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Need help choosing my first amp for my first speakers

Hi, I am completely new to this world of hi-fi audio and I would like some help from the collective intelligence. Please bear with me even if I sound like someone who has no idea because I am.

I have just purchased my first set of speakers. I bought a used Boenicke W5 SE+. And I am looking for an amp to go with it. The speakers were a good deal but still not cheap and Im already mostly hitting my budget limit. 

I don't have any gear right now (I really mean 0), so my initial thought was to buy a Wiim amp to start off and then start changing to a more serious amp later on. (I like that it has everything including a streamer for me to get going right away)

So my questions are 
1. will the Wiim amp be able to power Boenicke W5 SE+?

2. What do you think of the plan to start with all integrated cheap amp and then changing later?

2. Any other amp suggestions for the speakers in a similar price range?($500 ish)

3. Can I just get Audio cables from Amazon?

4. How do you calculate wattage for the speakers from the speaker specs below?

5. Any other tips for a complete beginner would be appreciated.
 

Specs for Wiim Amp
https://wiimhome.com/wiimamp/specs
Specs for Boenicke W5 SE+

-

Sensitivity: 83-86 dB / watt / m depending on frequency

Nom. impedance: 4 ohms

Weight: 3.5 kg / piece (speaker only)

Standard Version

  • 5″ long throw (X-max = 9,25mm) bass driver, tuned to 50 Hz, no crossover
  • 3″ widebander made to spec, 1st order high pass filter, unique electromechanical 8-cm parallel spiral resonator installed
  • Internal wiring orientation-optimised silk-wrapped high-frequency stranded litz
  • WBT NextGen binding posts
  • Rear ambient tweeter
  • Harmonisation included

 

SE+ Version

  • 2-cm copper / 2-cm copper gold straight resonator combination installed at both widebander and bass driver in series, in addition to the parallel device
  • Mundorf Silver-Gold-Oil capacitor for widebander, added Duelund Tinned Copper Foil 0.01 uF bypass capacitor
  • Harmonix RF-5700 tuning bases at widebander’s magnet
  • Added proprietary acoustic phase linearisation network
  • Harmonisation included

 

Thanks for all the help!

 

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grislybutter
2,307 posts
 

btw don't be discouraged that the advice you get is here is that you won't get quality sound for $500. Time equals money and money equals time, if you do your research, you can prove them wrong. $500 can go a long way....

squared80's avatar
squared80
65 posts
 

2. Just get a Buckeye Amp and you're set for life.

2. Just get a Buckeye Amp and you're set for life.

3. Get the cheapest copper cables you can get. I use 12G, but 14 or 16 are fine in most applications.

5. Ignore the snake oil. Power cables and expensive speaker cables actually do more harm than good. It's ALL marketing, supported by strong buyer confirmation bias and placebo affect. Don't buy in, literally.

Post removed 
grislybutter
2,307 posts
 

still on

2. Any other amp suggestions for the speakers in a similar price range?($500 ish)

check out prices up to $1200 if you are willing to buy used

https://speakerchoices.com

 

Ag insider logo xs@2x
jji666
448 posts
 

OP has bought himself some relatively high end speakers for his first purchase.  I don' think they'll be sorry but it is a bit like having a Lambo as your first car at 16.  

Those speakers are lovely but they require a substantial amplifier to power correctly. What you're being told is that amps that rate to double their wattage output from 8 ohms to 4 ohms generally have better capacity to pass current, which is what inefficient (doesn't mean bad sound...at all...my speakers are all inefficient ones) speakers need. 4 ohms means harder to drive. 

Receivers generally don't get close to doubling down.  Anything like that and you won't have any real idea of what those speakers can do! 

If your budget is modest, look for a used Bryston 3-- or 4--- model, or a Parasound A23, or similar.  Lots of used deals out there.  

Have fun!  It's a never ending journey! 

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