T-amp Speaker Combinations

edtang · 29th April 2005, 08:11 PM

I was just wondering what kind of speaker combinations you have all tried.... what works well and what doesn't especially when it comes to the low power that the t-amp puts out.

I was thinking about modding a t-amp myself and have been eyeing the epos els-3 speakers to pair with it. They are 4 Ohms rated at 87dB, do you think these would be too inefficient to run with the t-amp?

What kind of speaker combinations are you running? What works well and what doesn't?

Thanks,
edtang

ohenry · 29th April 2005, 09:41 PM

That speaker may be on the inefficient side for the T-amp to really shine. I use a full-range speaker rated at approx. 94dB and it can rock with the little t-amp.

motherone · 29th April 2005, 09:48 PM

I've used my AR-17's with the T-amp (90-91db, "8-ohm").. I've had no problem driving them to very loud levels (any louder and it'd be aggrevating the neighbors at my apartment).

I think 90db or so should be sufficient for good listening. If you really want to go loud, you'll need a more efficient speaker, but for just detailed listening, 90db seems to work fine for me.

I do need to try a pair of modded T-amps on my AR-11's.. They're bi-ampable, so I can drive the woofer (80hz and below) with 1 t-amp, and the midbass/tweeter with another.

A little off-topic, but it's too bad that AR just makes cables now.. I really love my AR speakers.

breez · 29th April 2005, 10:02 PM

According to the datasheet you get about 10 watts of low THD power into 4 ohms. I think it'll be fine, 87dB + 3dB (2 speakers) + room gain should get you in the ~100dB musical peak territory. Depends on your room and listening position though.

edtang · 29th April 2005, 10:19 PM

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that since the Epos is 4 Ohms it wouldn't be as bad as an 8 Ohm speaker at the same 87dB rating. Is my understanding incorrect?

Which speaker in particular are you running?

Jumpin John · 29th April 2005, 10:54 PM

I've had no trouble driving a pair of 89db Energy Veritas 2.2's to normal listening levels in a large room. These speakers have double voice coils on the woofers and need a bit of current. Larger power caps seem to help a lot in that regard, however, if the volume is pushed a notch too high, the meaning of the word distortion becomes abundantly clear. It's amazing how fast the sound deteriorates after reaching that point.

TriodeGuy · 30th April 2005, 12:24 AM

I recently bought a bunch of those little 3" aura's that parts express had a buyout special on. I put a couple in some nice 3/4" cabs and hooked 'em up to the SI. Well these things are rated at 87 db and they sounded a bit anemic on the SI (compared to my other amps). I think 90 db would be about the lowest I'd care to go with this amp.

motherone · 30th April 2005, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by edtang
Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that since the Epos is 4 Ohms it wouldn't be as bad as an 8 Ohm speaker at the same 87dB rating. Is my understanding incorrect?

Which speaker in particular are you running?

With 4 ohms, the speaker has more headroom, since you're limited by the voltage (really) when it comes to this amp. You'll be able to get about 10 watts out of it with a 12v supply, or ~100db max @ 1m.

You should know that the output caps on the SI are designed for a 6 ohm load, so you may want to look into replacing those, along with the PSU coupling cap. You may also want a beefier PSU (13v-13.5v).

edtang · 30th April 2005, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by motherone

With 4 ohms, the speaker has more headroom, since you're limited by the voltage (really) when it comes to this amp. You'll be able to get about 10 watts out of it with a 12v supply, or ~100db max @ 1m.

You should know that the output caps on the SI are designed for a 6 ohm load, so you may want to look into replacing those, along with the PSU coupling cap. You may also want a beefier PSU (13v-13.5v).

Thanks for the heads up! I was originally only planning on upgrading the input caps and running it with a SLA battery. But now that you mention it, I'm definetly going to look into replacing the output caps and the PSU coupling cap.

edtang · 30th April 2005, 10:52 AM

Just to confirm what I'll be doing... and a few more questions from the newbie...

Input:
I'll be getting a 2200uF 16V cap in series with a 20k Ohm resistor to connect from the volume POT to R1 & R2 (original R1 & R2 removed). This should take care of in the input caps right?

Output:
Replace the 4 0.47uF caps C21-C24 (labeled "Co" on the Tripath data sheet). What value caps do I need to replace them with to make them match 4 Ohm impedance? (I see it says use 0.22uF for 8 Ohms)

Where is the PSU coupling cap, and what size cap would you recommend to replace it?

