[glenmschneider@gmail.com]

I have the 250wpc plate amp. I didn't realize there was the possibility even to upgrade; although after reading some of these posts, it seems like there is plenty of customization potential I was not aware of.


 

[DBT AUDIO]

I have the 250wpc plate amp. I didn't realize there was the possibility even to upgrade; although after reading some of these posts, it seems like there is plenty of customization potential I was not aware of.

I have the 250 watt plate amp as well.  I read about the bass extension the X Series owners are experiencing and I haven’t been able to get that level of bass frequency with my X5s in my 17’x18’ room, which has a 2-story ceiling and open on the right side and rear.  I’ve pulled them off the wall as far as I can at 32”, plus GIK’s 6” bass absorbers behind them and the amps start clipping when I play tunes that have reasonably deep bass.  I don’t come close to the bass I heard from the M3s at Linear Tube Audio.  I was shocked at the M3s bass extension!

[morganc]

I have the 250 watt plate amp as well.  I read about the bass extension the X Series owners are experiencing and I haven’t been able to get that level of bass frequency with my X5s in my 17’x18’ room, which has a 2-story ceiling and open on the right side and rear.  I’ve pulled them off the wall as far as I can at 32”, plus GIK’s 6” bass absorbers behind them and the amps start clipping when I play tunes that have reasonably deep bass.  I don’t come close to the bass I heard from the M3s at Linear Tube Audio.  I was shocked at the M3s bass extension!

Yeah that's a lot of cubic feet to fill!  I have an even larger room.  I'm gonna add 2 x dual servo subs (GR research ) soon. 

[abomwell]

FWIW, the plate amp on my X5's says 35O watts max.

[DBT AUDIO]

Yeah that's a lot of cubic feet to fill!  I have an even larger room.  I'm gonna add 2 x dual servo subs (GR research ) soon.

I’ve been trying to put off on adding subs.  I was hoping the active subwoofer in the X5s would resolve my need for a subwoofer.  They haven’t in my current room.

FWIW, the plate amp on my X5's says 35O watts max.

Wow, I didn’t know they had a 350 watt amp?  I thought they only used the 250 or 500 watt amps.  Interesting…

[glenmschneider@gmail.com]

So it turns out mine says 350 watts max as well, but when I looked up the model it appears to be 250 rms and 350 peak.

I have a very large open room as well and its a long story but I tried other speakers WITH a REL S510 sub before the Spatials and the Spatials with no sub sub yield better bass in this space(not as low though). I never tried the Spatials with the REL. If I ever go back to a sub route I would probably stick with Open Baffle also, but definitely 2 of them.

One thing I would also point out is that when I got the Spatials, for some reason the sub was set to the wrong filter on both speakers and the bass extension was very lacking. On the plate amp there is a tiny button that can be pressed that cycles through the filters. Once I cycled to the correct filter, it was the equivalent of turning the sub on.  Yours is probably already set right, but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

 

[abomwell]

I noticed that in 2019 Magnepan was on tour with a prototype speaker called "M30.7 For Condos" that included two dipole subs, each having 8 dynamic woofers in a V shaped configuration, that would blend with their panel. I read they were perhaps working on getting a patent on the sub. There has been nothing on the web regarding actual production of that model. As far as I know there are no commercially available dipole subs other than in kit form. Whether or not they actually introduce that model is still a question. And, if they do, whether or not the sub would be individually sold.

[Desertpilot]

... One thing I would also point out is that when I got the Spatials, for some reason the sub was set to the wrong filter on both speakers and the bass extension was very lacking. On the plate amp there is a tiny button that can be pressed that cycles through the filters. Once I cycled to the correct filter, it was the equivalent of turning the sub on.  Yours is probably already set right, but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

Yikes!!!????!!  Who knew this was a thing?

[abomwell]

One thing I would also point out is that when I got the Spatials, for some reason the sub was set to the wrong filter on both speakers and the bass extension was very lacking. On the plate amp there is a tiny button that can be pressed that cycles through the filters. Once I cycled to the correct filter, it was the equivalent of turning the sub on.  Yours is probably already set right, but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

What should the setting be? My X5 is set to P1.

