Solid-State Power Amp Adventures

Discussion in 'Power Amps' started by purr1n, Jan 24, 2017.

  1. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    You'll need probably some negative gain in the DEQ2496 else you will clip in the digital domain before you get anywhere near the amp. Check the output meter and adjust in Utility screen as needed.
     
  2. straydcat

    straydcat New

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    Thanks, did that and it stopped clipping. I did replace it with a crown xls 2002 for raw power. Keeping the STA200, it did have better 3 dimensionality and depth of stage, including inner detail but need to run room correction again since replacing it to be sure.
     
  3. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    Next amp to go up against Vidar is this one:

    Belles 150A Reference (V2):
    [​IMG]

    On holidays at the moment, but will do some serious listening starting next week.

    Will Vidar finally be dethroned??
     
  4. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Now I'm no expert here, but I can safely say MMGs are just not going to be very satisfactory below 40Hz no matter what you drive them with. My MG12s response fall off quite rapidly below 45Hz and I can't imagine trying to somehow equalize that out. I'd expect the 1.6s to be only marginally better. If you are seriously looking for good bass down to 20Hz you should really be looking for a subwoofer(s).
     
  5. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Now THAT is an Amp! Sounded superb every time I got to hear it. Would be on my shopping list for sure!
     
  6. ald0s

    ald0s Facebook Friend

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    Has anyone put ears to the First Watt SIT-2. The SIT3 is hitting production now and I'm interested but an audition will be nigh on impossible. Would be driving Dali Epicon 6 speakers.
     
  7. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    It is not an easy task to pair a dynamic sub with any Maggie. You have to keep the crossover freq low (like 30 Hz) to avoid screwing up the midrange. If you really appreciate Maggies and crave more bass you should be looking at larger Maggies or a Magnepan DWM Bass Panel.
     
  8. JeffYoung

    JeffYoung Friend

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    I have my 0.7 Maggies quite happily paired with a PSA S1500. I've tried the crossover all the way down at 40 Hz, but I think I normally leave it around 55 Hz. YMMV.
     
  9. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Absolutely the best solution is bigger panels, but that is just not practical for everyone. I've had good luck pairing my subs, but no question relative placement is critical.

    Sounds about right. I'm at about 50 myself.
     
  10. artur9

    artur9 Facebook Friend

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    Loved my Belles. It's the amp that convinced me that amps do matter. In my dream world, I have Belles monoblocks.
     
  11. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    It's 4x the price of a Vidar so I don't think you should compare directly...
     
  12. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    The inside looks worse than my first DIY project tho.

    I'd say, keep the crossover as high as possible. It really depends on crossover slope steepness and sub quality (how much 160Hz it puts out when playing back 80Hz and noise characteristics).

    The sub not only lets your system play lower, but it also relieves the speakers of playing much of the lower range, thus letting them play cleaner and louder.
     
  13. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    New retail, yes it's a fair bit more expensive obviously. For me, I picked it up used for only a few hundred bucks more than the new Vidar cost me.

    If there's anything under 2x new retail that would beat Vidar, I would love to know.

    At this point, I'm trying to find something used under 1.5x the price of Vidar that will beat it. Hoping the Belles is it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
  14. alubis

    alubis Acquaintance

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    Read a lot of good impressions pairing this amp with dynaudio. Looking forward to hear your impression.

     
  15. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    That is what I was thinking. That anyone thinks it is reasonable to make the comparison is a win for the Vidar in itself.
     
  16. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Diminishing returns has to start somewhere. Additionally, those two amps might have a completely different presentation and tone to them (regardless of the price delta), making one more appealing than the other. Liking something because it's good value is one thing, and liking it because you actually like it is another.

    I'm glad you're doing the comparison @rlow and look forward to what you find!
     
  17. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    Couldn't agree more. Vidar is an insane value. Can't say enough good things about it, and having a hard time finding anything, even used, near its price that I prefer.

    Yep this is what I'm hoping with this amp. All the other class A/B Amps I've compared to Vidar sounded very similar, just not as good.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
  18. Greg121986

    Greg121986 Almost "Made"

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    I've had a Nuforce STA200 on my stereo for several days and I must chime in to say that I am extremely impressed with this thing.
    • Focal Electra 1028 Be2
    • Wireworld Cabling
    • Holo Audio Spring KTE L3 and Singxer SU-1
    • PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell Pre-Amp/DAC
    • Nuforce STA200 power amp
    As others have stated, I can confirm that there are some nuances to this amp that are not ideal. It is very high gain so you get some electrical noise. It also has a mid-bass bump that I would characterize as not-neutral and not reference. However, it is a JOY to listen to!

    Despite the typical "hiss" when you stick your ear right up to the tweeter, this amp really delivers great articulation, separation, and the bass is very tight and powerful. I think these elements are present in spades due to the high sensitivity of my speakers, but the amp is a really great match. If I had paid its original retail, I would have been pretty annoyed by the hissing. At its current stock wipeout price of $500 this thing is a major steal. The power output of the Vidar does not appeal to me since my speakers are high sensitivity. I rarely approach 80dB on the speakers and they're rated at 90.5dB @ 1W. I'd be interested to pit these two amps against one another, but I am skeptical that the Vidar would deliver anything more.

    Can anyone confirm if the Vidar has any audible noise from higher sensitivity speakers? Does this change if they are run in mono configuration, thus fully balanced? I actually had one on order but the reports of transformer hum were a 100% no go for me so I cancelled. There was also an unreasonably long lead time. I do want to replace the STA200 with something that will alleviate its minor shortcomings, but for the time being I am pretty stoked with this little thing.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2018
  19. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    IIRC, there was an early adoter that had transformer hum in high sensitivity speakers...but that's it. I believe it was Freya that more people had hum issues with.
     
  20. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    The crossover point is always a tradeoff. A higher crossover can provide some benefit as you describe, but allowing a sub to play into higher frequencies can mess up the sound. If your equipment has selectable crossover points, you should experiment and see what works best in your setup.
     

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