Does this also work for bridging an F6 amp to create a monoblock? XLR input, pins 2 and 3 to L and R channels respectively, speaker connected to outputs from each channel....L to +, R - . I used this for the BA3 but I wasnt sure whether the transformer in the F6 makes it different
Four years went by.. since I started planning this.
So, finally, around three months ago, I finally had powered up the bridged F4s all balanced with a BA3 and Iron Pre Bal... all balanced cables.
Driving it SE with either the 2nd gen P3 or the Burson Swing DAC (with Burson V6 Classic opamps). Using the small AN speakers. Lots of bass.
Meanwhile the Maggie 1.7s "soldiered" on with SE and A2s. Outstanding sound.... either way.
Last Saturday, cleaning things up, I rewired it so the Maggies would drive on the bridged F4s and the AN on the A2s. It worked... then, I pushed the amp rack back... it gave me some negative feedback, so I pushed harder. WHILE THE AMPS WERE PLAYING.
So, I BLEW A FUSE on one of the amp.
Figures.
So, I took it apart, checked it out, ran some short tests, put in a temporary fuse and... it wouldn't power up.... Hmm... some sleuthing later I realized I had pushed the front panel switch too hard when I reassembled it... so I pulled out a spare.. amp came to life... (*)
Long story short.... a couple of hours ago I finally got it all working again. Phew!
....
Is the King Dead?
The A2s sound fantastic, but they lack the bass of the Bridged F4s... but then, I think this could also be a by product of not using the Iron Pre Bal balanced outputs... I did notice from the very beginning better bass from those outputs, regardless of amp.
...
Anyhow, the current combination sounds fantastic, it give the Maggies a ton of clean, tight, bass slam that I never heard from them before. Even when running the Conrad Johnson preamps ( I got two of them nowadays ) I never had this quality of bass.
The midrange and treble are quite good, but the amps have only been on for less than half an hour, so I will listen more once they've fully warmed up... give the entire chain at least an hour.
...
The P3 is also warming up. It awaits the 10 foot balanced cables, right not it's hooked up with SE to the Iron Pre... I played it last week through the A2s and it sounded fantastic. Hmm...
....
If you've read this far... do give the Iron Pre Bal / BA3 / Bridged F4s more than just a passing thought.... because, so far, I think it outdoes a CJ ET3SE driving the A2 amps... and that's a truly good sounding configuration to begin with... (**)
Bravo to all of you... and to Nelson for coming up with such a crazy idea as the F4...
(*) The front panel switch is blue... I bought more: blues, whites and reds. I think I'll put a white one on the left amp and a red one on the right amp ... Just to be anal retentive.... at least they will match the Christmas tree.
(**) I wonder if adding teflon caps to the Iron Pre would help it sound too. It did miracles for the PV9 and ET3SE.
So, finally, around three months ago, I finally had powered up the bridged F4s all balanced with a BA3 and Iron Pre Bal... all balanced cables.
Driving it SE with either the 2nd gen P3 or the Burson Swing DAC (with Burson V6 Classic opamps). Using the small AN speakers. Lots of bass.
Meanwhile the Maggie 1.7s "soldiered" on with SE and A2s. Outstanding sound.... either way.
Last Saturday, cleaning things up, I rewired it so the Maggies would drive on the bridged F4s and the AN on the A2s. It worked... then, I pushed the amp rack back... it gave me some negative feedback, so I pushed harder. WHILE THE AMPS WERE PLAYING.
So, I BLEW A FUSE on one of the amp.
Figures.
So, I took it apart, checked it out, ran some short tests, put in a temporary fuse and... it wouldn't power up.... Hmm... some sleuthing later I realized I had pushed the front panel switch too hard when I reassembled it... so I pulled out a spare.. amp came to life... (*)
Long story short.... a couple of hours ago I finally got it all working again. Phew!
....
Is the King Dead?
The A2s sound fantastic, but they lack the bass of the Bridged F4s... but then, I think this could also be a by product of not using the Iron Pre Bal balanced outputs... I did notice from the very beginning better bass from those outputs, regardless of amp.
...
Anyhow, the current combination sounds fantastic, it give the Maggies a ton of clean, tight, bass slam that I never heard from them before. Even when running the Conrad Johnson preamps ( I got two of them nowadays ) I never had this quality of bass.
The midrange and treble are quite good, but the amps have only been on for less than half an hour, so I will listen more once they've fully warmed up... give the entire chain at least an hour.
...
The P3 is also warming up. It awaits the 10 foot balanced cables, right not it's hooked up with SE to the Iron Pre... I played it last week through the A2s and it sounded fantastic. Hmm...
....
If you've read this far... do give the Iron Pre Bal / BA3 / Bridged F4s more than just a passing thought.... because, so far, I think it outdoes a CJ ET3SE driving the A2 amps... and that's a truly good sounding configuration to begin with... (**)
Bravo to all of you... and to Nelson for coming up with such a crazy idea as the F4...
(*) The front panel switch is blue... I bought more: blues, whites and reds. I think I'll put a white one on the left amp and a red one on the right amp ... Just to be anal retentive.... at least they will match the Christmas tree.
(**) I wonder if adding teflon caps to the Iron Pre would help it sound too. It did miracles for the PV9 and ET3SE.
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