Class AB or D for LCR?

[Sawtaytoes]

I have both the Monolith 8250X and the Monolith 7-channel amps.

Which amp should I use for my front and center speakers?

It looks like, based on the amp ratings, the 7-channel amp has less distortion, but the 8-channel amp takes 2 plugs.

I'm plugging these into 15A circuits, and I sit 8' away from my TV, so the speakers are close as well. I don't think they'll be peaking either amp. My speakers are all Polk Reserve R700 or R200.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have both the Monolith 8250X and the Monolith 7-channel amps.

Which amp should I use for my front and center speakers?

It looks like, based on the amp ratings, the 7-channel amp has less distortion, but the 8-channel amp takes 2 plugs.

I'm plugging these into 15A circuits, and I sit 8' away from my TV, so the speakers are close as well. I don't think they'll be peaking either amp. My speakers are all Polk Reserve R700 or R200.

I would use the class D Hypex amps on the front channels. Each amp has its own power supply. It will run cooler and more efficiently.

 

[Sawtaytoes]

Great! That's what I was thinking too! But what about my center channel? Isn't that also heavily in use?

One of the reviews had him putting it into one port and leaving the other port open, but that's pretty wasteful. My pre-pro is going to do 15 channels, and I have 15 channels of amplification, so I need all of them.

 

[lovinthehd]

Not likely any would make any difference in your use...but what levels are you driving things to and with what speakers and at what distances?

 

[Cos]

Sound wise, I doubt you would notice much of a difference between amp types. I switched my Parsound for ATI Class D and doubt I could tell the difference in a blind listening test. That being said, I no longer have any tweeter buzz and they run very cool. I vote class D. The buckeye amps are very well reviewed here and on ASR.

 

[Audiguy3]

I went from Mara 8807 amps to their AMP10 class D and it made a huge difference

 

[lovinthehd]

I went from Mara 8807 amps to their AMP10 class D and it made a huge difference

In what way?

 

[Sawtaytoes]

Not likely any would make any difference in your use...but what levels are you driving things to and with what speakers and at what distances?

My fronts are the furthest away at 7', center is 5', and surrounds are 3' away. Add 2' to the right or left because there's no comfortable "center" seat on this couch.

 

[lovinthehd]

My fronts are the furthest away at 7', center is 5', and surrounds are 3' away. Add 2' to the right or left because there's no comfortable "center" seat on this couch.

At those distances doubt amp is a particular shortcoming....use the more capable one on the front channels would be my usual way of doing it, even if no particular need/advantage but just having an amp

 

[Cos]

In what way?

about $4.5k?

In all seriousness, not that I doubt the observations, but it would be nice if he were to elaborate.

 

[CharlesJones166]

I have both the Monolith 8250X and the Monolith 7-channel amps.

Which amp should I use for my front and center speakers?

It looks like, based on the amp ratings, the 7-channel amp has less distortion, but the 8-channel amp takes 2 plugs.

I'm plugging these into 15A circuits, and I sit 8' away from my TV, so the speakers are close as well. I don't think they'll be peaking either amp. My speakers are all Polk Reserve R700 or R200.

Both the Monolith 8250X and Monolith 7-channel amps are high-quality amplifiers with plenty of power to drive your Polk Reserve R700 and R200 speakers.

Since the Monolith 8250X is an 8-channel amp, it may be more suited to powering a surround sound system where you have more than just the front and center channels. The Monolith 7-channel amp, on the other hand, is designed specifically for a 7-channel surround sound system, so it may be a better match for your needs.

That being said, either amplifier would work well to power your front and center speakers. If you have space constraints or prefer a simpler setup, you may prefer to use the Monolith 7-channel amp since it only requires one plug. However, if you prioritize the lowest distortion possible, the Monolith 8250X may be the better choice.

Ultimately, it may come down to personal preference and which amp you feel sounds better with your speakers. I recommend trying both amps and seeing which one you prefer.

 

[Sawtaytoes]

That being said, either amplifier would work well to power your front and center speakers. If you have space constraints or prefer a simpler setup, you may prefer to use the Monolith 7-channel amp since it only requires one plug. However, if you prioritize the lowest distortion possible, the Monolith 8250X may be the better choice.

Since I'm going 15-channel, 7 channel + 8 channel = 15, so I'll be using both amps actually.

I have plenty of space since there's no cabinet. If I had a TV console, then it'd be a different story, but I can't find one at the right height. They're either 32-36" (neck-breaking) or too low where I can't put anything in them and my center sits too low underneath.

I prefer low distortion, but from the website, the 7-channel has lower distortion.

8250X (0.01%)

7-channel (0.005%)