[domthebigbomb]

So I recently purchased a pair of rb-51 II but I currently don't have any receiver/amp for them so i was looking to pick up an amp that could power them and eventually a subwoofer. I thought about getting the fiio e09k or a1 but i didnt know if that amp was tailored mainly for headphones or if there were no differences. Alternatively i would've picked the audio source amp-100 or dta-100. 
 
So 1) Is there a difference between the e09k and the amp-100 in terms of actual performance?
and 2) are there better desktop amps for that price?
 
Also I plan on using my dj100 whenever I don't wanna share sound.
Thanks!

 

[domthebigbomb]

Theres a denon-1609 on craigs in my area for 70. Would that be a better investment?

 

[trog]

The Fiio E09K is a desktop headphone amp, not a speaker amp? Unless u plan of a passive subwoofer, there is no need for amplification if one goes typically for active subs? Those dj100 aren't demanding so u dun need a seperate cans amp but you could always go with a DAC + cans amp combo in the chain if u think you'd want to run demanding cans later ^^ Since used is doable actually i won't dismiss vintage/classic stereo amps as many of these drive speakers sweetly to this day yet have also a nice headphone section

 
 
Edit: Also if u are eyeing T-amps the Topping TP22 is better built and has better parts than a DTA-100A

 

[domthebigbomb]

Quote:

The Fiio E09K is a desktop headphone amp, not a speaker amp? Unless u plan of a passive subwoofer, there is no need for amplification if one goes typically for active subs? Those dj100 aren't demanding so u dun need a seperate cans amp but you could always go with a DAC + cans amp combo in the chain if u think you'd want to run demanding cans later ^^ Since used is doable actually i won't dismiss vintage/classic stereo amps as many of these drive speakers sweetly to this day yet have also a nice headphone section

 
 
Edit: Also if u are eyeing T-amps the Topping TP22 is better built and has better parts than a DTA-100A

Well the plan atm is i need to run sound from desktop/laptop to the amp and the amp to the rb-51's. Will the dta-100 have enough power? same goes for the tp 22, they push 50/30 wpc respectively and the klipsch are rated at 75rms @ 8ohms. 

 

[trog]

Well if this helps:
One of my PC Audio set ups @ home features a Lepai TA2020 T-amp and 89dB Polk Speakers and they play much louder than i need ^^ You'd be more than fine with a TK2050 T-amp and more efficient speakers

 

[domthebigbomb]

Quote:

Well if this helps:
One of my PC Audio set ups @ home features a Lepai TA2020 T-amp and 89dB Polk Speakers and they play much louder than i need ^^ You'd be more than fine with a TK2050 T-amp and more efficient speakers

Oh true thats kinda reassuring. So whats the deal with RMS if efficiency is what matters or does it just mean if i had that power it could handle it

 

[yage]

Quote:

Oh true thats kinda reassuring. So whats the deal with RMS if efficiency is what matters or does it just mean if i had that power it could handle it

 
Sensitivity of a speaker (also addresses, somewhat, the issue of required power):
 
http://www.diyaudio.com/wiki/Loudness_and_Speaker_Sensitivity
http://www.axiomaudio.com/power
 
A handy calculator for sizing an amp:
 
http://www.crownaudio.com/elect-pwr-req.htm

 

[domthebigbomb]

Well I got the speakers and they sound great! Only, i have them powered up through the promedia 2.1 sub (as my topping tp22 is still on its way), however, I am wondering whether I will even need the amp as the promedia sub pushes out 35watts at 4ohms (vs the 30watts at 4 for the tp22). Will I be getting better sound using the tp22 over my promedia sub? Otherwise id sell the tp22 and save for a soundcard or dac

 

[trog]

Rb-51s are 8 ohm speakers and the TP22 in 25W into 8 ohms and 40WPC into 4 ohms i believe? Either way wattage is not a gauge at how good an amp sounds but the TP-22 is a Tripath amp that has surprised many who have owned far pricier amps ^^

 

[domthebigbomb]

Rb-51s are 8 ohm speakers and the TP22 in 25W into 8 ohms and 40WPC into 4 ohms i believe? Either way wattage is not a gauge at how good an amp sounds but the TP-22 is a Tripath amp that has surprised many who have owned far pricier amps ^^

tp22 is a 30 at 8, 15 at 4. Im just trying to gauge whether I will still need the amp when it arrives or if i should sell it :\

 

[trog]

http://hifion.com/dac-amplifiers/topping/topping-tp22-t-amp-tk2050-tc2000-tp2050-digital-amplifier.html
 
Quote:

Topping TP22 T-Amp Specifications:

T-Amp IC Tripath TK2050 Chip set (TC2000+TP2050)
Output Power 2 x 40W @ 4ohm, 2 x 25W @ 8ohm
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) 100dB

 

[domthebigbomb]

Quote:

http://hifion.com/dac-amplifiers/topping/topping-tp22-t-amp-tk2050-tc2000-tp2050-digital-amplifier.html
 

Granted thats true but isnt 10% distortion kinda high?

