2. home-theater
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Add'l amps for ARC/ML HT System?

I just picked up an entire Martin Logan HT set up--Prodigys, Scripts, and Theatre center channel (off A'gon, to boot). I really wanted the Prodigys, and the rest was kind of gravy. But, now that I have them....

My problem is matching up amps/speakers. I've got a pair of ARC VT-100 Mk IIIs I am currently using to passively bi-amp the Prodigys, with the theatre and scripts are sitting in my study as non-functional art. ML recommends using solid state for the bottom end of the Prodigys, so I suppose I could use the other VT100 for the rears (seems kind of overkill) and look for something like a ARC 100.2 or D200/D240. I like the way the tubes sound with the electrostatics, so I'd probably be looking for some well-matched mono amp for the center, but trying to find a second hand single VTM 200 doesn't seem to be in the cards. Another possibility might be looking for an ARC SDA-1, which would give me, I gather, 4 ch. of solid state, 2 of which could be bridged for the center channel and two of which could be used for the rears or the bottoms of the Prodigys.

Any suggestions? Am a unnecessarily confining myself to ARC? I've assumed, I guess, that I'll get more continuity and consistency buying from the same mfr, but maybe I'm totally off.

The rest of the system, if it matters, is a Theta CB II playing preamp/processor and a Theta David CD/DVD, with a generic VCR. Cables and I/C are Kimber, AGDL/KCAG and Bifocal XL. (Anyone got a spare single run of Bifocal XL or want to split a pair?)

Thanks in advance.
edesilva
abstract7
541 posts
 
I have not had much time with any of the CAV series. My first impression when I heard them at a dealer was they were little colder (how do you describe sound) more analytical than the predicessors. I also think the older series will mate a little better with the ARC, which in my opinion (with a few expceptions int he pre-amp line) is anything but analytical. Keep in mind the seventy can not be bridged (at least the one I own can't), but the Classe Ten can. I'm actually using a Classe Ten with a Martin Logan Logos--great combination.
evets
1 posts
 
i don't know if you can do it with arc amps but what i did with c-j tube amps was buy one 100 watt stereo amp for rears and one 50 watt stereo amp(for center channel) and connected both positive speaker posts together and hook up both rca inputs with two cables and a y connector to the center output on my processor and i now have a 100 watt mono amp. bill at music tech told me how to do it and it worked fine. he said it was easy with that particular amp and i could do it myself. it changed the impedance taps on the amplifier(cut the value in 1/2) i would check with someone who knows arc amps and it may help you in your search for an amp for a center channel
hager_charles
51 posts
 
Try the Bryston 7b 500Watt Monoblocks in Series and Parallel mode. In parallel, they can still drive 1 Ohm speakers with ease. I've generally found on 6 or 8 Ohm speakers that Parallel is so much power that you get completely fatigued from the INTENSE sound that comes out of your speakers. It's way too much power. I suggest trying Series first, THEN parallel.
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