[doggie]

One thing I would also point out is that when I got the Spatials, for some reason the sub was set to the wrong filter on both speakers and the bass extension was very lacking. On the plate amp there is a tiny button that can be pressed that cycles through the filters. Once I cycled to the correct filter, it was the equivalent of turning the sub on.  Yours is probably already set right, but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

Interesting. Did you contact Clayton to describe a lack of bass and he then gave you the instructions to check for and set the correct filter?

My X5's are set to P1 also and they have very good bass.

Thanks.

[TomS]

Interesting. Did you contact Clayton to describe a lack of bass and he then gave you the instructions to check for and set the correct filter?

My X5's are set to P1 also and they have very good bass.

Thanks.

The amps are either Hypex Fusion nCore FA251 (250w) or FA501 (500w), though most, including my X5's, have the 500w version.

My understanding in talking to Clayton some time ago is that there is no DSP used at all (flat), regardless of setting on the Hypex amp (3 memories are available). He probably needs to clarify this himself though.

[DBT AUDIO]

The amps are either Hypex Fusion nCore FA251 (250w) or FA501 (500w), though most, including my X5's, have the 500w version.

My understanding in talking to Clayton some time ago is that there is no DSP used at all (flat), regardless of setting on the Hypex amp (3 memories are available). He probably needs to clarify this himself though.

That’s my understanding as well.  My X5s have the FA251 (250w).  That’s why I was interested in knowing what amps some X5 owners had because some say they have experienced really good bass extension and I don’t. I understand doubling the wattage should offer another 3db of gain or a tad bit more.  The 500w amp would probably get me where I want to be with bass extension.

[glenmschneider@gmail.com]

I received my X5s the first week of November, 2021. I found the filter button about a week later, pretty much as soon as I plugged the speakers in. As an aside, the first week I was breaking them in I was in a temporary location without the subs connected (after speaking with Clayton he recommended this approach for me based on the delivery location and keeping the speakers boxed to move them later).  About 2 weeks after I got them in November, I saw Clayton at the CAF show and talked to him about the filters. He confirmed that I did the right thing and he contemplated at the time about maybe setting all three filters the same moving forward so other people did not encounter this. Not sure if he is doing that now or not.

I'm intrigued that different X5s have different amps and I wonder what the performance difference is; and if there is a big difference, the LOE to upgrade.  But either way I would not be in a rush to do that.

@MorganC - Per Clayton and my experience, break-in time will be shortened greatly playing at louder volumes. 
------------------------------
Current Rig Configuration:
Power                               Dedicated 12 gauge line
Power Cords                   Wadya
Power Cord Speakers     Factory
Streamer                           Auralic G1
DAC / Preamp                   Rockna Dreamlight
Amp                                   Triode Lab 45 M-II ffx Single Ended Monoblocks -4.5 Wpc
Conection Preamp to Amp   Analysis Plus -AES XLR
Speaker Cables                   Non-specific (next on list to upgrade)
Speakers                           Spatial Audio X5

[Tyson]

That’s my understanding as well.  My X5s have the FA251 (250w).  That’s why I was interested in knowing what amps some X5 owners had because some say they have experienced really good bass extension and I don’t. I understand doubling the wattage should offer another 3db of gain or a tad bit more.  The 500w amp would probably get me where I want to be with bass extension.

It's unlikely, IMO, that a little more power will get you what you're looking for.  With an acoustic space that large, you're probably going to need more woofers in the form of open-baffle subs.  It's just too much space for a single 12 inch (or 15 inch) OB woofer to properly fill. 

[DBT AUDIO]

I'm intrigued that different X5s have different amps and I wonder what the performance difference is; and if there is a big difference, the LOE to upgrade.  But either way I would not be in a rush to do that.

My filter is set on P1.  I’m curious as to what revisions/upgrades do speaker manufacturers make to their speaker models before they decide to consider them a newly revised model?  For example, Wilson Audio built several evolutions of the legendary Watt/Puppy speaker, from the first model all the way up to V.8, which they made several upgrades to keep the line fresh.  Currently, the X series is in its 1st generation and some of us have different subwoofers.  Originally, I thought the 250w amp was for the X5 and the 500w amp was for the X3.  Wrong….  Lol…

[DBT AUDIO]

It's unlikely, IMO, that a little more power will get you what you're looking for.  With an acoustic space that large, you're probably going to need more woofers in the form of open-baffle subs.  It's just too much space for a single 12 inch (or 15 inch) OB woofer to properly fill.

I lean in favor of your opinion as well, but I will find out very soon and let you know.  To be continued…..