2. amps-preamps
  3. 1207176549

Hybrid - Tube / SS amp capable of sub 1 Ohm loads?

I've done searches and haven't found anything that really discusses this.

There are a few options that I've seen that are Hybrid that will do this, for example:The Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000.

That amp is getting old, is there anything more modern that will accomplish this? Am I chasing a pipe dream here? The Lamm series claims to be able to do it but it will not in reality. I know people that has had these and tried to run them on an Apogee Scintilla and it pooped out.

There might be some tube-amps that can operate with a such load, but they are more voltage driven, not current and the Scintilla needs current.

Thanks

Pete
narkotic
kgproperties
53 posts
 
Hi Pete:

I’m the west-coast distributor for Viola Audio Laboratories. Having said that, Viola makes two different models that can handle your requirements: the Symphony Stereo Power Amplifier (MSRP $16,000) and the Bravo MK II Reference Stereo Power Amplifier (MSRP $44,000). Both units are exceptionally high current designs.

Last year I hooked up a Symphony to a speaker that generally runs from one-half to one ohm. Though the speaker still wanted more power, the sound quality was incredible. If you are after a virtually inexhaustible supply of power, the Bravo is in a class by itself (this unit can also be bridged for mono). Last week, one of the Viola technicians told me that they just put a Bravo on the test bench with a one-ohm load on it – they run it up to two kilowatts output and the distortion was only at .3%!!!

Take a look at Viola’s website for a description of each amp. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Regards,
Ken
plato
1,543 posts
 
Actually, there is an obvious solution. Rather than trying to swim against the current by forcing a conventional hybrid amp to operate into a load it was not designed to face, why not use an amp that wouldn't mind working into a 1 ohm load and simply use a tube preamp to get that great "hybrid" sound you're looking for???

I am using a custom built 6SN7 tube preamp to feed Nuforce 9V2 SE amplifiers. That combination would likely sound much better than anything suggested thus far and you wouldn't be taxing the amp's capabilities... Seems simple enough to me.
rodman99999
6,102 posts
 
I second the Moscode suggestion. The amp has MOS-FET output devices, and they work fine(don't thermally run away)into low impedences.
Post removed 
rodman99999
6,102 posts
 
Tvad- You're right about the Stereophile results. At 2ohms the Moscode only put out 130W, this after putting out 250w into 8 ohms and 390 watts into 4 ohms. In reading Markotic's first post: It didn't register that he was actually using Scintillas, and I thought he might have a system that simply dipped that low at times(OOPS). Still- with the satisfaction guarantee, it would be hard to go wrong. If he was considering Lamms: It's unlikely the Moscode would be a contender anyway. I based my reply on the MOS-FET amps I've been using over the years to drive my woofers. You could practically arc-weld with them. Too bad a Zobel circuit can't be effectively used to raise an impedence(and still sound good).
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