ICE amps vs analog amps for bass

hi Steve
i have used the 14bsst on my dual Volt 12" and dual CSS 15" and will say if you are using for bass only,go wiyh a older pair of 7bst(98-01) only..the sst only improved on the mid,slightly,so save the money .
i have also recently purchased a ML (333) for my mid/hi
john

No problem,i mean my amp is like 75 and as i said if its on the recording that's how it comes out,it depends on the recording.So also what im saying is i wonder if the bass from ice amps is really realistic or not,or are people just wowed by the big bad wham of these ice amps.It never impressed me.

Coffeey, I tend to agree with you. . . except that I hear badly reproduced bass on a great many amps, regardless of underlying technology. . . Very good bass is reproduced by very few amps, and some of these excellent bass reproducers happen to be ICEpower amps.

Sgr, if your speakers are 98 db, its very likely that they will not play very good bass using an amplifier with a high damping factor.

The reason is that a high damping factor is synonymous with amplifiers that can double the power as impedance is cut in half. That works for some speakers, but not very often for speakers with high efficiency. Such speakers are often expecting that the amp will make the **same** power, regardless of impedance! for more information see:

http://www.atma-sphere.com/papers/paradigm_paper2.html

If I were you I would get an amplifier that you can run full-range- IME/IMO bi-amplified systems never work as well as full-range, provided the speaker is designed to be able to operate either way.

Atmosphere,
The speakers are designed and can only be played quad amped which is pretty unique and exciting. Legacy speakers are always built with efficiency in mind, but in my experience, have sounded better with wattage doubling amps like Krell. The Helix is usually sold with 1 pair of ICE amps to control the subwoofers. The owner then supplies 3 pair of stereo amps for the midbass, midrange, and treble.
I chose to use an additional pair of ICEamps for the midbass drivers, and it seems this has been a mistake. The ICE amp modules in question, seem to play the bass as one note, it is there, it is full of impact and dynamics but small nuances that I know the recordings I've used to adjust my new Helixes to the room are vague or missing. I've been working with Legacy to solve the problem and we have made various adjustments through the Xilica 480 digital crossover/processor,but I believe that I need to add separate pair of external amps for the midbass.

I heard and auditioned the Helix with 3 pair of stereo amps plus the ICE amps on the subs and the sound was to die for. In trying to hold down the expense at the time, Legacy suggested going with a second pair of ICE amps for the midbass. It sounded good at the time if it worked, but I'm afraid I'll need to get a 3rd set of monoblocks for the mid bass and see if it solves the problem I'm hearing.

All the answers everyone has given me have helped to confirm what my next step is in the search for the sound I know these speakers are capable of.
Thanks for all your continued help and suggestions.

I'm listening and learning.

Thanks again,
Steve