Is the XA25 a realistic option for LRS’s?

Thanks @russ69 

From what I understand the nominal watts rating is less important than the amps ability to deliver current without sagging. 
The XA25 is 25wpc into 8 Ohms but 50wpc into 4 Ohms and 100wpc into 2 Ohms.

It’s reportedly stable into 0.5 Ohms…. Which means it has the ability to shoot out a lot of current.

The LRS are pretty much straight 4 Ohm across the band with some dips down into the 3 Ohm territory 

Thanks all...really appreciate hearing from the folks who’ve had first had experience with these pieces of equipment.

I realize I’m kind of having 2 conversations at once with myself

(1) XA25 vs F7

&

(2) Will the XA25 play nicely with my LRS’s. and....If it does, that may help sway my decision ....even though the LRS’s aren’t going to be my primary speakers.

My plan is to at least try to listen to one of the First Watt amps and the XA25 in the coming weeks...and then make a purchase sometime this summer.  I feel drawn to the F7 from what I’ve read but, no, I’ve never heard it.

I also feel like, given what I’ve read only, the XA25 could be an investment worth making that is a forever amp. My belief is the XA25 will be way more versatile and in control across a variety of speakers and sources/preamps.

@johnah5 Are you able to summarize the broad strokes differences between the two?

The heat of a powerful Class A amp is a concern but I also have an O.Sayes 2a3 SET with a beefy power supply that puts out a lot of heat and a Van Alstine SET120 that doesn’t. So I’m OK turning on the Class A amps when I want them and using Class A/B when I don’t. ***Note -As far as I can tell, that Alstine 120w into 4ohm solid state amp really drives the LRS’s well. It gets warm but not hot. Of course maybe a more powerful amp would make the speakers sound better....I don’t know since I haven’t done much testing with the Maggies yet except for hooking them up to my 1976 Yamaha CA-2010.

Regarding my listening room, etc....My room is untreated, but decently damped by furniture, rug, curtains, etc. It’s lively but not too much...I feel it strikes a nice natural balance. I may invest in the room at some point in the future,. I’d like to measure but don’t have REW or the mic at this point. It’s medium (13x18) but has two big openings in the walls to other rooms.

As long as I’m in the house I currently own, I’ll never have speakers bigger than the LRS’s. Maybe could see some horn loaded Klipsch’s down the road or something similar. But it’s a small 100-year old house.

I listen to a huge variety of music but not crazy loud. typically in the 70-80 db range. Mostly pop, rock, acoustic jazz, classical (chamber music), avant guard, world. Not too much purely electronic or heavy beat oriented music...but sometimes I do. Currently only streaming and have been focusing on my digital front end despite having a ton of LP’s. I am sort of waiting to put together my analog system until other things get sorted out.

Best,
JS

@russ69

as I mentioned earlier they are in a diagonal placement in my room … so coming out of the corner and my listening position (couch) is at the opposite corner.

I believe this placement is doing a lot for the image, depth and bass.

The outer sides - i.e., the far left side of the left speaker and far right side of the right speaker are 4 feet from the wall…the inner sides are 5 feet from the walls behind them.

Hard to describe

Heres a link to a photo of the room looking in from one of the two aforementioned big wall openings.

you may need to copy and paste it

https://i.postimg.cc/Fz6fY697/05083553-9991-4932-B9-D2-11-E9345-A9175.jpg

Also, for what it’s worth , tweeters are on the outside , not a lot of toe-in and the speakers are on Magnarisers

thanks

JS

@mesch

that’s great news and the info I was hoping to hear when I started this thread.

I don’t have the XA25 yet but plan to pick one up in the coming months.

My room is the same size as yours and my plan is to use the XA25 with my LRS’s as well as the Fritz speakers.

My preamp has a bit more gain (20db) and I typically listen with volume well below 85db peaks and avg around 72db so I think this all will play nicely.

Do you plan to keep this pairing going forward?