Why so much power for a high efficient 102db speaker? Seems like overkill!
Amplifier for Cornwall IV
I’m looking for SOLID STATE amplifier for new to me Cornwall IV (NOT INTERESTED IN TUBES) due to current conditions thanks
I’m trying to decide between this amps
1. CLASSE CA-M600
2. PARASOUND JC5 and
3. PARASOUND JC1
I have the speakers next is amp and then Preamp follow by source
I have Cambridge Azur 851N and cocktail Audio X45 for DAC and streaming duties also has classe SSP800 and Parasound Hint6 to use as Preamp only for now
100% streaming and this set up is going to be in my garage MANCAVE
I listen to almost everything but blues , old school country , jazz and reggae mostly thanks I appreciate any advice and recommendations
I’m trying to decide between this amps
1. CLASSE CA-M600
2. PARASOUND JC5 and
3. PARASOUND JC1
I have the speakers next is amp and then Preamp follow by source
I have Cambridge Azur 851N and cocktail Audio X45 for DAC and streaming duties also has classe SSP800 and Parasound Hint6 to use as Preamp only for now
100% streaming and this set up is going to be in my garage MANCAVE
I listen to almost everything but blues , old school country , jazz and reggae mostly thanks I appreciate any advice and recommendations
62 responses Add your response
With such high efficiency speakers it would be soooo tempting to go pure Class A. The cleanest and quietest signal will reap the most reward. 102db efficiency indicates the first watts are the ones you will be really using so might as well have the best. Some of the folks here can do the math but Class A will IMHO give you the best sound possible out of those Cornwalls. 30 watts of Class A should give you around 104db @ 20 ft away. But if I had to choose from your list, the JC1+ since the first 25 are class A . The Classe only gives around 3 watts of Class A I think. Good Luck. |
Yeah, Klipsch speakers are some of the most efficient speakers made. You can run them with 10 WPC. That's good for you as it gives you a lot more choices for amps. But the ones you have listed are superb amps. I would add the Pass Labs INT 25. Very sweet amp. So is the INT 60 but you don't really need that much power unless you listen at high volume levels and want a little extra insurance against clipping. So many great amps to choose from. |
I was thinking the same thing, a lot of power for those. The INT 25 would be great . INT 60 even better if room is big and you like it loud.. I would go the really good integrated route personally. There are some seriously good integrated amps , made in USA for what you will spend on those separates. |
The Pass XA (class a) amps are sublime. Check out the XA 25, it puts out, as do all the Pass Class A amps, much more than the stated wattage. It is an incredible amp. Down side it is pure single ended. No balanced input. Still, just a seriously sweet amp, especially for the $$$. I think you will find, unless you need balanced inputs, the XA25 to be sweeter than the 30.8. If you want to get into the monos that opens up a Pandora’s box of greatness. |
Hate to say it but I've paired my Forte III's (I know not exactly the same) with my Sugden A21SE (30W Pure Class A) and while powerful and rich, there's just a tab bit too much harmonic distortion and not enough air and detail. My tube amps work so much better. I know you have no interest at this point but if you ever decide to give tubes a chance the Leben CS-300xs pairs amazingly. |
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From my point of view passlab XA30.8 or Parasound JC5 will work fine they’re almost the same price I can get JC5 for $4400 new use passXA30.8 around $4K-$5k JC5 run 10-12 watts of class A but it has bass slam I need im going to run dual SVS SB16 with this set up so maybe I need to focus on quality watts than the bass 😌😌😉 |
@lordrootman From my point of view passlab XA30.8 or Parasound JC5 will work fine I know, I’m a broken record here but I used to own a Pass XA30.8 and tried pairing with the Forte III’s. Yes, it "worked fine" but compared to the lesser expensive Leben CS-300xs the Pass pairing was far less enjoyable. The XA30.8 sounded very similar to the Sugden A21SE. I suggest finding a First Watt SIT-3 and get as close as possible to the tube sound. The SIT-3 would be my number one choice in SS with the Klipsch, also integrating a preamp. My 2 cents...again. |
I can’t reasonably imagine that the Pass Labs XA 30.8 , Parasound JC or Classe could exceed the Leben CS 300 paired with the Cornwall IV in terms of ultimate sound quality. In my opinion this speaker will be best served with high quality low-moderate power tube amplifiers (With the emphasis on quality watts). This speaker is so sensitive that it will be driven by fractions of a watt most of the time. The "first watt" principle is definitely applicable here. However we all have our biases and preferences and I'm expressing mine😊. The OP is clear in which direction he wants to pursue, so best of luck to you. Charles |
Everyone has given great input on this thread. I checked my calculator again and imagined in a garage you would be no more than 15' from those speakers at any given time. 3 watts is going to produce a hard rocking 96.6 dB SPL with 2 speakers. At 10 foot away this jumps to 100.1 dB. Watts are definitely not your issue. When I crank my system up, an SPL of 80db is all I want because I'm not interested in damaging my hearing and that is only for a song or two. |
