Dynaudio focus 360

gano

I almost forgot to ask you about damping factor.

Could you give me a example of what mine is or what it should be?

My speakers are 4 ohm and the output impedance of the Adcom is rated down to 4 ohms,as far as the resistance of my cables I don't know.Just figure towards the high end of the spectrum.

Thanks

mrdecibel

I know you are probably correct in saying a this amp will show how noisy a old Mac can be.

I called Conrad Johnson just to make sure I could get this serviced down the road,and I was pleasantly surprised.

Someone picked up the phone on the 3rd ring.

I asked to speak to customer service and he said I.am the head of the service dept. can I help.

I asked about setting parts or service for the amp and was told they have a ample stock of any part for the amp.

I also asked him about the matching my old Mac to this amp,He said it will work fine and the high input impedance was chosen to reduce the noise when using with tube pre-amps.

He said try the Mac,but he said I would be amazed if I paired it with a Premire 17 or 18 CJ pre-amp as it was designed to complement this very amp.

When I described the earlier problem I was having ,he said it was probably both the amp and the cables.

I was told the Adcom does not have the currant to really power a somewhat inefficient speaker at 4ohms,and cheap cables will just make it worse.

He also said this amp is the one they get the most requests to do a reissue of.

Anyway,it was nice to be treated with respect,and without being told to get the latest model.

Thanks

jeffbij

I have received so much great information,and I have taken notes trying to put in a logical format to have a practical check list.

Well I know its a little late for that.

I have looked at lot of the suggestions for amps given,and most of the newer amps do not either have the correct impedance or currant to work with the speakers and pre-amp I now have.

Some have said get rid of the Mac and then you will have so many more options.

I really like the sound of this pre-amp,and since making adjustments as far as speaker location and just listening to lot of different music and realizing I can turn the bass way down with these speakers and I will get much more vocal clarity,I have come to the conclusion that I could be happy with everything just the way it is.

I will probably try the CJ amp to see if it will sound as good as I think,and if it doesn't I will sell it and try something else.

I going to sell a lot of my guitar gear so maybe I can get one of those sweet modern amps next.

I really appreciate all the help 

you seem to know a good deal about the damping factor and impedance compatibility, I unfortunately don't.

I think Dyna speakers are very good at a few things, and not that hard to drive. I forgot about another great match: Musical Fidelity. They are a bit hard to look at, the newer models but very clean and powerful sound.

@twangy57  -  As I mentioned before, the main indicator to identify a high current amp is does the rated wattage double as you drop from 8 ohm to 4 ohm.  There are plenty of "modern" amps that are available.  But, as you noted, the impedance requirement is definitely limiting your options.

Keep working on adjusting the speaker placement.  It can take a lot of time and experimentation to get it right.  Also keep in mind that room acoustical treatments (which can be as simple as a pillow in the corners or a couple of book shelves) will affect the sound.  If you are having to turn down the bass, that is usually a indication that either placement needs work or you have some room issues.

I think you should try the CJ amp.  It's not really an antique, just make sure it is functioning properly.  If needed you can send it to CJ in the Wash DC area and they will check it out and fix it if necessary. They are a great company to work with. It will be a significant upgrade to the Adcom.

One last thing, I would strongly recommend getting a stand alone phono preamp to use instead of the one built into the Mac.  You don't have to spend huge money there.  There are plenty of choices in the $400 to $600 dollar range that should be a noticable improvement.  (Even the Schiit Mani at $149 might be a step up and worth a try.)

In the end, going forward, take your time, do your research, and be methodical in evaluating and testing.  And enjoy the music!

(Oh, by the way... current is spelled with an e, not an a.  ...Mom was an English teacher... lol  )

Good luck.

-Jeff