I picked up the NuForce a couple weeks ago and was planning to have my CEntrance dacmini modded to variable outs. When that was a no go, I ordered a Luminous Audio Axiom ii passive preamp. Luminous Audio takes the specs on your amp and speakers (as well as the dac) and designs the preamp accordingly. Put it all together today, and even tho it’s just a few hours out of the box I’m pretty blown away. Excellent soundstage and imaging, bass is tight, excellent midrange and the background is dead quiet. I highly recommend the Axiom—about $220.00 with the upgraded Caddock Resistor. |
Haven’t had any issues with mine playing 4-6 hrs at a time, actually gets only mildly warm, but I’m running 8 Ohm speakers. |
Has anyone switched out the PC on the STA200? I have a Transparent Audio Premium PC coming tomorrow- curious to see what other folks are using.
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The TA Premium PC came yesterday, quite an improvement over the less expensive TA PC that preceded it. I’m running AQ dbs Jaguar IC’s from my pre to the amp- I think that’s the next upgrade... |
Sort of a newbie question: I’m thinking of buying a second STA-200 in case I decide to add a second system to my house. In the meantime, is there a way to use both amps as monoblocks? I could rebuild the x-overs on my diy speakers to biwire and run one amp for tweeters and another for woofers, but I’m not sure how I might run one amp per channel. |
Thanks MrD. With vertical bi-amping, what happens (if anything) to stereo imaging if both R and L channels are powering the drivers in one speaker?
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Maybe I’m overthinking this- if one amp’s R and L channel play thru one speaker, and the other amp does the same thing thru the other speaker, do you get the same stereo separation as if you were using one amp?
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Hi MrD-
Are you using a dac with the STA-200? If so, which one? I think we’re both using the same passive pre amp. I’m using a CEntrance dac mini, but thinking of upgrading.
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Been reading about a lot of dacs, trying to figure out what might best match this amp. NuForce has the Dac-9, there’s the Metrum Acoustics Amethyst, and I very tempted to go tube rolling with the Jolida Tube fx Mk3. I listen exclusively thru Tidal via laptop and rarely use headphones. Would like to know what other STA-200 owners are using.
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I thought about the Pro-ject Prebox, but this where it gets a little complicated.....I’ve had this system together only 1 year, started from ground zero, and now I have upgrade-itis. Deciding what to upgrade next is tough. With the STA-200 as the mainstay of the system, I think maybe the CEntrance is good enough, for now. My diy speakers are excellent, as are my diy cables. However, I bought the basic Luminous Audio passive pre-amp, and I’m thinking the upgrade to the Walker Mod might be the biggest bang for the buck right now. |
Read the link quoted above. I don’t pretend to understand all of the amp’s measurements, but I know from speaker building that some that measure well don’t sound particularly good, and vice versa. My speakers have a good 5dB peak from 10 kHz to 20 kHz; they don’t measure flat. But that steadily increasing response has a lot to do with the air and detail I hear in the treble section. I could control for that peak, by filtering it out and up with a dull and lifeless response that measures flat. With the STA-200, I’m letting my ears be the judge, and apparently others are doing the same. |
Luminous Audio Axiom ii passive preamp works great with this amp. I use one, and I think another poster here does as well. Dead quiet even with the STA-200’s high gain. |
Had my amp for about a year now, no issues, great sound. Current speakers (diy) are 89 dB. Looking at a new design where efficiency would be 84dB. Be interested in hearing from anyone that’s paired this amp with lower efficiency speakers.
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With my current speakers at 89dB, it rarely ever gets even warm, and I can’t go beyond a quarter turn with my passive pre amp before it gets uncomfortably loud. Not sure if that translates into having the headroom for a driver that’s 84dB. I know that every 3dB increase in volume requires twice the power. So this new driver at 84 dB could require nearly 4 times the power play at the same level.
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