Amp recommendations for Speedster MTM center channel and Speedster TMM

[TheYoungPope]

Last year I built a pair of Speedster TMMs and a Speedster MTM center channel.

MTM inspiration from Mike220: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/fo...-channel-build The woofers are technically 4ohm but according to Paul Carmody, they operate more like 6ohm speakers. I currently have a Denon AVR-x1300W which has puts out 120W at 6 ohm on "2 Channel Drive".

I am considering buying a receiver that has pre-outs to accommodate a 2, 3 or 5 channel amp for under $1k (new or used) but I don't know what the maximum number of watts the Speedsters can take. Does anybody know or have any recommendations? I have a medium sized living room and would love to damage my hearing further when the wife and kids are out of town. In my other post, it was mentioned that 200wpc would probably be a healthy upgrade with plenty of headroom.

Any specific amps people recommend for this set-up? Any input is much appreciated.

[TheYoungPope]

In my other post somebody mentioned ~200Ws. Does anybody know anything about the "Proceed AMP 3" is a three-channel, single chassis THX-certified, power amplifier rated at 125 watts x 3 into 8 ohms and 250 watts x 3 into 4 ohms. Would that be a good fit for my set-up?

[Psycoacoustics]

In my other post somebody mentioned ~200Ws. Does anybody know anything about the "Proceed AMP 3" is a three-channel, single chassis THX-certified, power amplifier rated at 125 watts x 3 into 8 ohms and 250 watts x 3 into 4 ohms. Would that be a good fit for my set-up?

I think so! Good luck!

[BrianRIC]

According to the spec sheets, the Tang Band W4-1720 used in the Speedster will handle 30 watts RMS, and 60 watts peak (x 2 woofers). The Fountek NeoCD 1.0 will handle 12 watts RMS, 25 watts peak. So I would think an amp rated for 60-70 watts RMS would be suitable. If you had 100 watts RMS, that would allow for some head room. Your Denon pushing 120 watts with 2 channels driven should easily extract the full potential from the Speedsters. I really don't see the need to upgrade if your only reason is to have additional power on tap. It seems to me that 200 watts would not give you any additional performance from these speakers.

I will disclaim that I'm not an expert, and there are others more knowledgeable who may be able to weigh in.

[TheYoungPope]

According to the spec sheets, the Tang Band W4-1720 used in the Speedster will handle 30 watts RMS, and 60 watts peak (x 2 woofers). The Fountek NeoCD 1.0 will handle 12 watts RMS, 25 watts peak. So I would think an amp rated for 60-70 watts RMS would be suitable. If you had 100 watts RMS, that would allow for some head room. Your Denon pushing 120 watts with 2 channels driven should easily extract the full potential from the Speedsters. I really don't see the need to upgrade if your only reason is to have additional power on tap. It seems to me that 200 watts would not give you any additional performance from these speakers.

I will disclaim that I'm not an expert, and there are others more knowledgeable who may be able to weigh in.

That makes sense. I just never thought of the Denon as having significant power and in the write-up for the Speedster Paul says they should be able to handle any mid-fi amp. Happy to find other ways to waste my money though.

[BrianRIC]

I believe your reading the section that says "

Bottom line: the Speedster TMM should be no problem to drive with any mid-fi amp or better (eg: if it's rated for "6 Ohms," you're golden)."

He is not referring to the speaker's ability to handle the full power of a mid-fi amp, he is referring to the mid-fi amp's ability to drive the speakers. Some might look at the specs for the W-4-1720 and assume that 2 in parallel would be a tough 4 ohm load, which could cause a lesser quality amp to overheat.

I certainly don't mean to discourage you from upgrading your receiver. I just don't think you are lacking power with your current set up. There are plenty of other reasons to upgrade a receiver.

By the way - how do you like the Speedster home theater setup? I was looking at those as a potential build myself.

[TheYoungPope]

I really like it - I had a set of NHT towers/center that I inherited but built these with some extra money. I mainly listen to music and don't watch much tv in my living room but the clarity is really impressive. The woofers on the towers work really hard when I'm cranking the music but the tweeter keeps right up and everything is pretty balanced until the upper range.

[BrianRIC]

Sounds good! You should post some pics. So far I have built the C-Notes (my first build), an Overnight Sensation MTM for my center channel, and a Dayton RSS315315HFA sealed sub. I'm still using my old Bose 161's for surrounds. I was amazed that the C-Notes sounded better than my Bose 301's, which were almost 3x more cost. They did not have as much bass, but the mids and highs were way better. And the OSMTM was way better than my Bose VCS-10 center.

I can only imagine how much better the Speedster MTM/TMM's would be.