Cinenova Grand Cinema 3 or Odyssey HT3 For VMPS Sub?

Hank Rearden · « **on:** 16 Jan 2003, 06:06 am »

I was curious if anybody had an opinion about which amp would be better suited to power a VMPS New Larger Sub with all the add-on's?

ODYSSEY FULL BLOWN XTREME MONO'S
ODYSSEY HT3
ANTHEM AVM20
ARCAM CD72T
MODWRIGHT P-3A DAC
VERITY FIDELIO
BOLDER/GRONEBERG CABLES/IC'S

THANKS FOR ANY INPUT.

Tyson · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 06:38 am »

Crown K2, last subwoofer amp you'll ever need.

Tyson · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 06:38 am »

I'd bet the xtreme mono's would be better used for the RM40's. . .

Hank Rearden · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 06:44 am »

I have been trying to convince the better half to make the switch to the RM-40's but their size is not the easiest thing to sell. I enjoy the Fidelio's sound but she enjoys they way they effortlessly blend into the "Decor." This will take time....

Marbles · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 01:07 pm »

I have a K2, it's the last sub amp I'll ever need............ Highly recommended.

JoshK · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 02:29 pm »

Does the K2 have built in low pass? I assume it has adjustable gain. Or do you use an electronic xo w/ it?

Marbles · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 03:05 pm »

No XO in the K2. His AVM20 has one though

K2 has left and right attenuators, and it has a way to take one input and output it to both channels.

Awesome power, no fan and runs cool....

It is not cheap though, on Ebay you can get them in the $900 range.

audiojerry · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 03:31 pm »

Welcome Mr. Enforcer, we need someone around here to police all the bad behavior .

Both of the amps you mention would seem innappropriate for dedicated subwoofer amplfication.

I reviewed the Odyssey's vs the Cinenova in a home theater setup on Harmonic Discord, and it was no match. The Odyssey's were easily superior in every way. (PS: I am not an Odyssey owner) If you are serious about HT amplification, do seriously consder the Odysseys. They have incredible drive, and run cooly, which is an important consideration when you are amplifying 5 or more channels. If you live anywhere near Milwaukee, you'd be able to hear a demo in a dedicated HT system, but you'll have to wait about 6 months.

You have some great components. I've always wanted to hear the Fidelios. How do you like them? Also, if you don't have the Monolithic power supply for your P-3A, it is well worth the investment; the improvement it makes is wonderful.

nathanm · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 06:05 pm »

So far I've run my VMPS sub with a QSC PLX-1602, an Antique Sound Labs Wave 8 and a pair of IRD MB-100 monoblocks, all using an external active XO. I use the QSC most of the time with it, but it needs to be quarantined because of that

fan! Just get anything without a fan in it, that's my advice. It's a shame, because it is a lovely looking amplifier. Remarkably, the wee Wave 8 did a good job with it. But I can't listen loudly, so who knows? Personally I find it hard to hear differences in just a single isolated band of the spectrum. The QSC is nice because it has level trims, which are rather handy. I myself couldn't justify spending more money on the amp than I did for the sub, but your priorities may differ.

Anthony C · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Jan 2003, 07:31 pm »

I agree on using the Crown (or QSC) You will get equal performance of an "audiophile" amp at a fraction of the cost. I tried a bunch of different amps witgh subs (ATI, QSC, Cinepro, MB-100, etc) and the pro amp was equal or better than all but the Cinepro (which in bridged mode is the best sub amp I've ever heard) Also, I think your better off using a seperate amp on your subs. I found that using one channel of an amp which was powering other speakers caused performance to drop for both the sub and mains/surrounds.

