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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
coman61 OP
26 posts
 
I have considered that the amps could be starving for power but I don't think this is the case. When I tried running the Adcom it was definitly the case I could see the lights dimming with the music. That was not true with the macs. It must have something to do with the audioformers. If anyone knows for sure please feel free to chime in.
coman61 OP
26 posts
 
AHHH YES MUSIC SWEET MUSIC!
Well I finally got the Kappa 9s singing. Just got a new pair of Aragon Palladium 1ks. They drive the speakers with power to spare. Thanks for the tip Bemoptil23. I'm sure all amps suggested would have done the job but the Aragons were affordable right here on the gon. I must say that these amps are very aggressive sounding compared the the Mcintoshs that I was using. Thats good and bad. The Mcs sounded more mellow and tube like but just didn't have the oomph to drive the Kappas. The Aragons are fast and detailed and take all the harshness out of the Emit tweeters. I'm happy now that I have good starting point to start building a new system. Now I need to start looking for a new pre amp amd cd player. Thanks all of you for your advice on driving the Kappas. I have the audio bug now stay tuned for futher updates on my quest for HI END audio

coman61
sean
6,231 posts
 
Glad to hear that you've finally found an amp that will tame those beasts. I would suggest looking into your preamp next in terms of upgrades. Most of the mass produced SS preamps that i've heard have a very characteristic sound to them and it isn't very pleasant to listen to over an extended period of time. Going to something that is a little more refined in this area will probably get you a lot closer to what you are looking for without removing the "punch" that you've got now. Sean
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hpims
129 posts
 
After reading a lot of the responses to your question, you might be better off just selling them. Sounds like they are more trouble than they are worth. Of course, that's just my opinion, since you have to live with the choice.
In any event, good luck.
arnold_h
103 posts
 
Yes, as others have said, most Infinity speakers are VERY power hungry and the Kappa 9's are no exception plus getting parts for the older speakers can be tough. I have owned a pair of Renaissance 90's for the last 10 years and was driving them with a Threshold S350e 150 wpc and it handled them ok BUT they could have easily used TWICE that power to sound their best. I have since sold my Infinitys and bought a pair of JM Lab 946 Electra's and they are FAR superior to the 90's in every way. There is definately something to be said for efficient speakers.
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