Recommend amplifier: usb input, min 100W at 8ohms, HPF control

A

adrhc

Junior Audioholic
hi, I need a recommendation for an amplifier capable of driving 2 speakers (e.g. Revel Concerta2 M16, KEF LS50 Meta, etc).

Mandatory, minimal requirements:

  1. usb input (nice to have: optical, Toslink but not coaxial)
  2. drive at least 2 speakers
  3. min 100W at 8 ohms
  4. min 120W at 6 ohms
  5. able to work with 4 ohms speakers
  6. features subwoofer out (1x RCA) + LPF control or line-out (2x RCA)
  7. allows for adjusting the HPF for the speakers (very important)
  8. won't use a fixed LPF on the subwoofer out
  9. under 1500$ (ideally under 600$)
  10. Bluetooth, if present, should be possible to be turned off
The best candidate I found is miniDSP SHD Power (it has more than I need but is expensive), have you a better suggestion?

1709468448829.png
 
Last edited:
A

adrhc

Junior Audioholic
the 1st two options in the list don’t feature a HPF which is critical for me; I don’t know yet about the rest
 
ski2xblack

ski2xblack

Audioholic Field Marshall
The minidsp piece is nice, but gets a premium for Dirac room correction. Do they offer a version without Dirac? (Good speakers, which those Revels and KEF models are, are unlikely to benefit from "room correction" eq.)

Unfortunately, stereo kit with bass management is a niche market. If you want full bass management in two channel kit it's going to be expensive. The few options I know of are even more pricey than the miniDSP. Parasound HINT are nice but expensive. Outlaw's retro styled integrated has comparably crude but effective analog bass management, but its in the same cost ballpark as the miniDSP (if it's even available over there).

Any AVR would have bass management, but one with your power requirements will be mid tier and up, also expensive (but dime-a-dozen on the used market, which may be the most cost effective route).

My office setup is similar to your proposed setup, and to avoid the relatively huge form factor of an AVR I use a slimline Marantz AVR and outboard amplification. By the time you piece that together, it's also getting up there in price.

All the options (except used) are a far cry from the Yamaha stereo integrated you were contemplating in your other thread. How critical is the ability to high pass your mains to you? Enough to spend the extra $1k? Saving that money and foregoing a hpf won't be much of a compromise unless you plan on really flogging the speakers. How loud do you expect to listen? How big is your room?
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
hi, I need a recommendation for an amplifier capable of driving 2 speakers (e.g. Revel Concerta2 M16, KEF LS50 Meta, etc).

Mandatory, minimal requirements:

  1. usb input (nice to have: optical, Toslink but not coaxial)
  2. drive at least 2 speakers
  3. min 100W at 8 ohms
  4. min 120W at 6 ohms
  5. able to work with 4 ohms speakers
  6. features subwoofer out (1x RCA) + LPF control or line-out (2x RCA)
  7. allows for adjusting the HPF for the speakers
  8. won't use a fixed LPF on the subwoofer out (preferably use no LPF)
  9. under 1500$ (ideally under 600$)
  10. Bluetooth, if present, should be possible to be turned off
The best candidate I found is miniDSP SHD Power (it has more than I need but is expensive), have you a better suggestion?

View attachment 66192
There is no unit that precisely fits your description. However this one will do what you want at the right price. Crutchfield have it on a good discount right now.

This is really your only option within your budget that will do everything you want.
 
ski2xblack

ski2xblack

Audioholic Field Marshall
While I like that more than the rs501 he was looking at before, it too lacks full bass management/hpf for the mains that the OP wants.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
While I like that more than the rs501 he was looking at before, it too lacks full bass management/hpf for the mains that the OP wants.
It does not lack an HPF. The unit does definitely have a high pass filter.

Speakers Full Band/Low Cut Sets the frequency bandwidth output to the left/ right speakers. If you select low frequency cut, the configured crossover frequency is applied. If a subwoofer will not be used, the setting cannot be made. Crossover 40 Hz to 200 Hz Sets the speaker and subwoofer crossover frequencies. If a subwoofer will not be used, the setting cannot be made. It is all on page 51 of the user manual.

This unit will do everything the OP is seeking.
 
ski2xblack

ski2xblack

Audioholic Field Marshall
I stand corrected. That would check all of the boxes on the OP's list.
 
