Hello, forum newbie here seeking amp advice

[audiofiler]

I got a hit on this site whilst searching for information on B&W Signature 7NT speakers and have been grateful for the advice people have contributed in other threads.

I have an amp question for anyone experienced in these matters.
B&W recommend that an amp with 150W power be used to drive these speakers, which seems like a heck of a lot given a lot of quality amps are in the 75-100W range for 8ohms speakers.

I have a choice to drive my pair of 7NTs with either:
My Sony STRDB940 AV amp (110W per channel) or by a specific stereo amp such as the Roksan Kandy K2 with a nominal output of 125W which I'll have to buy.
Also, if I use the Sony amp, I'll need a replacement AV amp with an equivalent power rating for my home cinema.
Do I take the audiophile route and use a dedicated stereo amp at twice the cost of a decent AV amp (currently some excellent deals here in the UK) or should I save the money since iTunes decoding will be the limiting factor on sound quality compared to the rest of the kit?

Thoughts much appreciated.

[atomicAdam]

Welcome to the forums. I'm sure someone will have a clearer answer than I.

But from reading around I've seen speakers suggested in a range 100-150W.

The amp you have now might work well enough depending on the volume you plan to play at/or the space you need to fill in the room.

Of course, the B&W Signature 7NT might have some special issues that mean that 150W is what is really what is needed.

You can always plug it all together and see how you like it.

[Mr Peabody]

My first thought is why buy such good speakers if you don't have a good source. Why buy B&W to listen to mp3.

Do you have two systems or just adding a power amp?

To answer your question, you will need and want the amp. A good amp should sound just as good on music as HT. The only reason I can think to label an amp "HT" or "cinema" is maybe it is multichannel. The Sony won't have the jewels to drive the B&W to their potential.

[emesbee]

I wouldn't get too hung up about the 150W recommendation either. An amp in the 75-10W should drive the speakers ok. Check out the sensitivity rating on the speakers though. Higher sensitivity means that a lower powered amp will drive them at a higher volume level than if they have lower sensitivity.

[audiofiler]

Many thanks for these responses so far.
To clarify some of the questions raised:
Signature 7NT's have 8ohm impedance (4ohms is not specified in the tech manual) and were recommended for the space I have to fill. "she who must be obeyed" specified "no boxes on the floor or on shelves". Hence, I've put these into the wall which has been approved as an agreeable solution.

Secondly, I wanted to get some good speakers so that I can purchase decent gear over time to enhance the overall quality of the whole system. Obviously, I'm not going to dig more holes in my extension brickwork in the future, I just wanted to do this once.

I think I'll look to get a decent integrated amp that can drive two sets of speakers (A+B channels) in the near term and move to using "proper" sources in the future.
I can use a decent CD spinner when I need it so it'll be good to spot the difference in quality.

[Mr Peabody]

Welcome to the forum Gman. I know you are on the right path if you recognize the importance of a good source. This point seems to escape many.

[winston]

hey guys ruff times but we are still buying $ selling....
i am looking at (ADCOM GFA-5400) OR (EMOTIVA XPA 3)
this will be used strictly for two channel stereo music. you all heads up on the above mention would be greatly appreciated... for preamp i have my ACURUS ACT 3 it has a bass management setup, hoping it'll be fine for whichever one of the two i choose ....

[blackraven]

The Emotiva is a lot of amp for the money and you can use it in a 3.1 set up for hometheater use. It has more power than the Adcom and its cheaper, but the Adcom has a better pedigree. Both will do the job. I own an adcom AVR and its well built.

I like the fact that the emotive has XLR inputs but this will only help you if your CD player and preamp have them as well.

[Hyfi]

Specs ask for 20-150w @ 8ohm so almost anything will drive them. The amp with the most current and lowest THD rating will always make them perform better than a cheap high wattage rated receiver.

Keep in mind, you only use 10-20wpc any most given times with the remaining wattage stored for big crashes, kick drum and the likes.


Nautilus™ Tweeter
Kevlar cone
2-way system
1x 180mm (7in) Kevlar® mid/bass
1x 25mm (1in) metal dome high-frequency
40Hz – 25kHz ±3dB
88dB spl (2.83V, 1m)8Ω3.5kHz
20W–150W continuous into 8Ωon unclipped programme.
Height: 371mm (14.6in)
Width: 255mm (10in)
Height: 337mm (13 .3in)
Width: 220mm (8.7in)
Height: 343mm (13.5in)
Width: 226mm (8.9in)
98mm (3.8in) From wall surface
Semi-matt white suitable for customising
or pre-painting
PMK™800
Kevlar is a registered trademark of DuPont. E & OE.
B&W Loudspeakers Ltd. reserves the right to amend details of the specification without notice in line with technical developments.
Copyright © B&W Loudspeakers Ltd. Printed in England.
B&W Loudspeakers Ltd, Meadow Road, Worthing, BN11 2RX Tel: +44 (0) 1903 524801 Fax: +44 (0) 1903 524725
B&W Loudspeakers of America, 54 Concord Street, North Reading, MA 01864-2699, USA
Tel: (1978) 664 2870 Fax: (1978) 664 4109
http://www.bwspeakers.com

[Mr Peabody]

The 5400's are cheap on Audiogon. I had one and it rocked a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60's. Keep in mind they are 4 ohm but also only 86dB efficient. My impression of the 5400 is it has a slight bass hump and can sometimes be bright. I mostly used it with a gtp-450 preamp though so the brightness might not be as bad with a better preamp. A nudge below -0- on the treble works too. This was a second system so I liked the bass hump for Rock & Pop discs. When I first bought the system I thought it was grainy especially on piano but when I upgraded the CD playback and probably some burn in I don't really notice it any more. Too bad you didn't catch me earlier you could have bought mine. I picked up a 5500 and didn't want the 5400 just sitting around. I guess it's the times but you can pick one of these up used for under $300.00. The 555 is older but
200x2 and about the same price. Sorry, no experience with Emotiva but do a search, Rich and Kex both recently bought their multichannel amp. If you are a guy who believes in a quality source the 5400 will do good. If you use cheap sources you might find the B&W's a bit bright driven by the 5400. For the money, even new, Adcom is a good value. I mean a $599.00 msrp amp that can drive the Dyn's with no sweat and sound decent doing it with a $450.00 preamp.........

I should add the original CD player I was using is an older Denon. I don't know the model but it's one of the higher end ones that is about the size of a receiver. The DAC's were a couple generations behind at the time but I find most of the Denon's a bit bright anyway. I picked up a Conrad Johnson solid state DAC and ran it off the Denon's digital out and even though the DAC was as old or older than the Denon the sound was vastly improved. I'm currently using my Audio Note 1.1x in there for now. The Adcom is good enough to let me hear the differences between all of these sources. Even with the gtp-450 that 1.1x and 5500 makes a sweet combo. But I'm getting of topic and long winded. Hope some of this might help. Check reviews on AR of both if you haven't yet.

[frenchmon]

I too have the Adcom 5400 and I agree with Mr.Peabody about it being a good amp. I have mine driving the front two channels of a Marantz 7.1 reciever and its no slouch.

frenchmon