[varsharun]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum but have heard a lot about virtue on other forums. Few questions about the Sensation models:
1. Can they be bridged to run as mono?
2. Do they have 8 ohm taps? (no rear side pictures on the site)
3. To get the max rated 87wpc@4ohm power, which separate power supply do I need?

Thanks,
Arun

[PSB Guy]

Okay, since no one else has answered yet, I'll give it a try and someone can correct me if I'm wrong:

1. From the website:
Q: Do the units have a bridged mode?

A: The units are already bridged. Each channel on our ONE/ONE.2/TWO/Sensation amps supports 87 watts. Choose L or R and you'll get a bridged "mono" unit that uses all the power you can throw at it. Warning: outputs are not ground and the units outputs cannot be connected together in any way.

2. From the Virtue One/Two Manual:

You may connect speakers with an impedance of anywhere from 2 ohms to 16 ohms, without problem. Lower impedances may cause the amp to shut down; higher impedances may not have optimum frequency response. But you'll be fine with the vast majority of speakers on the market. Running the amp without speakers will not harm it.

I think the same applies to the Sensation, but I'm not 100% on this. I agree that the website could use more detailed pictures  .

3. One of the linear supplies (JT Dynamic/Antek/Astron) or batteries.

Again, anyone feel free to add, correct, dispute or otherwise change anything.

[varsharun]

PSB Guy, thanks for the info. Not clear on the power output though. If the Sensation is normally 87wpc when used as a stereo amp, wouldn't it be close to double that when used as mono with a single channel powered? At least that's my limited understanding of how class A or AB amps work but maybe class T is different.

-Arun

Okay, since no one else has answered yet, I'll give it a try and someone can correct me if I'm wrong:

1. From the website:
Q: Do the units have a bridged mode?

A: The units are already bridged. Each channel on our ONE/ONE.2/TWO/Sensation amps supports 87 watts. Choose L or R and you'll get a bridged "mono" unit that uses all the power you can throw at it. Warning: outputs are not ground and the units outputs cannot be connected together in any way.

2. From the Virtue One/Two Manual:

You may connect speakers with an impedance of anywhere from 2 ohms to 16 ohms, without problem. Lower impedances may cause the amp to shut down; higher impedances may not have optimum frequency response. But you'll be fine with the vast majority of speakers on the market. Running the amp without speakers will not harm it.

I think the same applies to the Sensation, but I'm not 100% on this. I agree that the website could use more detailed pictures  .

3. One of the linear supplies (JT Dynamic/Antek/Astron) or batteries.

Again, anyone feel free to add, correct, dispute or otherwise change anything.

[PSB Guy]

Sorry Arun, I'm out of my depth here. Anyone else? Anyone? Seth?

[dvenardos]

There isn't much of an advantage to only using one channel if you are using a high output power supply. The advantage when using the lower output power supplies is that the single channel will pull all the available power supply and since the power supply is really underpowered for two channels you will get more output of the single channel. This advantage goes away when using one of the higher output power supplies. Since each channel is already bridged you can't bridge the two channels together to get higher output.

[PSB Guy]

That's what I thought, thank you for expressing it in a way that I couldn't. The Tripath chip that is used in these amps can only put out around 90 watts per channel max bridged, and that level is reached when using the linear supplies or batteries. Now I understand and I hope you do too Arun.

[virtue]

Thanks to my team-mates for playing a strong 8 innings!

We use two Tripath/DDX power chips in each of our amps which are voltage limited to 30v.  With enough current on tap, these will produce 87wpc at 4 ohms.  That means you'd need around 180w PSU to run both channels full-out.  If you run "mono" mode, you just use one of the power chips.  If you've got less than 180w in your PSU, you may see more headroom than running the unit stereo... but maybe not.

Some applications need more power, most do not.  As a rule of thumb, if your speakers are 87db or more sensitive, you will be satisfied with the power.  Mark & Daniels can be lower sensitivity -- less than 84db -- yet still many of their customers are very happy with our amps.

30-day money back... give them a try!

[varsharun]

Thank you all for the info. I may spring for the M901 sometime soon.

-Arun