200 watts!? (170s question)

[chas]

I bought mine from a small outfit in Denmark, although now, I have seen a place here in the US that is selling clones for about the same price I paid.

Can you tell us who is selling these in the US?

[curtis]

Can you tell us who is selling these in the US?

I am trying to get more information before I throw the name out there.

[BradJudy]

Red Dragon Audio sells ICE monoblocks, but they are $$$$.

I'm sure there are a number of cheaper options, but I've never looked into it.

[curtis]

yeah...there are hand full(or less) of US boutique manufacturers using ICEpower, and they are relatively expensive. The one I just came across is inexpensive(relatively).

I emailed the company, and judging by the reply and lack there of, it does not look promising.

There are even some mass market companies using lower power ICEpower modules, especially in car audio.

[Robert7]

I had the 170's hooked up with a Marsh 200 watt per channel amp running from a Classe pre. The sound was clear no matter how high I turned it up until it was no longer desirable to hear louder. It's amazing how strong this speaker is. It was also playing with a Rel Strata III subwoofer.

[S_rangeBrew]

I blew up the woofers and tweeters on my L/R Main HTM-200s, which are also rated for 200watts. I was playing loud music and using a Pioneer 1014TX (rated @ 90wpc in surround mode, which it was in) Now, my 340SE that I replaced the 200s with, play just as loud with the same amp with no blowout issues, because they are far more efficient.
Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that I'm sure they can handle the power, the real question, is can your amp provide enough without clipping? With the HTM-200s, my 1014TX couldn't handle the task, and it's beefier than most low-end recievers.
Pro-amps are in my future.

[Quinn]

I blew up the woofers and tweeters on my L/R Main HTM-200s, which are also rated for 200watts. I was playing loud music and using a Pioneer 1014TX (rated @ 90wpc in surround mode, which it was in) Now, my 340SE that I replaced the 200s with, play just as loud with the same amp with no blowout issues, because they are far more efficient.
Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that I'm sure they can handle the power, the real question, is can your amp provide enough without clipping? With the HTM-200s, my 1014TX couldn't handle the task, and it's beefier than most low-end recievers.
Pro-amps are in my future.

Don't get caught in how many watts the manufacturer says it is. How beefy the amp section is is very important. As someone else likes to say, "they are called amplifiers not wattifiers."

[S_rangeBrew]

Don't get caught in how many watts the manufacturer says it is. How beefy the amp section is is very important. As someone else likes to say, "they are called amplifiers not wattifiers."

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The 1014TX is actually a Pioneer Elite, so it's amp section is VERY beefy compared to a normal consumer grade Pioneer. At 2ch mode, it's been tested to put out over 110w x 2 easily. However, when it's driving 5 or more speakers in surround mode, this drops to below 80w per channel easily. Can you imagine how fast I would have blown the speakers with some puny little thing?

Pro AMPs weigh in a 40lbs for a 2 channel AMP. There is a reason for that. And they don't even have big heat sinks!

[buzzy]

I still don't think I'd turn the dial on any amp all the way up with any kind of loud music - that's just asking for distortion and clipping damage.

[S_rangeBrew]

I still don't think I'd turn the dial on any amp all the way up with any kind of loud music - that's just asking for distortion and clipping damage.

If you have enough power, and your speakers can handle it, your ears will give out long before your system does.

I play my music as lound as I want it to be, if my amp or speakers can't take it... I'll get new ones. If I put a 500W per channel amp on my 340s and they end up blowing.... bye bye 340s. I doubt that would happen, though.