[tbrooke]

I am starting to think about going active - I don't have the SDE yet but I am thinking about what would best fit for each range--
I noticed some folks like tubes on the mids and highs and solid state for the bass.

In looking at what specs I could find for rm30 m:

The tweeter on the RM 30 looks to be Cantus Aurum with the following specs:

    * Rated impedance: 6?
    * Rated Power: 30W
    * Sensitivity: 96dB/W/M
    * Frequency range: 1700Hz-40kHz

Looks to be very efficient 6 ohm should be easy to drive

The mid panels look like neo 8 or neo 8 pdr that puts them at 4 ohms 94 db - my understanding is that 3 of them would either increase or decrease the impedance depending on whether they are wired in parallel or serial - so possibly you would need an amp that is stable at very low impedance

I am not sure about the woofers here I am sure you would need more power - Greater damping factor? not sure about impedance but it may be an issue with multiple drivers

I guess my point is that once you go active you have different needs in amplification for the different drivers and frequencies.

so in amp shopping maybe:  class A 10 - 15 watt amp for tweeters, something stable at a low impedance for mids, lots of watts for the woofers.

Any thoughts

Tom

[simon wagstaff]

For the money the AVA u70 would be the ideal amp for the top end. I am dying to get things together to be able to pick up a pair of RM 30 to use as an SDE with that amp on the top end. Bottom end I don't think would matter too much. 200 watts would be good. the DCX will allow you to match levels if I understand correctly.

[PLMONROE]

For the money the AVA u70 would be the ideal amp for the top end. I am dying to get things together to be able to pick up a pair of RM 30 to use as an SDE with that amp on the top end. Bottom end I don't think would matter too much. 200 watts would be good. the DCX will allow you to match levels if I understand correctly.

I certainly agree on the AVA u70.  But (respectively) I am not sure I would agree with the part on "Bottom end I don't think would matter too much". I am actively bi-amping (ss on bottom and tubes on top) and as a trial switched my present ss amp with one previously rated A by Stereophile. PGH -- sound was definitely degraded. I don't think the amp was undeserving of the rating so much as it just "didn't fit in with my system". So I think you also need a good amp for the bottom end as well but you also need one that gives synergy. A suggestion might be to try a previously owned PS Audio HCA-2 which also was previously rated A by Stereophile and which can usually be found on Audigon in the $600 range. Actually a pair of these for vertical bi amping would sound pretty darn good if you aren't insistant on tubes on the top.

Paul