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amp for infiinity kappa 9

I looking for advice on which amp or amps to use. I'm in a transition from mid-FI to HI-FI. I want to build a system around the Infinity kappa 9s I just bought on e-bay for 800 dollars. I tried to drive the speakers on a yamaha m2 amp. No dice. It shuts down at moderate volume. Step 2 I tried an Adcom gfa 555. Cooked the amp in short time. I have heard that a tube pre amp is recommended because of the emit tweeters. I currently Use a Mcintosh MC2100. It will drive the speakers to its full power but falls short of what the speakers are capable of. Would another MC2100 work if i used the 2 for mono blocks 1 to each speaker or will I still come up short on power? The system I want to build will be very Basic. I have a Yamaha C2 pre-amp, dyno fm-3 tube tuner, Technics SM1200 tuntable, Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck, Akai GX 747 open reel tape deck,DBX 4bx dynamic range expander, and a Denon DCD 1500 cd player. I also have an ADC SS315 equalizer. Now I am aware that these are not the best componets to use but they are all that I have for now. Any and all advice on what to keep and what should go would be welcome. I listen to Blues and classic rock most of the time but sometimes classical and big band is a nice change. I dont even know how much I want to spend. I will just build the system slowly piece by piece and use some of what I have now. Most of this stuff was bought 20 years ago when I was in the service. Can anyone help this newbie out on my quest for HI-FI?
coman61
sean
6,231 posts
 
I should have mentioned that this speaker stays below 3 ohms from 60 Hz and below. Given that you already need high levels of power to control a large woofer as it is, compounding that demand with a very low impedance at that point is pretty rough.

This speaker is also 3 ohms or less between 1.5 KHz and 4 KHz. There is a slight peak to 3.5 ohms at 4.5 KHz. Above 4.5 KHz, the impedance starts dropping rapidly and stays below 2 ohms up to beyond 20 KHz from that point.

Like i said, this is a VERY tough speaker to drive. The fact that it isn't all that efficient either is just more to deal with. Sean
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lneilb's avatar
lneilb
108 posts
 
One more bit of bad news: Infinity is not supporting these with replacement drivers any longer. On the plus side, the midrange performance is outstanding.
coman61 OP
26 posts
 
Well allrighty then!! I guess I will have seek out ampzilla to drive these bad boys. I'm not a quiter I will get the job done. Thanks for all the input. Stay tuned and I'll let you all know how this works out. Sean putting in a dedicated circuit will not be so bad because I'm remodeling my listening room. Thinking about getting a big Mcintosh. Anyone had any experence with the Bryston 4b? Also seen some good prices on aragon palladiums. If I find a good deal on a Threhold 500s maybe I'll give it a try. Thanks again everone.
sean
6,231 posts
 
I used a completely factory refurbished Bryston 4B on some speakers that are also low impedance and very insensitive. Not only did it not sound good, it was constantly going into clipping. I would highly recommend that you NOT use one of these amps.

There are a few guys that i've talked to from this and other forums that have Kappa 9's. Wanna guess which amp(s) they are using??? I already suggested it above. Sean
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mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t
1,611 posts
 
I have a pair of Kappa 9's that I run bi-amped with two pair of Carver Silver 9t monoblocks. The monoblocks run for less than $1500 per pair used here on Audiogon and Ebay. Gobs of power and one pair will run them quite nicely, bi-amping them takes everything to a whole 'nother level. I ran a Sunfire Signature with them and loss too much bass slam, so I went back to the Carver monoblocks. When I used the Sunfire Signature, I did not have the Apogee mod...that could have made a difference in the bass.

I called Infinity and they plan to make the re-stock a replacement for the bass drivers in February '05. I've seen many guys here on the 'Gon say that they have gotten the bass drivers re-foamed and they work as good as new.

good luck with your new speakers!

mitch
Check out my system here at mitch4t
I love the Kappa 9's !
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