2. amps-preamps
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Moving from a stereo amp to a dual mono set up

I thought this would have been not much a change and easily accomplished.

Boy was I wrong.  I found a second Plinius SA102 on Audiogon a few months ago at a great price. I had it drop shipped to Ralph Abramo for a good going through.  A few weeks later and it was done so I drove to his shop to pick it up. I asked about how to set up the amp for dual mono. A easy thing to do. Change the position of a switch in the back and connect the speaker wires to both R / L positive leads and connect the input to the right channel.

My speaker wires are Straight Wire Cresendo 3's. The leads are not able to reach the 9" spread to the positive speaker connections of the amp.  I spoke with Straight Wire, they can alter the cables to a 12" long lead so they can reach.  OK, shipped them out yesterday.

Now considering my electrical plug issue.  One more plug is something I do not have. I have a older PS Audio AC filter that can receive up to 8 inputs.  But I do not like the idea of running 2 high power amps through it. I want to do directly into the wall for my power.

I called an electrician and he is coming over next week to do a Job Walk. to see what it will cost to add a new circuit to my power panel and run the wires for a new plug. 

Then there is the physical amp to deal with. I need a second stand to get the amp off the floor.

I will have to disconnect and move my existing equipment and stands around to make the system visually balance out.

Then there is still one question I am not sure of. Do my current XLR cables from Preamp reach across to the new positions of the amps. Are they long enough?

All this equipment is between the speakers. I like where the speakers are right now. 

128x128bill_peloquin
bill_peloquin's avatar
bill_peloquin OP
43 posts
 

Regarding setting on the Plinius.

The amp is a designed with a switch on the rear of the unit to run in Stereo, or Mono and which inputs I am using. I am using the XLR inputs. SO I move the switch to the Mono position with XLR Inputs.   So my connection is to connect to the right channel input. The speaker connection is  Positive speaker wire to the Positive Right channel, Negative speaker wire to the POSITIVE left channel.   There is a distance of 9" to those 2 binding posts on the back of the amp.  That is why I sent my cables to be altered, the speaker wire leads could not stretch that far apart. 

Shipped them on Thursday. Straight Wire will be getting them tomorrow. They should be back in UPS by Friday. I might have them by the 19th of this month. 

Bu then I hope the electrician is done. I should only take about 4 hours max for them.  And I am sure I will have to move my system off the back wall to give them some room to work. So, I can then reposition everything so things reach. 

Good thing I have a second system in the same room to use for my birthday and the holiday weekends we have coming up. 

emergingsoul
1,159 posts
 

The wiring of the speaker to the back of the amplifier is kind of weird. So I guess it's not doing bi amp

bill_peloquin's avatar
bill_peloquin OP
43 posts
 

No, 2 separate amps. I per speaker. 

emergingsoul
1,159 posts
 

So why are they connecting positive and positive from speaker wires supposed to be connected to positive and negative? Why would they internally wire it this way when it’s to be used for mono after being bridged over from a stereo amplifier?

Why not use the four individual amps in a biamp configuration?

bill_peloquin's avatar
bill_peloquin OP
43 posts
 

I do not know. All I do know is the main Plinius man here in the USA told me how to do it. And I have all i can do to hook up 2 amps and not 4 of these beasts.

 

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