappas.

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