Pass Aleph amps suitable for HT?


Ok, I couldn't decide if this should go in 'Amps' or 'HT', so I put it here...

I am interested in any comments from people who may have considered, or are using the Alephs in a home theater system. I currently have an Aleph 3 amp, and love the sound it produces in my system (EAD transport and DAC, Sonic frontiers pre and Hales Concept 3 speakers)

I was thinking about an Aleph 5 for the FL, FR, an Aleph 3 bridged for the center, and an Aleph 3 for the rears. I have a Genesis 928 for the sub.

I know this is not a powerful setup, but I don't listen loud, and I am most concerned about musical fidelity in the system, because probably more than 50% of the time will be spent on 2-channel listening.

Is the Aleph line 'dynamic' enough for HT applications?

Any thoughs would be appreciated...

---Michael
mjm6

Showing 1 response by avdcreations

I have sold the Pass line for quite some time now, and can tell you from first hand experience with the Aleph mono's on a number of higher end speakers of moderate sensativity like your Hales, that they will not really do it for home theater...unless you iike to listen to your HT very softly and don't expect much in the dynamics department! Really, dynamics and clarity should be what your after for home theater, even with low level iistening!...just more of what the mixer intended really! The only speakers I've heard do well with 30 watt or so Mono's from the Aleph line-up are higher sensitivtity speakers like Wilson's!!! In this case, when your talking about using a speaker that's 94 db sensative or higher, you can get very strong snappy dynamic performance with a good hi-current/lower wattage amp like the Aleph's, yes. But in your case, your already working with a modest sensitivity 4 ohm speaker that need's all the dynamic assist it can get!...using marginally powered amps isn't going to help you if you expect wowwie zowwie from your HT playback! And for music, if you only listen to vocals, instrumentals and small chamber music, you'll be fine with a smallish amp(s). If you want HT playback capabilities, Rock, Pop, Full Scale Orchestra, Percussion, etc, you'll be less thrilled with your choice!
I still think, if you want to stick with Nelson Pass's gear, the Pass X150 and above will do better service for double dubties, mixed with a 3 channel for the rest of the set-up..just will!
At any rate, if you do decide on the Pass Aleph's, and it sounds like your set on em but just want some encouragement to do so, I'd definitly not concider running em full range for HT chores. You should also be rolling the speaker off up higher from your surround processor(at say 60 hz or above), if you want to salvange any hopes from the speakers slapping at you durring action sceens! And don't even think about using these Hales full range with no surround sound pre/pro doing your processing for you for movies!!!...this is a no no for quality HT playback! If you plan on using a standard 2 channel preamp and amp combo for doing your home theater listening, you'll get muy muy week Dolby Digital playback from DVD's!!! You need a good surround sound processor to get the dynamics from the soundtracks. Otherwise it just sounds flat and lifeless!!! If you don't think so, just give it a try vs. a quality surround processor and see!
Anyway if you like the Aleph's (and they're very musical, clear and refined sounding), and are set on using em, just make sure you use a surround pre/pro for HT, and set the speakers for "small"!!!...you'll be way ahead of the game. Also, the lower expense, but otherwise good enough quality for center and rear channel dubties type 3 channel amp's (like the ATI's, Aragon's, Proceed's, McCormmack's, Classe's, or minimally, Adcom's and Acurus's) should be fine for the added speakers! Dialogue is alway's going to sound boxy and colored from the center, with less important rear action going on durring movie's, so you can get away with some amp here that's a good timber match and similar detail to you Aleph's for 3 channel dubties. Have fun none the less...