Choice: two Trends T-10.1s or one Kingrex T20 w/PSU

[gnostic19]

I am just getting into the Tamp thang...have no idea how they sound(though i have read a bit). I would probably be feeding a QSilver Line stage pre-amp or some passive pre-amp i get down the line. My speakers are curerntly SOund Dynamics RTS-3s.

I am wondering if the dual amping Trends ($260)would sound better than one singularly superior (when compared 1 on 1 with Trends, or so i've read) Kingrex($400) unit. My budget is $3-400 for the amp(s).

I listen mainly to 4-6 piece acoustic jazz, some alt rock and some synthesized beats., but mainly acoustic jazz.


thanks in advance.

[preiter]

I have no experience with the King Rex, but the reviews I have read seem to indicate that it is marginally better than the Trends, and much of the improvement comes from its power supply.

I would go with the bi-amp Trends configuration, and pick up some inexpensive regulated SMPS (you can get them for under $10) to replace the stock supplies.

As a bonus, you get double the power that way. Not a minor consideration, since we are talking about approximately 6 useful watts into 8 ohms with these amps.

[Pano]

You don't get twice the power with two amps. The amps would have to have a higher voltage output to get more power. It's Ohm's law.

Both are very good, and I think you would be happy with either. The Kingrex has the advantage of a single volume control, if that is important to you. If you have a preamp, then it doesn't matter. The KingRex is somewhat larger and more sturdy, but of course that comes at a price.

Agreed that a power supply upgrade will help the Trends.

[gnostic19]

i asked a dealer who sells both, audiomagnus.com or whatever, and the guy said he would go with the KRex, even when i added the ultra modded to the mix. He also emphasized the better build quality of the KRex.

The concept of dual momo configuration has always appealed to me, even though i have never listened to a dual mono set up. I may have the quality of it blown out of proportion compared to reality.
I will, regardless, be using a pre-amp with the set up...probably a QSilver line stage with 12AX7s.

One other side not...up until my recent disovery of teh T-amp thang, i was going to hunt down another Rotel RB980BX 120wpc amp and do a bridged 2 amp, dual mono design for my system. Only probel mwith this is i won't be able to power my Magnepan MMGs with this, as Rotel is emphatic about using 4 ohm speakers with bridging their amp. Then again, i can't even use one T-amp with the MMGs cause of the underpower issue. I will have to use my RTS-2 SDynamics or a new pair i am researching...either Axiom M22s or JM Labs Chorus 707s.

[preiter]

Oh yeah, this is passive bi-amping. Not really any power improvement at all.

You do get significantly more power from actively crossed bi-amping, though.

http://sound.westhost.com/bi-amp.htm

You definitely don't want to try bridging an amplifier into 4 ohms, unless you are damn sure your amp can handle a 2 ohm load. When bridging, each amplifier sees only half of the load.

[gnostic19]

clarify...


course, i meant that bridging Rotels would not allow me to use 4 ohm speakers. And my speakers are RTS-3s, not 2s.

The thing about having 2 Trends would be the improved imaging, i assume.

[dweekie]

Originally posted by gnostic19
i asked a dealer who sells both, audiomagnus.com or whatever, and the guy said he would go with the KRex, even when i added the ultra modded to the mix. He also emphasized the better build quality of the KRex.

What does Panomaniac have to say about this?

Also, Pano, did you happen to get my email regarding smps?

[theAnonymous1]

Not to **** on the Kingrex , but $400+ for a TA2020........

I would say either buy the Trends, or if you need more power go for an AudioSource AMP7-T.

[bbaker6212]

Well the cost (and quality) is really in the implementation. As an example look at this even higher-end $1300 implementation of a Tripath amp...which got rave reviews...

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/redwine4/30.html