I want to use 170SE's as nearfield monitors and I need an amp.
Hi all, I realize this isn't really the wheelhouse of this forum but I figured I'd throw this out there.
I bought a pair of 170s when the SE model came out and they seem very neutral and probably a good option for semi-serious monitors. I'm a hobbyist filmmaker and I find myself wishing I was listening on my 170's instead of my current monitors (which shall not be named). Due to years of listening on them, I know what the 170 sounds like better than any other speaker, by far.
With that in mind what is a good amp to pair with my 170s. I'm only running stereo right now so is my current plan for the new setup. What I need:
- Fanless - this needs to be quiet.
- Reliable
- Can keep pace with the quality the 170 SEs deliver.
- Reasonable price - less than $300.
- Sufficient power - I don't want to go deaf I just want a minimum of 20db of headroom when listening at 85-90db (I plan to do most of my work below this level.)).
I'd prefer a professional solution but what I really want is the best amp for my money. Thanks everyone!
Re: I want to use 170SE's as nearfield monitors and I need an amp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jacob C
Hi all, I realize this isn't really the wheelhouse of this forum but I figured I'd throw this out there.
I bought a pair of 170s when the SE model came out and they seem very neutral and probably a good option for semi-serious monitors. I'm a hobbyist filmmaker and I find myself wishing I was listening on my 170's instead of my current monitors (which shall not be named). Due to years of listening on them, I know what the 170 sounds like better than any other speaker, by far.
With that in mind what is a good amp to pair with my 170s. I'm only running stereo right now so is my current plan for the new setup. What I need:
- Fanless - this needs to be quiet.
- Reliable
- Can keep pace with the quality the 170 SEs deliver.
- Reasonable price - less than $300.
- Sufficient power - I don't want to go deaf I just want a minimum of 20db of headroom when listening at 85-90db (I plan to do most of my work below this level.)).
I'd prefer a professional solution but what I really want is the best amp for my money. Thanks everyone!
Our 170SE's make excellent monitors and we actually have several pro's using them (as well as quite a few colleges for both music rooms and media rooms)
20dB of headroom when listening at 85-90dB is quite high. This means peaks of 110dB. Quick question, how far back are you sitting from the speakers?
Re: I want to use 170SE's as nearfield monitors and I need an amp.
Thanks for the reply Dave. Yes, those peaks are quite high but I find that headroom beneficial in previous configurations. It eliminates any perceptible compression, for me anyway.
To answer your question, I'm not totally sure about my listening distance but it will be between 3 and 4 feet. For the sake of easy math lets assume I'm 1m from the speakers. This should give me about 109db/speaker @ 64w per channel or a total max peak of around 112db. I think I got that math right. A subwoofer gives me a little more headroom. I'm probably going to purchase a B&K ST 140 that seems to be conservatively rated at 70 w/channel. It seems that should get me in the ballpark of what I need for headroom. Most of the time I will be monitoring at lower levels but I like to turn up a mix after I think I have it to see how it is at higher levels.
The missing puzzle piece at this point seems to be how to connect the amp to the computer. I doubt the built in audio circuits in my computer are going to keep up with the 170's and the B&K. I do have a Fiio DAC/Headphone amp that has a line out that seems like an option. I'm also considering buying a desktop DAC or an audio interface but I'm unsure how cost effective those solutions are. Any thoughts on that?
Re: I want to use 170SE's as nearfield monitors and I need an amp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jacob C
Thanks for the reply Dave. Yes, those peaks are quite high but I find that headroom beneficial in previous configurations. It eliminates any perceptible compression, for me anyway.
To answer your question, I'm not totally sure about my listening distance but it will be between 3 and 4 feet. For the sake of easy math lets assume I'm 1m from the speakers. This should give me about 109db/speaker @ 64w per channel or a total max peak of around 112db. I think I got that math right. A subwoofer gives me a little more headroom. I'm probably going to purchase a B&K ST 140 that seems to be conservatively rated at 70 w/channel. It seems that should get me in the ballpark of what I need for headroom. Most of the time I will be monitoring at lower levels but I like to turn up a mix after I think I have it to see how it is at higher levels.
The missing puzzle piece at this point seems to be how to connect the amp to the computer. I doubt the built in audio circuits in my computer are going to keep up with the 170's and the B&K. I do have a Fiio DAC/Headphone amp that has a line out that seems like an option. I'm also considering buying a desktop DAC or an audio interface but I'm unsure how cost effective those solutions are. Any thoughts on that?
Your math is correct, at 3-4 feet, with 65 watts per channel into a pair of 170's, you will reach peaks of ~ 112dB. Keep in mind that this calculation does not include room gain, which can typically be as high 3-6dB depending on your room and speaker location so you should factor that in as well.
Can't offer too much advice regarding the best way to connect your PC to the B&K amp, I would think just using the analog audio out of your PC would be the simplest and most efficient method. I am not a fan of putting too much equipment / processing in between the source and the amp.
Hope this helps!
Re: I want to use 170SE's as nearfield monitors and I need an amp.
If you want/need more power and can stretch your budget, see this:
https://emotiva.com/collections/amps/products/a-300
or, for something comparable to the B&K in price and power, this:
https://emotiva.com/collections/amps/products/a-150
Re: I want to use 170SE's as nearfield monitors and I need an amp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MusicHead
Thanks for the recommendations. I have looked at these options and, from what I've read, it seems the B&K is probably the better option. I've not heard either of these amps and I can also appreciate the benefit of using a new amplifier but it sounds like the B&K is a step above. I'd love to hear a demo if anyone is near Laramie, WY (which is really not likely at all).
