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Amp for bi-amping AR9's


Joel

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I am using a Dynaco 416 to drive my AR9's. I am thinking of finding another amp to Bi-amp the speakers. How many watts are recommended for the other amp? The Dynaco is 350 watts into 4 ohms.

What section would the Dynaco be better for- the upper or lower? I have a chance to get a Marantz 140 amp at 75 watts- is this too small?

Any other recommendations are welcome, but I would like the look of the amp to fit the styling of the Dynaco (Silver Face, etc.)

Thanks.

-Joel

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Hey Joel

Awesome set-up! I have no experience with bi-amping but will bet the Marantz will look really cool with your Dynaco. And I've always admired Bryston. What's their warranty? Is it 25 years?

Based solely on what I have read, I believe you want more power for the low end, and once you take the woofers out of the equation the Marantz should be fine for the upper end but again, this is only my understanding and not first-hand experience. Just wanted to comment on how cool your system is (and will be!)

Kent

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Thanks Kent,

I love the Bryston 1B preamp. I got it a few months ago, and it had an issue with the power button. I sent it to a Bryston service center, and they fixed the button, replaced the power cord, cleaned and recapped it. The warranty is 20 years, but this one is a bit older. The total cost with shipping was $225.

-Joel

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Hi Joel,

Ideally identical amps for the upper and lower would be best.

With your options Kent is correct. You want more power for the lower end. And the Marantz should work ok but don't forget the "Lower Midrange" will draw some juice too.

The Dynaco 416 is a sweet looking amp for sure.

I have my 9's biampped with two Carver TFM-45's.

You'll enjoy your 9's biampped. It's the way to go with them.

Good luck!

John

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Definitely go with identical amps, another Dynaco 416 would be ideal. Also consider vertical bi-amp: one amp for each speaker. The power rating of your 416 is in the nice range for the AR9 speakers.

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It will probably be over $100- for shipping, plus packaging - so the amp price itself is less than $700- ......

Sounds like a better deal than the Yamaha to me.

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  • 1 month later...

The reason I was considering bi-amping was a definite lack of bass. I think the drop-off in bass was a gradual decline that finally got to the point that it really bothered me. I borrowed another amp (Onkyo A7090) to try out bi-amping, and in comparison, it really made me realize that my Dynaco was having issues.

I have since recapped the amp, replaced some resistors and the power switch. The difference is pretty astounding. My AR9's have never sounded this clean and authoritative. I may consider bi-amping again later if I can find the right amp to do it with, but for now I am really happy.

-Joel

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