tube/power

[khenegar]

I would like to know how much power you feel is enough power to drive the Summits while watching movies and playing Audio at decent levels. thanks

 

[Rich]

For a tube amp, powering the Summits for watching movies and listening to music at realistic volume levels, I would recommend a minimum of 100 wpc, and preferably 150 wpc or higher. But wattage is only one factor to consider. You also need to make sure you have an amp with a beefy power supply that remains stable into lower impedances. The topology of the amp and the types of tubes used can both affect their ability to drive the Summits effectively. I can attest that my Conrad Johnson Premier 140 stereo tube amp (140 wpc) excels driving the Summits.

 

[tsv_1]

As a datapoint, I can tell you that 70W/CH (ultralinear) was almost enough power in my 2-ch audio-only system while the Summit-Xs were in residence... but there were times where I could clearly detect compression in the form of soft clipping which was of course unacceptable. It helps that the Summit's have a powered LF driver, so many hundreds of watts is most likely not required in most cases. But at least in my case, 70W with a quality tube amp sporting KT88s just wasn't enough juice. I basically agree with Rich that somewhere appreciably north of 100W is a reasonable target assuming a robust design that can handle low impedance load scenarios.

Cheers

 

[David Matz]

I think it depends - on your taste, your preferences, your live music references, the hifi sound you are used to hearing, your wallet, etc.

If you listen to vocals or small scale material that doesn't have huge dynamic swings, 140 wpc would be fine. But, for my taste, I do not think the CJ 140 monoblocks were enough when I heard them on the Summits. But the 140 wpc Atma - Spheres are, which are also A LOT more expensive.

If I couldn't get the atma-spheres, I would look at VTL 450's or higher. But these are not cheap either.

I always liked amps that can respond to any dynamic verve in the perfromance, kind of like passing a slow driver on the road with ease. Even my VTL 750's do not grip the Soundlab panels and slightly peter out on the highs compared to solid state amp like CJ 350 or Sanders or Ayre Monoblocks (but VTLs are pretty damn close and better than any tube I have heard). It all depends what compromises you are willing to make. The best way is to audition or to buy on the used market and sell what you don't like.

 

[donberry]

I use a ss amp on the woofers and a 75 wpc Mingda MC34AB on the panels.

 

[gmartan]

Funny thing. Even though the Summit woofers have their own amps, the more powerful the amplifier feeding them the better bass control is exhibited. I have tried a number of combinations and, for me, the best over-all results are achieved by a 200-400 watt solid state DIRECT-COUPLED amplifier fronted by a modern tube preamp.

 

[Rich]

It's not just the power of the amp, but the quality of the design that affects the Summit's bass response. Because the Summit's internal bass amps take their signal from whatever amp you have hooked up driving the Summit, there is some synergy involved between those amps. Some amps, even SS, will make the Summits sound muddy and slow in the bass, while others will produce tight, good-sounding bass. You really need to experiment with different types of amps to find one that matches well. I can say for a fact that Sunfire, Pass Labs, and Sanders Sound amps all sound great with the Summits. I have heard Anthem amps that made them sound awful.