Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners How to use my new ADA1500-4

Guys,

I originally ordered an ADA1500-4 to power my M5HPs in the bar area, but the more I'm thinking about it, I think I may just use it in my Theater to power more of my speakers. Right now I have an ADA1500-3 powering my M100s and VP180HP. I was thinking of adding the ADA1500-4 to power my two QS10HPs and two QS8s. Do you think though that I may get more bank for the buck Bi-Amping the M100s with the ADA1500-4, and use the ADA1500-4 to power the VP180HP and two QS10HPs (and let the Denon handle the QS8s)?

I'm really interested to hear what Mojo and Craig have to say.

Thanks!

Steve, a couple of questions:

1. How are the M5s in the bar area used? Are they for background listening when sitting at the bar? How far away are they? I presume the bar is separate from the theatre? Are they in 2.1 or 2.0?

2. Are the QS8s rear speakers in a 7.1 arrangement? Are they making an audible difference to your experience?

Hi Mojo,

1. The bar is in the big area of the basement, separate from the theater. It's mostly background but sometimes we crank it. They are about 12 feet from the bar sitting area. It is a 2.0 setup. Now they are being powered by an Emotiva pre and an Emotiva 150 wpc amp.

2. The QS8s are the rears. It's a 9.2 arrangement now, two EP800s and two Klipsch Atmos speakers. The Denon right now is handling everything but the M100s and VP180HP. They do make an audible difference when we sit in the back row for sure.

I don't have many pix of the bar area, but I do have one when I set up the Emotiva Pre back in June. I am standing in the same spot in both pictures. Speakers are opposite the bar. I turned from left (speakers) to right (bar) when I took the pictures.

OK. I would continue powering the M5s with your Emotiva. From a power rating perspective, it's a great match for the M5s. Hefty capacitance in there for peaks.

I cannot see how you'd gain any benefit from bi-amping the M100s. Here's why: if you're sitting 12 feet away, they need 256 peak Watts to hit 108 dB SPL peaks. Say 60% of that power is bass. That's about 150 Watts. Of that, maybe 20 Watts is routed into the M100s. The rest is provided by the 800s. 20 Watts is nothing for the 1500. Heck, even 150 Watts is nothing even when powering the 180.

I would use the 1500-3 for the 100 and 180. I'd then trade in the QS8 for QS10 and power all QS10 from the 1500-4. I'd bet you'd hear a big difference with your surrounds.

Thanks Mojo! I will power the surrounds and rears with the ADA1500-4. In the future, I'll trade in the QS8s.

It was my wife's idea just to move it into the theater when we get it because she said the Emotiva is doing just fine with the M5HPs. Much better than my old Denon AVR-3806.

To add to what Mojo already said - you would not be truly bi-amping the M100's. True biamping has the crossover ahead of the main amps.

But - using the ADA-1500's in your theater system and leaving the Emotivas with the M5's is a great choice.

Aye! We'll be quintuple-amping the active LFRs. Or will we be penta-amping?

Thanks Craig!

So, in thinking how to do this... I have a shared 15A breaker in the theater and a dedicated 20A. I'm thinking to put the ADA1500-3 and a EP800 on the 20A since it will power the mains and the center, and the ADA1500-4, the other EP800, and the Denon AVR4400 on the 15A shared since it will be powering the surrounds and rears. The Denon will basically be a pre/surround processor only powering the Atmos speakers. Sound reasonable?