AudioCircle
Industry Circles => GR Research => Topic started by: rtate on 16 Jan 2021, 03:12 am
-
Is it worth the extra effort to build mono blocks instead of a single chassis amp to drive speakers like the x-otica mtm ?
Is keeping the speaker (GR research design of coarse :D ) cable length shorter i.e. 3 feet instead or 8-10 feet something that would be very desirable ?
I'm not sure I would hear a difference.
Planning my next projects and trying to think ahead :green:
-
When I went from a stereo power amp to monoblocks with my NX-Otica MTMs there was a big improvement.
-
I am using 18" speaker cables from my monoblocks to the speaker drivers. Big difference over long speaker cables. Everything sounds more immediate more like live music.
-
So do you guys place your amps right beside the speaker ?
And then how long are your interconnects ?
-
Mine are 10' balanced XLR cables from DAC's to monoblocks.
-
The reason to pursue monoblocks is better sound. Cable length is a minor consideration.
-
Yes, my power amps are next to the speakers while while the source equipment and preamp are at the other end of the room by the listening position.
My interconnects are 25ft long. In the past they were single ended RCA cables but now my system is balanced so I use XLR cables.
-
Don't forget, long, unbalanced IC's make great radio antennas.
-
The reason to pursue monoblocks is better sound. Cable length is a minor consideration.
This.
-
Thanks for the info guys !
I just cant imagine that I would actually hear the difference between a 3 foot speaker cable and a 9 foot speaker cable of the same quality.
My concern with building mono's is that then I wouldn't be able to swap amps in and out easily...
and like mentioned above my interconnects (antennas :D ) go from 3 feet to 8 feet
-
The cables have some beneficial effect however, the majority of the sound quality improvement comes from having a separate power supply for each channel and the physical noise isolation between the two channels.
It comes down to what is more important to you, the improvement in sound quality or the convience of a stereo amp.
I’m talking about the difference between stereo and mono power amps. If what you are really asking about is the difference between an integrated amp and separates, that’s a different but related topic
-
Definitely separates !
My other option for building is to build in one chassis as a complete "dual mono" with as you said separate power supplies including 2 transformers.
-
Definitely separates !
My other option for building is to build in one chassis as a complete "dual mono" with as you said separate power supplies including 2 transformers.
You'll still get a lower noise floor with separate chassis. If you really wanted to get OCD about it you could use two chassis per channel, one for the power supply and one for the amp.
As for length of the speaker cables, it comes down to where you place the respective amps. In my setup, the difference in speake cable length between a stereo amp and a mono block would be less than a foot. In reality I used the same speaker cables so no difference there.
Stereo amp position
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=219584)
Monoblocks
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=219585)
-
That's the exact speaker set up that I want to build !! :green:
Are those the x-otica crossovers on the floor ?
Where are they in the mono set-up ?
-
I'll add my vote for monoblocks. I have mine directly behind the speakers.
I have all my equipment on the side of the room, because I've found having open space between the speakers helps a lot with the imaging. I run long balanced interconnects from the preamp to the monoblocks. Good quality balanced interconnects are less expensive (and much easier to hide) than good quality speaker cables, and I think have much less deleterious effect on the sound quality than long speaker cables.
I'm running 8 meter interconnects. In the past, I did a fair amount of testing between shorter balanced cables and longer lengths and (as long as I was using a device with a low output impedance) I could not tell the difference between short (1M) and long (tested up to 10m) lengths.
But I agree with Mike and Early B that the primary benefit is completely separating the circuitry including power supplies. Besides eliminating any channel-to-channel interaction in the power supply, it also eliminates a major cause of ground loops caused by having two separate ground connections between the amp and preamp (more of an issue with single-ended connections than balanced connections).
-
That's the exact speaker set up that I want to build !! :green:
Are those the x-otica crossovers on the floor ?
Where are they in the mono set-up ?
Yes, those are the crossovers. They are currently behind the speakers. Normally they are mounted on the base of the speakers. I just wanted to do something different