Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Driving expensive speakers with cheap amps

Just wondering if anybody ever tried hooking mass market amps like Onkyo with Wilson Audio or some other high end speakers with regular cables?

Does it sound like crap or still sound pretty good?

I have tried a few amps on my Giya G1/Devialet system. Rotel class D 250w, Audiolab class AB 250W, and some others using absolute rubbish speaker cable ... they all work just fine, the differences are subtle and mainly have to do with imaging, tonal purity and bass control etc.

It all depends, if you spend the money on expensive speakers, then a good amp that will drive them well and have reserves of power is money well spent.

I thought my Devialet was a bargain
D premier (not upgraded) 250w/channel, included in the amp is an amazing phono stage, DAC, headphone amp, AD, pre etc. all for 4500 quid... and best of it, it is a very fortunate pairing with the speakers. 3 wire setup, power to the Devialet and 2 speaker cables...

If the amp can deliver the required amount of power without clipping and with some headroom, then it has the potential to sound very good. The power requirement obviously depends upon a number of factors such speaker efficiency, listening distance and desired volume. What you are usually paying for with expensive power amps is the capacity to meet transient high power demands into low impedance loads.

Speaker cable is an emotive subject. Here’s an interesting discussion

Until recently, I was driving reasonably expensive speakers (Vivid Audio at £6K) with a relatively inexpensive, low powered power amp (Naim NAP100; £600) using inexpensive cables (£5\m). The SQ was superb.

I tried running the Naim Audio Supernait 2 into a pair Sonus Faber strads and it kept turning itself off when it was being driven hard.

Most times the surprise comes the other way around: cheap speakers with 'high-end' cables and amps/equipment... Many show such an improvement you wouldn't believe.

BTW many 'high end' speakers have good sensibility (90 real dB even more) and some have drivers that do not need lots of current, filters with quality components than do not suck power, big and well designed cabinets free from trouble...

So yes, when you pay your money in a good speaker you are doing some kind of investment: you will not 'need' very expensive equipment and they will last many many years.

This, and their crucial significance (related to the room), is why the speakers are IMO the key of any system.

Curious your question came in this forum! Meridian just makes active speakers as you know (a totally different world but mostly with the same 'rule').

Regards,
Josep

+1

At audio shows, I've heard identical pairs of speakers driven by different amps in different rooms. I found it amazing how the same pair of speakers could sound like crap in one room and incredible in another. It made me think again about the ratio of budget allocated between speakers and amp. It also highlighted the issue of how important it is to make sure you get an amp that is a good match for your speakers and vice versa. You should always try to audition them together in your home if possible.

How an amp works with a given speaker depends mostly on the efficiency (read current requirements) of a speaker and the current available from a given amp. If you were listening to the same speakers in different rooms the room's acoustics would IMHO far overshadow any cable difference, assuming you weren't listening to 24 gauge lamp cord as speaker cable of course.

Ken

Hence the Meridian approach of active speakers properly designed for those of us who feel life is just too short to Hot Rod a Hi Fi.
I appreciate plenty of people love to do this, which is great.

Chris

Ken,

Looking into Cliffs "interesting discussion" above and extrapolating on the early chart, that 24 gauge lamp cord should be fine up to about 7 feet.

Gary

Hope this isn't going to degenerate into a cable discussionSuperb as they are, the Meridian sound isn't for everyone.

All other things being equal (especially the room), IMHO speaker design has one of the biggest influences on SQ.

Couldn't agree more, from another analog devotee.

Despite its DSP legacy, Meridian makes very good analog amps. They are extremely flexible and very underrated in power and reputation.

Good point Gary. Nothing wrong with zip cord with the right length/gauge ratio. Years ago when we were in the preamp business I got some Levinson speaker cable which turned out to be nothing more than 10 or 12 gauge (I forget) zip cord with good, solid terminations. I was using a variety of good speakers and amp combinations and they worked just fine.

Ken