Driving 1 ohm

Thanks Bombay,

Actually, I didn't ask CJ, but I saw a reply they gave a few years back to a same inquiry about an Evolution 2000. CJ answered it wasn't designed for 1 Ohm without beeing specific if it was damageable either. That is why I am first asking here.

Your giving me figures, I appreciate. I'll have to check it out with one of my buddies who is familiar with such specifications. But it doesn't clip, that is for sure. And it doesn't get very hot, but does this also means that I'm not overriding the power transistors.

I feel reassured about the answers, thanks to all !

The amps that state stable at 1 ohm advertise this fact. You will damage the speakers if phase shifts the cover off and you see flame. Or you buy the Organ and drum disc to see how your bass sounds. All of a sudden the amp become a source of red hot ballistic bits.
Get a Spectron Musician IV that is supposed to work well, so I am told, when presented with low impedance . Another choice maybe a refurbished, no plateau biasing, monster Krell.
I think the Sanders designed Coda style, OEMed Innersound (RIP) type amps all make this claim.
I had no idea they all sounded like crap. I live in happy never lower than 4 ohm speaker land which lets me use the tube amps of my choice.
Heck I have 2 pairs of vintage speakers 16 ohm nominal impedance. My modern tube monoblocks don't have a 16 Ohm tap. That's Okay My DA-60 doesn't either nor two other integrated tube amps . Don't fret my 1959, 1960, 1961 Sherwoods do. Now that I think about it since I don't own planars I doubt I have a speaker lower than 4 ohms .
I do know that only a couple of the SS amps sound like crap. That's because they lost a channel or two or are 90s stop gap crap.

You might ask Acoustat what they recommend. You may not be hurting your amp but you may not be getting everything your speakers are capable of delivering. Amps that can deliver on 1 ohm loads are rare, but they can be found.

I have an amp you'd like I think that fits perfect for your speakers,Appogee's et al.1991 Krell KSA 300S.Only model Krell TRULY stable into 1 ohm they ever made (and you do the math that's doubling power for each load halving from 8 ohm nominal for a huge 2,400 watts!!).Class A of course and went for $9500 back in '91.Now you can get them for $3K to $3500.Others might prefer some subtleties of latter amps but signature Krell sound is same.Funny though they don't sound good at all with Maggies so being the ex Krell salesman that my friend turned to for his underpowered 3.6's I hooked him up with the classic Bryston/Maggie match.Ask Acoustat what Krell sound like with and if it's a go remember KSL was only true 1 ohm amp they made.I am using he Krell KRC2/KPE combo in one system but the amp I have has just sat in basement for 6 years.Maybe time to sell it all or separate.But there are others out there.
Cheers
chazz

A true high current amp will double it's output as speaker impedence halves. Some of the early Krells would double their load all the way to .5ohms. Some of the Apoggees were .5ohms.