John Gordon · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 Jan 2003, 12:56 am »

Nathanm,
Sorry to hear you do not like the fan in the PLX. Please do not be too frustrated, because there is a remedy. You can install a quiet fan for home use that works very well.
Fans that are quiet that work in a PLX, DCA, or PL2 series amp are:
Delta AUB0824L
Delta AFB0824L
Panaflo (Panasonic) FBA08A24L
Papst TYP8414L
SanyoDenki 109RO824H402
Fan requirements: must 24V (not 12V). Size is 80mm x 80mm x 25mm. Quiet fans are usually rated 23-24dB or lower.
Replacing the fan is quite simple. No soldering required.

nathanm · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 02:58 am »

Thanks John, but I'm one step ahead of ya!

I just installed the Panaflo fan I bought from Digikey. WOW!!! It is freaking excellent! MASSIVE reduction in noise! It's near silent now. You have to be right on top of it to hear the little whirr it makes. Sweet. The amp is now sitting proudly out in the listening area where it can breathe the free air (and dust!) Thanks for those part numbers!

I am betting the sucker will run hotter now though. Oh well, not like I can play it loud anyway.

I think it's time to consider these type of fans for my computer as well.

Oh yeah, I'm hoping I got the direction right. Is the air supposed to blow OUT the back vent?

JohnR · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 08:11 am »

Quote from: nathanm

Thanks John, but I'm one step ahead of ya! I just installed the Panaflo fan I bought from Digikey

Hey, which one!? Do you have the part number? I can't find any Panaflo fans in the right size on their site

Airflow is supposed to be from back to front...

JohnR · « **Reply #13 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 08:13 am »

Oops, never mind, I just found it... duh

Brandon B · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 03:55 pm »

I have an HT3. I used to run a small sealed "sub" (10" lambda woofer) with it while I was running my mains off the other 2 channels. It was good, but I later switched to a Crown MA2402 (fairly similar to the K2, same power, a little more expensive and it's got a fan, K2 has higher damping rating).

Big difference. Now some of this is attributable to the HT3 being asked to run 2 Maggie MMGs and the woofer, while the Crown was running woofer only. But for woofer only duty, I don't think you can match the performance of a Crown or QSC.

BB

John Gordon · « **Reply #15 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 05:01 pm »

Nathanm,
If you have the fan blowing toward the rear, then I am sorry to say that you have it backwards. The airflow should be from rear to front. If you have any questions, please let me know.
btw, you said, "I am betting the sucker will run hotter now..." this may be true, but I think you will be surprised that it will be cool to the touch.

nathanm · « **Reply #16 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 07:11 pm »

Well yes, I say hotter in a relative way. When I came home last night a homeless person was huddled over my SE-9 but the QSC attracted nobody. It's a shame, because the large top panel would be great for making flapjacks.

Oops, wrong direction, eh? Oh goodie, I get to take it apart again! That cardboard whatsit was kind of irksome. Is there some trick to getting those two ribbed plastic inserts out of there? I ask just out of curiosity because I already cut and drilled them out. I notice with the new fan the little flaps don't go over. Maybe I have something funny going on.

Hell, maybe I'll just unplug the fan entirely and see if it goes into thermal protect. (doubt it) The 20db LED barely flickers in my sytem when the kick drums play, so as you can imagine I keep it pretty quiet.

Boy, this thread certainly has gone off topic. Where's the scolders?

John Gordon · « **Reply #17 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 07:24 pm »

Nathanm,
I'm sending you detailed instructions on how to replace the fan via your e-mail address. The instructions are in a Word document.
If you take a little time, say 10 - 15 is all, you should have no issues at all.
The "cardboard" or paper cover is a dust cover to help prevent dust from getting all in the amp. The plastic fan shroud can be tricky, but once again, with a little patience all goes well.
If you were to unplug or remove the fan completey, the amp would get very hot. I would not recommend that.
Your flapjacks comment made me laugh. Good one.

Ferdi · « **Reply #18 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 07:29 pm »

Nathan, can't you keep a topic on, eh, topic?

nathanm · « **Reply #19 on:** 30 Jan 2003, 07:53 pm »

Ferdi: You be quiet you swaying 8th note you! It wasn't ME who started talking about fans in QSC amps in this thread! I accept NO responsibility for steering this one off course. Hell, even the sysadmin is part of the problem!