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4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45942] Fri, 03 December 2004 14:19 Go to next message
Black is currently offline  Black
Messages: 12
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
I've been looking at both designs. I have a very small room 10 by 11 and am using a 2a3 amp. In previous posts you've said the theatre works much better than the stage with low powered amps. I don't really think I have room for the theatres. Would the stage work well with the 2a3 or should I look elsewhere.

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45943 is a reply to message #45942] Fri, 03 December 2004 20:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
steve f is currently offline  steve f
Messages: 238
Registered: May 2009
Master
Hi,

Consider the Professional 4Pi Series. The JBL 2226h is very tube friendly. I believe the driver has a Zmax of about 52-58 ohms.

Steve

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45944 is a reply to message #45942] Sat, 04 December 2004 00:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18787
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
What amp are you using? That makes all the difference in the world. For example, the Paramour amplifier is a parafeed circuit and it provides good bass with all the speakers I've connected it too. Any model π Speakers will work just fine. Other amps are more sensitive to the load. Those that are most sensitive might be best used with Theater fours or Thermionics. But I'm running Stage series on my Paramours and it works just fine.

Steve's suggestion of Professional Series is very nice too. That and the Audiophile Series both use low-distortion drivers with shorting rings. With low power, excusion is so low that distortion is way down. But premium drivers reduce it even more. Lots of good choices, and lots to think about.

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45945 is a reply to message #45942] Sat, 04 December 2004 06:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BNAL is currently offline  BNAL
Messages: 13
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
I was having the same problem. I'm moving and the room I want to put the speakers are to small for the Threatre 4's, but the stage 4's would work better from a size stand point. My concern has been that I'm getting the Bottlehead SEX amp, which only puts out 2 watts, and from what I have read on the forum that the stage do not do well with low powered amp. From what Wayne wrote below I'm more inclined to go with one of the stage 4's. Now that the SEX amps are shipping and I'm moving in two weeks, its time to buy one of them.

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45946 is a reply to message #45944] Sat, 04 December 2004 14:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GarlandGarland is currently offline  GarlandGarland
Messages: 60
Registered: May 2009
Viscount
Hi Guys,

Concerning the use of the Baby Bottlehead amp, 2 watts really would need a pretty efficient loudspeaker in a normal size livingroom, but in a small room (700cu ft) I'd think any of the Pis would work. With the Paramours 3.5W and Theater 4's, I've had to reduce the gain of both my preamp)Foreplay) and Paramours to stay in a suitable volume range in my 1400cu ft room.

Question for Wayne: What is it about the parafeed output of the Paramours that makes the impedance at resonance less important? I've been wondering about this since the reports of good pairings of Paramours and the other previously considered incompatible Pis have gotten me wondering about "upgrading".

Thanks,

Garland

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45947 is a reply to message #45946] Sat, 04 December 2004 15:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18787
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

I haven't really looked into the matter because it is essentially a Bottlehead thing. So I can only offer an observation and a hunch.

The observation is that Paramours don't seem to be affected by speakers with high impedance swings in the bottom octaves. They still make pretty good bass, and it doesn't seem to be modulated in amplitude by impedance fluxuations. It probably is to some degree, but I don't hear it like I do with other small-signal single-ended tube amps.

My hunch is that the parafeed configuration increases damping at low frequencies. It's like a wide bandwidth (low Q) resonance that assists output below 100Hz down to the bass cutoff point. It kind of sounds that way to me too.


Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45948 is a reply to message #45944] Sat, 04 December 2004 20:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Black is currently offline  Black
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Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
I'm using the handmade electronics 2a3 basic. Do you know how it would work. The pro suggestion sounds like a good one. I like the idea of the audiophile series but don't know how a 3 way corner horn would work in such a small room.

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45949 is a reply to message #45948] Sun, 05 December 2004 01:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18787
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Seven π's will sound thunderous in that room. It actually is kind of cool, almost like headphones. I think what's really more an issue is whether it will work with your furniture layout and living space. Being tucked into corners might help but you still are talking about a lot of speaker for the room, either way you go. Might consider tower two π's if space is an issue.

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45950 is a reply to message #45949] Sun, 05 December 2004 09:34 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Black is currently offline  Black
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Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
Wayne
I didn't really think the 7's would work too, small a room and definately not 3 feet of wall space available. Do you know if the load nature of the amp will work with the 4 stages or premiums? I was thinking the stages over the premiums because of the 2 db. difference in their output but if the differences in load interaction with my amp would make up the difference then I would love to get the jbl's.

Re: 4pi theatre or 4pi stage [message #45951 is a reply to message #45950] Sun, 05 December 2004 12:26 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18787
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I don't have any experience with that amp. Both Stage and Professional Series speakers sound great with Paramours, which have 2A3's. But they use a parafeed circuit too. I'm sorry, but I just don't know the Handmade Electronics 2A3 amp. If you try the combination, please report back and let us know.

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