Thanks for helping me out!

29th April 2005, 08:11 PM	#1
edtang diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan	T-amp Speaker Combinations I was just wondering what kind of speaker combinations you have all tried.... what works well and what doesn't especially when it comes to the low power that the t-amp puts out. I was thinking about modding a t-amp myself and have been eyeing the epos els-3 speakers to pair with it. They are 4 Ohms rated at 87dB, do you think these would be too inefficient to run with the t-amp? What kind of speaker combinations are you running? What works well and what doesn't? Thanks, edtang

29th April 2005, 09:41 PM	#2
ohenry diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NC	That speaker may be on the inefficient side for the T-amp to really shine. I use a full-range speaker rated at approx. 94dB and it can rock with the little t-amp. __________________ Henry

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
dimentions of speaker box in speaker spec sheet?	Dan2	Car Audio	2	6th February 2009 06:34 AM
Driver combinations - An Scanspeak Design	harrisni	Multi-Way	16	10th August 2007 02:05 PM
FS: Niles HDS-6L speaker selector w/ speaker protection.	Spasticteapot	Swap Meet	0	28th May 2006 12:14 AM
New Ribbon Speaker Technology - Approach the perfect speaker?	cocolino	Planars & Exotics	49	16th January 2005 11:12 PM
Pi Speaker Reviews/or Similar Speaker	G4ME	Multi-Way	4	17th June 2003 01:26 AM

New To Site?	Need Help?
Register to Participate Search Contact Us	Frequently Asked Questions Did you forget your password? Mark Forums Read


	Please consider donating to help us continue to serve you. Ads on/off / Custom Title / More PMs / More album space / Advanced printing & mass image saving

29th April 2005, 09:48 PM	#3
motherone diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Seattle	I've used my AR-17's with the T-amp (90-91db, "8-ohm").. I've had no problem driving them to very loud levels (any louder and it'd be aggrevating the neighbors at my apartment). I think 90db or so should be sufficient for good listening. If you really want to go loud, you'll need a more efficient speaker, but for just detailed listening, 90db seems to work fine for me. I do need to try a pair of modded T-amps on my AR-11's.. They're bi-ampable, so I can drive the woofer (80hz and below) with 1 t-amp, and the midbass/tweeter with another. A little off-topic, but it's too bad that AR just makes cables now.. I really love my AR speakers.

29th April 2005, 10:02 PM	#4
breez diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Finland	According to the datasheet you get about 10 watts of low THD power into 4 ohms. I think it'll be fine, 87dB + 3dB (2 speakers) + room gain should get you in the ~100dB musical peak territory. Depends on your room and listening position though.

29th April 2005, 10:19 PM	#5
edtang diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan	Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that since the Epos is 4 Ohms it wouldn't be as bad as an 8 Ohm speaker at the same 87dB rating. Is my understanding incorrect? Which speaker in particular are you running?

29th April 2005, 10:54 PM	#6
Jumpin John diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Toronto	I've had no trouble driving a pair of 89db Energy Veritas 2.2's to normal listening levels in a large room. These speakers have double voice coils on the woofers and need a bit of current. Larger power caps seem to help a lot in that regard, however, if the volume is pushed a notch too high, the meaning of the word distortion becomes abundantly clear. It's amazing how fast the sound deteriorates after reaching that point.

30th April 2005, 12:24 AM	#7
TriodeGuy diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Huntsville, AL	I recently bought a bunch of those little 3" aura's that parts express had a buyout special on. I put a couple in some nice 3/4" cabs and hooked 'em up to the SI. Well these things are rated at 87 db and they sounded a bit anemic on the SI (compared to my other amps). I think 90 db would be about the lowest I'd care to go with this amp.

30th April 2005, 10:52 AM	#10
edtang diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan	Just to confirm what I'll be doing... and a few more questions from the newbie... Input: I'll be getting a 2200uF 16V cap in series with a 20k Ohm resistor to connect from the volume POT to R1 & R2 (original R1 & R2 removed). This should take care of in the input caps right? Output: Replace the 4 0.47uF caps C21-C24 (labeled "Co" on the Tripath data sheet). What value caps do I need to replace them with to make them match 4 Ohm impedance? (I see it says use 0.22uF for 8 Ohms) Where is the PSU coupling cap, and what size cap would you recommend to replace it? Thanks for helping me out!

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)