Are there other good amp options for powering Genelec AIW26 in-wall speakers other than the RAM1 that comes with them? (i.e. for used speakers missing the original RAM1 amps, which I'm not sure how much would cost either) Maybe a standard amp plus a MiniDSP unit? Thanks!
I think you had better get hold of a RAM1. With respect, I don't think you understand the operating principle of these speakers.
These speakers are active. This means the crossover at 3.5 KHz is done by an active electronic crossover ahead of amplification, rather than the more common passive crossover after amplification.
So the active crossover produces the signal for the tweeter and the woofer, and then there are two amplifiers, one for the tweeter, and one for the woofer. So yes, two 120 watt amps per speakers and not one.
Now I suspect that they used two amps of 120 watts, because they did not want to design two amps. 120 watts is an awful lot of power to connect directly to a tweeter crossing over at 3.5 KHz. So there must be some sophisticated protection/limiting circuitry to protect the tweeter. If not tweeters would be blowing left right and center. I'm sure the high frequency amp has a DC blocking cap on its output at the least, and I would bet there is more.
Now the really tricky part and the big climb, is not knowing the order of the crossover slopes, and if the orders changes with frequency. Active crossovers allow for much more accurate crossovers and increase the options for the designer enormously. Now I'm talking the electrical slopes and orders here and not the combined electrical and acoustic slopes of the drivers combined with the electrical slopes, which is the final order and description of the crossover.
Now if you are experienced you might be able to make a crossover from mini DSP, but you won't get there by trial and error. You will need instruments and careful measurements.
It would give you are good leg up, if Genelec would tell you the specification of the electrical slopes and also what they did to protect the tweeter. Without protection one click or pop from the amplifier to the tweeter and its toast.
So at the minimum you need two amplifiers per speaker and a custom active electronic crossover per speaker. You also need speaker protection. The RAM1 also has HF and LF slope controls which would not be essential.
However you do this it is going to be expensive. My guess is that it will be cheaper to buy the RAM1 units than trying to do a custom reduplication.
