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Would this setup work?(amp & preamp)

post #1 of 6
11/28/11 at 10:45pm
Thread Starter 
I have 2 Cerwin Vega VE-15F's on the way and would like to get a amp & preamp for them. The setup(can't post live links yet):

2 x Cerwin Vega VE 15F
+
Samson-SX1200 Amplifier
&
Gemini PA-7000 Preamp

Now these both seem to be dual voltage and I'm going to need that because I'm moving to Europe next Spring. Also, my budget is not that high, around $500 for both.

Would this setup work? Considering the dual voltage requirement, can you recommend an alternative? Thank you!
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post #2 of 6
11/29/11 at 9:48am
Take a look at Emotiva's USP-1 pre and UPA-2 amp. Both are 120/240 capable - and switch automatically. They are a bit above your budget but you might find them used on A-Gon or the Emotiva Lounge Emporium.
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post #3 of 6
11/29/11 at 1:29pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks! Would the XDA-1 be a good preamp? It's cheaper than the USP-1.

Also, would the UPA-2 be powerful enough for these speakers? Or should I go with the Emotiva preamp and the amp I wanted initially(or one of equal or more power)?
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post #4 of 6
11/29/11 at 3:13pm
Your speakers are 95db efficient. They'll take 400w of power but Gawd All Mighty! You'd go deaf in no time. Unless you are using them in a very large space there is no need for more than 75-100w.

The XDA will work great if all your sources are digital. It has no analog inputs. I have one - it can be used as a preamp no problem. I use mine just as a DAC - a computer sound card. Very nice unit.
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post #5 of 6
11/30/11 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Knucklehead90 View Post

Your speakers are 95db efficient. They'll take 400w of power but Gawd All Mighty! You'd go deaf in no time. Unless you are using them in a very large space there is no need for more than 75-100w.

The XDA will work great if all your sources are digital. It has no analog inputs. I have one - it can be used as a preamp no problem. I use mine just as a DAC - a computer sound card. Very nice unit.

They arrived this morning. Plugged them into an old Onkyo and they sound great(not as clear as other more expensive ones, but I like them).

I've been reading all day about power and headroom and it seems like most people recommend a little more power for this kind of speakers. I don't listen very loud usually, but there are times when I get carried away.

So... would it be wrong to go with something a little more powerful than the Emotiva amp that you recommended, like the Crown XLS1000(215W/ch@8ohm) and the Emotiva XDA-1(my sources are all digital) for a preamp?

Thanks!
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post #6 of 6
11/30/11 at 6:04pm
The Crown amp is a pro amp. It has fans inside that can get very noisy. Keep that in mind if you want to buy one. Behringer makes the A500 pro amp which has no fans. It doesn't have quite the power of that Crown amp and only a bit more than the UPA-2. Neither of those pro amps are trigger activated - you'll need to turn them on and off manually. The UPA-2 has a trigger input that the XDA-1 will be able to use to power it up and down.

How much power do you need? Probably not more than the UPA-2 is capable of and for the most part you'll not likely use even half it's power most of the time - especially with the efficiency of your speakers. Headroom sounds like a great concept - in practice changing out an amp with 100wpc to one with 200wpc only nets you 3db. Most human ears cannot distinguish a change of 3db.
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