[holman]

I'm getting ready to buy a amp for my 626s.The preamp I'm going to use is a Manley Lab Neo Classic 300B.Any recommendations.What would the smallest wattage amp that I can use.What would be the ulimate amp.Thanks

[ricmon]

Son of Ampzilla 2000 which is what Brian Chaney uses at VMPS.

[Scottdazzle]

A more economical but high quality option would be the Odyssey Stratos.

[Wayne1]

What size room are you going to use them in?

Are you also going to be using a sub?

Any room treatments?

I have used quite a few different amps with my many pairs of 626Rs. At the Midwest Audio Fest I used a 75 wpc tube amp (two EL-34s per channel) to drive the 626Rs full range while using a larger sub to fill in the bottom octave in a fairly large room.

I have used digital amps, most recently a pair of Spectron Musician III. They were VERY clean and tight. Also $15,000.00 a pair 

The "Ultimate" amp would be the one you like the best in your room. No one can tell what that may be.

At RMAF this year, I will be using a pair of 626RSDE with Eastern Electric M156 tube mono-block for the mids and highs and a Levinson clone solid state amp for the woofers. The tube mono-blocks are 160 watts each and the solid state amp is 250 per channel.

The amp selection will depend on what type of sound YOU like. Tube, transistor, or digital. Each has it's pluses and minuses.

I would suggest a minimum of 50 watts for full range use. I did use a Response Audio Bella Extreme 3205 (50 wpc) to drive a pair of RM-30s at RMAF a couple of years ago. That sounded very good.

[Se7en]

I think that a lot of this will also come down to your room, but I've heard a pair of 626s played to brilliant effect using 50 watts of class A Bruce Moore. Keep in mind that this was in a relatively small but well treated listening space.

[Brian Cheney]

I should mention Wayne just sent me a highly modded DCX2496 for programming which will be in use with the 626Jr. at RMAF.  It will include room correction.

Wayne: do you want me to send a sub with the 626Jr SDE's?

[Waltlaw]

     I run my 626 Jr.s very nicely on Outlaw's RR2150 receiver, with 100 watts a side.

[John Casler]

Contrary to intuition the 626R can soak up LOTS of watts.

As far as what amp will be better, you have as above, many different options and opinions.

Wayne's mention of using the SDE (Special Digital Edition) 626 also opens up some interesting possibilities due to the fact that placing the amp "AFTER" the digital crossover and not having to drive passive XO components makes some great TUBE amps and lower power amps a real option.

Brian might be able to better explain just what power each amp might need to be in the SDE Biamp mode, but I have a feeling it will not have to be 100-200watts. like in the passively XO'd 626.

In the standard 626R and 626jr, in a normal sized room you should seriously consider at least 150w per channel if not more for the best performance.

200-300 watts from a good amp, absolutely transforms the 626 into something most haven't experienced.  I can only imagine what the big Spectron would do for that little (actually not so little) stand mount.

[Brax]

There is a pair of Ampzilla 2000 mono blocks for sale in the marketplace sub forum on this web site. $3500 for the set seems like a great deal, they are under a month old. If I had $3500 I'd pick them up for my 40's.

[Darac]

My choice is solid state with power between 100-200 watts. I used this speakers before than buying RM30.

[chipperman]

 I am far from set up yet with my 626R's, as they are sitting on a pair of folding chairs. (I've a ways to go yet). They are being driven full range with 250 watts/side from a Wyred4Sound amp. On both pink noise and single tone test signals they play to 25 Hz with no apparent drop off until the 20 cycle tone. I am constantly checking to see if the sub is on, they play that low. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it myself. The huge power reserves of this amp really control these speakers, and I am listening at levels I never thought I could tolerate because the sound is so clean. The midrange still isn't dialed in as I haven't got the final placement ready, and I have the TRT caps, but it took 450 hours to really get them to settle down, however the wait was worth it. This amp has great bass control.