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Power Amps with High Current or High Damping

A fellow Audiogoner and I have the same monitors. He's run into the same problem that I did when trying to fill a 14' x 35' room.

I found out, completely by accident, that when I replaced my Herron preamp and monoblocks (150 wpc) with a Karan integrated (170 wpc), the Karan solved the problem.

Though the wattage was similiar, the high current and/or damping factor of the Karan took a hold of the speakers and made them play whatever it was sending. The monitors are completely up to the task and never broke up.

Jim is trying to keep his cost for an amp that will control his monitors like this to around $3,000.00, give or take. He asked me about a McCormack DNA 225, but I don't know anything about McCormack amps.

I would like everyone's thoughts about the McCormack DNA 225 and suggestions for other amps that would fit the bill.

Thanks,
Chuck
krell_man

Showing 1 response by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,099 posts
 
Whatever is going on here, damping factor (which is over-rated) has little to do with it. The speaker has a moderate impedance without a lot of phase shift- a tube amplifier as commented in the reviews can work with it just fine. In fact you don't need a lot of 'current'- you simply need the power to make it play since an 89 db efficiency is going to need some power behind it to make it play to convincing volume in a moderate (say 17'x25' room), depending on the program material.

So there is some difference between the two amps first mentioned that is not stated in the specs. It could be something as simple as reacting differently to the same speaker cable, which was not changed, at least so far as we know.
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