A

adrhc

Junior Audioholic
The minidsp piece is nice, but gets a premium for Dirac room correction. Do they offer a version without Dirac? (Good speakers, which those Revels and KEF models are, are unlikely to benefit from "room correction" eq.)

Unfortunately, stereo kit with bass management is a niche market. If you want full bass management in two channel kit it's going to be expensive. The few options I know of are even more pricey than the miniDSP. Parasound HINT are nice but expensive. Outlaw's retro styled integrated has comparably crude but effective analog bass management, but its in the same cost ballpark as the miniDSP (if it's even available over there).

Any AVR would have bass management, but one with your power requirements will be mid tier and up, also expensive (but dime-a-dozen on the used market, which may be the most cost effective route).

My office setup is similar to your proposed setup, and to avoid the relatively huge form factor of an AVR I use a slimline Marantz AVR and outboard amplification. By the time you piece that together, it's also getting up there in price.

All the options (except used) are a far cry from the Yamaha stereo integrated you were contemplating in your other thread. How critical is the ability to high pass your mains to you? Enough to spend the extra $1k? Saving that money and foregoing a hpf won't be much of a compromise unless you plan on really flogging the speakers. How loud do you expect to listen? How big is your room?
I guess it's hard to get what I'm looking for but it doesn't hurt asking here for it :)

The area for which I prepare the setup is:
1709419478090.png
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I guess it's hard to get what I'm looking for but it doesn't hurt asking here for it :)

The area for which I prepare the setup is:
View attachment 66227
That Yamaha unit I listed will do exactly what you want. That is the only unit in the world that will do what you asked for, other then getting a full AVR or AVP and an external amp. Those are your choices, I can assure you there are no others.
 
A

adrhc

Junior Audioholic
That Yamaha unit I listed will do exactly what you want. That is the only unit in the world that will do what you asked for, other then getting a full AVR or AVP and an external amp. Those are your choices, I can assure you there are no others.
thank you, indeed, Yamaha R-N1000A is wonderful; does it feature the HPF for the speakers?
 
mono-bloc

mono-bloc

Full Audioholic
That Yamaha unit I listed will do exactly what you want.
The problem with the yamaha, is the OP doesn't want to pay for it. He want's all the whistles and bells, but only has pennies in his budget instead of pounds

We get this all the time, people get carried away with advertising or product promotion, until it comes down to the price, Then they complain that the product is far to expensive, Forgetting the old saying, "you only get what you pay for, Pay Peanuts, get Monkeys"
 
ski2xblack

ski2xblack

Audioholic Field Marshall
That's not a huge room. If you pick the Revels, the Yamaha that TLS linked would be a good match, both power and features.
 
A

adrhc

Junior Audioholic
Read his post #7 above
that #7 post I didn't understand; now I see that is referring to Yamaha R-N1000A; I'll study the manual to learn how I can use HPF though it would be helpful if someone would point me a video or something with pictures to better understand it
 
A

adrhc

Junior Audioholic
The actual subwoofer volume and crossover frequency are set by the YPAO function of this product. However, during Pure Direct playback, they follow the subwoofer's setting. When using Pure Direct, adjust the subwoofer volume and crossover frequency to your favorite value, and then run YPAO.
I intend to use Pure Direct which is fine for me when considering the subwoofer (I can adjust its LPF); I'm not sure about HPF, that one has to be enforced by Yamaha.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I intend to use Pure Direct which is fine for me when considering the subwoofer (I can adjust its LPF); I'm not sure about HPF, that one has to be enforced by Yamaha.
You should use the crossover in the integrated amp, and max out the low pass filter on the sub (it is only a low pass filter, it is not a crossover). You generally do not want to combine low pass filters.
 
G

Golfx

Full Audioholic
that #7 post I didn't understand; now I see that is referring to Yamaha R-N1000A; I'll study the manual to learn how I can use HPF though it would be helpful if someone would point me a video or something with pictures to better understand it
I’m confused. If you are intelligent enough to know what you want and need, why do you need this forum to do your research for you. Google works fine for all of us.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I’m confused. If you are intelligent enough to know what you want and need, why do you need this forum to do your research for you. Google works fine for all of us.
He's also doing it in audiosciencereview and is being a bit stubborn there, too. Starting to smell troll
 
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