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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
izsakmixer
39 posts
 
I hope you got a really big amp by now.
Sorry to tell you this, but even your first amps hould have been able to drive those without frying. (Not nicely and not easily.)
Your 800 ebay deals most likley have a bad coil or perhap a few fried resistors. Better get all that checked first.
Or perhaps by now you are just disipating more heat into the cabinet.
coman61 OP
26 posts
 
The speakers have been tamed by the aragons. I don't think there is any damage to the speakers. They truly are that difficult to drive. The man I bought these speakers from was an older guy who couldn't have wooped on them. I know this because He was using a 200 WPC Mcintosh, don't remember the model but asked if I wanted to buy it a month ago. He also had the foam surrouds replaced just before selling them to me. This is also true because those woofers are so stiff it takes alot to get them moving. With all that being said I have to agree with most of you I should sell them because they are not the greatest sounding speaker that I have ever come across. They are however the best sounding speaker that I have owned personally. The mids and tweets are great especially with female vocals. I really can't fault the speakers or the amps just yet as they are not in an ideal envierment. The amps will need a dedicated circuit as Sean Has stated before. The room is also less then disirable. Its to small and has no treatments and I really need to get a better pre amp. All this will be addressed this summer when I rebuilld my family room. I might even do something real stupid and go for a HT in that room. At that point I will most likely have to move this thread over to the HT section for the advice of them guru's. I must say I have learned alot here in a short time and thank everyone for the great pointers. When I get my room finished I will better be able to determin If the big Kappas should stay or go. As for now I just hope that the newly refoamed woofers loosen up or a sub is going to be a must.
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t
1,604 posts
 
Coman61,

Borrow a pair of monoblocks from a friend and bi-amp the Kappa 9's.

As good as they sound now,.... bi-amping them will open a whole new world to you and it will blow your mind.

I dare you.....you'll never go back.
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