ICE amps vs analog amps for bass

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

My Counterpoint doubles from 100 watts 8 ohms to 200 watts 4 ohms,by coincidence i have Legacy studio monitors and yes they are efficient,like i said earlier,while i am satisfied with the bass it really could be a bit more defined ,louder whatever you want to call it,so with my scenario could my set up be on the order of what Atmas spere wrote about?

The Legacy Studio monitors are Voltage Paradigm devices. So if you are looking for better bass on them, I would look into placement that allows you to take advantage of corners in the room, shorten the speaker cables if you can, stuff like that.

Thanks and when writing before i think you were referring more to the high damping of the ice amps if i'm correct.Also am i correct in that a lot of people think they can get more out of the recording then there really is on it in the first place?