Thanks everyone for great response this are some of the reason I love ❤️ Audiogon I start this thread seeking advice on Parasound and Classe Audio but those with experience of my speakers steer me to the right direction I definitely believe I need quality watts not quantity watts initially I was hoping to get SS AMP that can give dual 15 inches drivers on Cornwall big workout but I realize I have two big svs SB16 subs so I don’t really need the amp to work hard for bass response Thanks again |
Respectfully, Arctic...that would be true with Magnepan for example, not with OP's speakers. The current & capacitance supplied by all the above mentioned amps will not clip before your ears quit on you. It is a different beast. Hence the reason why so many choose Tube amplifiers. Be assured the power supplies on the Pass Labs amps are far beyond adequate. Watts are not the right measurement. Cheers. |
I listen to my CW IV with the following types of amplifiers, in rotation: 125w Class A solid state; 100w class A solid state; 12w push-pull EL84; 8w SET 300B; 3.5w SET 2A3. All sound very good to excellent. The 300B SET is best, followed by the EL84 PP. At low volume the 2A3 is just lovely. One definitely does not need big power for these speakers. |
Im using a Prima Luna Evo 400 with AR Ls28se pre on a pair of Cornwall IV. Triod mode about 17 wpc. No bass and my ears are killing me. Also using 2 svs SB300 subs however to hear the bass the volume needs to go up to about 85-90db which is fine but the horns are killing my ears. Room is 14x24x8 with treatment and bass traps. Any thoughts on toning this down? |
You need to be a bit careful with the amp you choose if you go high power. Some amps get loud too fast and you can find it difficult to manage volume. I don't have direct experience with this but my understanding is Parasound specifically can have this challenge with high efficiency speakers. Although tonally they are fine with Klipsch, this evidently can be a problem. I had this conversation yesterday. Cyrus is a good alternative for smaller SS. You could also look at other pure Class A amps. Sugden is brilliant and not crazy expensive. |
Wow lordrootman, I am very surprised the new Cornwalls are that close to your old Epics and KLFs. I thought they would be much smoother and easier to listen to from everything I've read. I had modified Chorus 2s for a while and they did some things great they were definitely not something I could live long term. |
@lordrootman just wondering where you're seeing (or know a dealer) who's selling the JC5 for $3500... Hell I'd buy two right now! I'm trialling the JC5 now, but would love to save some $$$ |
A very cheap, but quite good sounding, approach would be to build the Elekit 300b amplifier. Even if you don't have much in the way of soldering and other amplifier building skills, these can be learned on line and the it should be relatively easy to build if you go at it patiently. A far more expensive alternative would be to buy the Synthesis A40 integrated amp with built in DAC. This is a 40 watt per channel amp that runs one of my favorite tube type (KT66). The built-in DAC is also quite good. The Cornwalls sound very good with low-powered tube amps, whether modern or vintage. I would take advantage of its efficiency to utilize such amps because they tend to sound so much better than either solid state or high-powered tube amps. Of course taste varies, so I won't say that any particular amp is terrible. But, I will say that one should at least explore beyond the most popular options out there; look at options beyond Decware, Prima Luna and McIntosh. |
I think it all has to do with the music being played, the volume levels you want to achieve, and the control of those 15s you are expecting. Listening to Audioslave’s 1st recording ( just as an example), at loud levels, I can assure you I am using more than just a few watts from my modified ADA PF2501 amp driving my Lascalas. My Nuforce STA200, Dalaudio Retro 4780, Adcom 535 II, Yamaha P2075 ( all modified ), lose control and fall apart ( all, imo, are great little amps in their own right ). At lower listening levels, or with other types of music, they are all fine ( although different from each other ). I tried tubes ( terrible for what I want ), Pass ACAs, and some others, and they fail, big time. Enjoy ! |
you’re right i have never been interested in tubes amps or so called 300B i maybe interested in tube preamp in future BUT not any DIY right now I have SimAudio moon W7 , Classe CA-2300 and Parasound JC5 they all sound superb but Moon took my speakers to next level but either way thanks @larryi for your recommendation |
lordrootman.... If you want to elevate your Cornwall’s, the Sanus AV Base, found on Amazon works well, and allows the Cornwall’s to develop a nicer, more three dimensional image with tighter, more detailed bass, and it also raises up the image to provide a more natural perspective. It’s not expensive, 90.00 each, (height raised is 5 inches.) Cheers... |
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