Hello everybody, I hope somebody can help a newbie
In short, my questions are:
1. Will Sonic Impact T-Amp/amps work with
Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micro speakers?
2. Have they got enough power?
3. Will I need
T-Amp or
Super T-Amp? 4. Will I need one or two amps for a surround-sound set up incorporating
Anthony Gallo’s MPS 150 powered sub?
5. Can anybody help me understand how to do the wiring/connections?
6. If I can’t use Sonic Impact products, what else would anybody recommend that is small, and inexpensive?
What I’m really looking for is a small, inexpensive amp/amps that will work OK with my speakers. Ideally, I’d like for it to be ‘set-up & forget’, hidden from view, behind a plinth, so it needs to:
- be small enough to fit in a space 8’ x 8’ x 3ft
- not generate too much heat
- not require a remote control after set-up
The speakers are Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micros, working with a MPS 150 powered subwoofer. They replaced a Bose system, partly because I’m hoping they’ll sound better (especially mid-range) and partly because I’m replacing my TV, DVD, Radio, CD with a micro-pc, like
this one, with multi channel sound.
Anthony Gallo’s user manuals are almost incomprehensible to me – probably because I hardly know anything about high-end audio – but as far as I can tell,
it appears to be possible to use the sub’s amp to power the front L, R and centre channels. The trouble is, I can’t work out from the manuals how to make the connections work (and Anthony Gallo has not responded to my emails to the US address or UK – where I live). The
manual says:
Option 2 . Connect the center and rear surround channels directly to the receiver and set to small
enclosure. Connect the front channels (left & right) to the subwoofer via the high-level speaker outputs.
The subwoofer will need to have an adjustable or fixed crossover that can be set to only allow frequencies
of 80 hz and higher at a minimum to go to the Micros. (preferably 100 to 120hz and higher) Once this has
been done, then connect the subwoofers high level inputs to the receivers speakers connections. It is very
important to always be consistent with the (+ & -) of the speaker wires to avoid phase problems. Wiring in
this manner will allow you to run the front left and right speakers at full range. (Large enclosure) A second
subwoofer could also be run off the LFE outputs of the receiver.
I don’t really understand it, but I think it means that I would only need another separate amp to power the rear L&R – is that right? The manual for the sub/amp is
here, but didn’t really make much sense to me either.
Having trawled the web, it seems my options are very limited by the small size I need. I looked at was the Sonic Impact T-Amp (specs
here) – helpfully cheap at $40, and people seem to rave about it.
However some reviews like this and this, suggest it wouldn’t perform as well with speakers that have a sensitivity below 90dB. The Gallo speakers are rated at 89dB. It turns out this amp has a bigger brother,
the Super T-amp, which some reviewers (
example, and
here) indicated would work with 89dB speakers. Can anybody tell help me understand whether it could work, what the implications are? Also, can anybody tell me if 6 watts/per channel at 8 Ohms is enough for my speakers?
One more thing, the cabling that the previous owner of our house installed for speakers (under the floor, in the walls) is double insulated twin core electrical cable, in case that makes a difference - will I need to try to replace that.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micro
Frequency Response 80Hz to 18 Khz
Sensitivity 89db / 2.8v into 1M
Nominal Impedance 8 Ohms
Power Handling 100 Watts
Driver 3” Full Range
Anthony Gallo MPS 150 powered subwoofer:
Frequency Response 24Hz to 160Hz
Nominal Impedance 4 Ohms
Power Handling 240 watt RMS, 500 watts peak
Driver 10" long throw
Crossover 40Hz to 160Hz variable