 

[cel4145]

Well I got the speakers and they sound great! Only, i have them powered up through the promedia 2.1 sub (as my topping tp22 is still on its way), however, I am wondering whether I will even need the amp as the promedia sub pushes out 35watts at 4ohms (vs the 30watts at 4 for the tp22). Will I be getting better sound using the tp22 over my promedia sub? Otherwise id sell the tp22 and save for a soundcard or dac

The Promedia speakers have small 3" drivers. Most likely the amp in the Promedia sub has a built in crossover in the 120hz or higher range to integrate with the sub. Consequently, you are not getting midbass output from your RB 41s with that amp.

I use an Indeed TA2021 amp, equivalent to the Topping TP21. My speakers have a sensitivity rating of 89db 1 watt/1 meter and can hit 100 db from 2.5" to 3" away. Most likely the RB 41s could equal that.

Now if you are expecting loud, room filling sound, you might need to adjust your expectations or adjust your budget. After all, you are looking at amps in the approx. $100 range.

Granted thats true but isnt 10% distortion kinda high?

Every amp reaches high distortion as it nears its limits. That distortion rating is to let you know the maximum amount of power you can expect to draw from it before clipping, not what its distortion is at lower volumes.

 

[domthebigbomb]

The Promedia speakers have small 3" drivers. Most likely the amp in the Promedia sub has a built in crossover in the 120hz or higher range to integrate with the sub. Consequently, you are not getting midbass output from your RB 41s with that amp.

I use an Indeed TA2021 amp, equivalent to the Topping TP21. My speakers have a sensitivity rating of 89db 1 watt/1 meter and can hit 100 db from 2.5" to 3" away. Most likely the RB 41s could equal that.

Now if you are expecting loud, room filling sound, you might need to adjust your expectations or adjust your budget. After all, you are looking at amps in the approx. $100 range.
Every amp reaches high distortion as it nears its limits. That distortion rating is to let you know the maximum amount of power you can expect to draw from it before clipping, not what its distortion is at lower volumes.

Nothing terribly loud. only using them in my bedroom or my dorm room. But I guess what you are saying all makes sense. I have rb-51 II btw idt it matters just clarifying. So if i split the signal to 1) sub and 2) tp22 to rb-51s, will that bring out the mid bass moreso?

 

[cel4145]

Nothing terribly loud. only using them in my bedroom or my dorm room. But I guess what you are saying all makes sense. I have rb-51 II btw idt it matters just clarifying. So if i split the signal to 1) sub and 2) tp22 to rb-51s, will that bring out the mid bass moreso?

I'm sure the TP22 will be loud enough to fill the room with some sound with the RB-51s

The RB-51s are rated 50Hz-24KHz ± 3dB, which means you would probably set the crossover on an external sub to somewhere around 50hz to 55hz to integrate the sub (although if you like a different setting, go with that--let your ears be the judge). With the Promedia amp, you aren't going to hear any midbass from those speakers. It's almost all coming from the Promedia sub. I would bet that the RB-51s would have better sounding midbass than that Promedia sub (I used to own the Promedia 2.1).

When you get ready to buy a sub, I recommend researching and asking questions in the AVS budget subwoofer discussion thread. There are people there that know a lot about home audio subs that are constantly watching for best deals.

And I would look for a sub like the Dayton SUB1000 that has high level speaker level inputs AND outputs:




That allows you to run the speaker out from the TP22 to the speaker in on the sub amp, and then the speaker out on the sub amp to the speakers. That's a passthrough connection (the sub isn't powering the speaker; the TP22 would be), and the advantage of it is that you can then set the gain (volume) on the sub to match up with the speakers and use the volume control on the TP22 to adjust the sound. You could get a sub that has left/right RCA inputs only, and split the sound coming from your computer and send it to both the sub and the TP22. Only then you would need to set the volume on the TP22 and the gain on the sub to match for good integration, and from then on use the volume on your computer to control the sound level.