Another overkill

[lambo_freak]

I'm not actually in pursuit of anything, just entertaining myself. I am trying to find components for an overkill surround sound system. Price is not an issue, and neither is any brand.

My current overkill system consists of:

-Def Tech BP7000SC as all the satellites. I was thinking a center l/r, front r/l, surround r/l, back l/c/r set up would be cool.

These high power towers leave me at a loss for a fully capable amplifier. I can't find anything past 500 wpc in the home audio market. I know Classe makes a 400 watt monoblock, and Rotel has a D-class 500 watt. This is not enough for the application I'm looking for. Those def techs can handle 1000 wpc. McIntosch makes a 500 and a 1200 wpc monoblock, but those aren't enough and to much respectively. Yamaha makes a professional series stereo amp capable of 750 wpc.

A certain enigma now seems to develop, though. If higher power levels are used, will the SQ be maintained? I know this is an overkill system, but I'd like the frequency response graph to be +/- 3 db between 10-25k hz, even if the spl is bumping around 130 db.

-2 or 3 Def Tech SuperCube Trinity Sgnitures for subs (I know the towers have subs. Remember, this is for overkill). 2 up front and 1 in the back.

Again, I am struggling to find a capable SS processor. I know of the manufacturers Krell, B&K, McIntosch, yadda yadda. Will these processors do the system SQ and spl justice?

[Hdale85]

Price not an issue? B&W 803's all around. Something like this

[lambo_freak]

I do like the look of the 800 series, but I've never had the opportunity to listen to them.

[PewterTA]

Huge difference over Def. Techs. The B&Ws are far more 'musical'. For whatever that may be worth.

I also found the imaging and the mid range on the 800 series much more clear than on the Def. Techs...I'm not sure if a lot of that has to do with the speakers bi-polar design or not.

And as for the Amps...

A Classe/McIntosh 4-500 watt amp is far more power than you'd ever need for those speakers. If you matched it up with the McIntosh MC501 or the Classe CA-M400 you'll never run out or power. Heck either one of those amps is over double the price of the speaker...it's got plenty of power to move those speakers...and to be honest, a B&W 800D speakers is harder to drive than those. ...and lets not forget the Nautilus...

Course Overkill would be the McIntosh MC2KW which is a 2000 watt monoblock. ;x(

You need to more figure out why you would ever really want 130dB range from your speakers and what application you are using them in and how big your space is... The louder and louder your get the worse your quality gets due to many factors.... there's really nothing you can do.

[lambo_freak]

Well, I don't think killing the speakers would be a good idea.

[PewterTA]

You'll kill a speaker quicker by overdriving an amp that has less power and causing it to clip than you will having more power than you could need.

[Hdale85]

To an extent Feeding 2000 watts at 100db to a speaker that takes 100watts can kill it pretty quickly.

[PewterTA]

But you aren't feeding it 2000 watts to get 100dbs. You'll get that with very little wattage because you'll hardly turn the pre-amp up to force the amp to get the speaker to run at 100dbs.

Can you ruin the speaker, most definitely, crank it and you'll kill the speaker...but if you keep the amp within the limits of what the speaker is capable of... you should have no problems.

[GregLett]

You want this

I heard their setup at this years Stereophile show.

http://www.cinepro.com/

[ThomasW]

Hey go big or go home.....

The 1000 watt, 240lb Boulder 2050 monoblocks are where it's at....

http://www.boulderamp.com/index_flash.html

[PewterTA]

Greg has it right (sorry thomas)

The Cinepro 4k6-4 SE Gold...
21,000 watt output stage and 4.2kW Power Transformer.

:lol:

[Hdale85]

I thought it was only possible to get roughly 2000 watts out of a wall socket?

[cobbpa]

I'm biased because they're one of the few high-end speakers I've heard, but to go along with the McIntosh 2kw monoblocks, take these as mains:

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shopdisplayproducts.asp?hid=1&id=20&cat=Loudspeaker+Systems&prodid=1114&product=XRT2K

And yeah, probably nice B&W stuff besides those...as if you'll want to listen to anything but stereo material though. Oh, and those speakers each can take 3 of the big amps. haha..seriously.

[ThomasW]

Greg has it right (sorry thomas)

Yea right....

There's no comparison between these amps. The Boulder is a 240 lb monoblock delivering 1kW into an 8 ohm load, 4kW into a 2 ohm load, not a cheesey little 85 lb multi-channel amp.... :roll:

21,000 watt output stage and 4.2kW Power Transformer

"21,000 watt output stage" is the combined rating of the output devices. That statement in and of itself is meaningless 'marketing speak'. Since this is something completely different than the output power of the amp.

[cinema bob]

I'd go with Mark Levinson or Theta amps and pre/pros and Wilson Audio for the speakers.

http://www.marklevinson.com/

http://www.thetadigital.com/index.htm

http://wilsonaudio.com/