Passive Bookshelf speakers Amp suggestion.

Loque2g4

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Feb 6, 2014
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Hello
I have a pair of Magnat Edelstein
Specs:
2-way speaker
Bass-reflex
load Capacity: 75 W RMS (150 W peak)
Passive component filter and high-end wiring

Measurements
Impedance: from 4 to 8 ohms
Crossover frequency: 2.5 kHz
bandwidth: 34 Hz to 50 kHz
Sensitivity: 90 dB / W / m

and a Creative ZXR soundcard
I'm looking for an amp that could drive this safely without damaging them and that's not expensive, a class D or T i think might work aswell.
The suggestion for these speakers was an amp Magnat M600 but this is very expensive and makes my sound card useless, i just need an amp that can drive these.
Or should i just get rid of the soundcard and buy a high end Amplifier?
Currently i use a low budget huge amp that i intend to get rid of since its too big in dimension and in power output.
Got a FLAC library build up and prolly will extend to vinyl in the future.
So go for an inexpensive low class D/T amp(suggestions? or full out Magnat M600 and sell the soundcard?
Cheers
 
Solution
I use a usb dac to get to rca outs since my mobo doesn't have optical out. I do use an optical audio from my tv. The 2 subwoofer outs are individually tunable. I just got a couple powered 10" subs, one down firing, one front firing. For each sub, run a rca single cable from the sub out to the sub's left/white rca in port (or LFE).

guanyu210379

Distinguished
Magnat Edelstein is no cheap speakers.
You should go for good amps.

Yes, if I am not mistaken, Creative ZXR soundcard is more aimed for the headphone end amplifier not for driving speakers.
However, it should have also outputs (RCA) for the normal PC active speakers, you can use this to connect to the amplifier.
So, you do not have to throw your soundcard away, especially if you still plan to use a headphone (over 32 Ohm)
But, if you are not planing to use headphones anymore, yup, you can simply sell this soundcard.

How much is your budget? Regardless of what you wanna do with the soundcard.
If you are quite low on budget, I would recommend Denon PMA 520 or 720.
It should be about max €250.
 

Virtual_Singularity

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Feb 18, 2016
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FX Audio D802 2x80W 192KHz Digital Remote Power Amplifier ($110), or Audio Source AMP100VS 2 Channel Amplifier ($132), or Dayton Audio DTA-120 Class T Digital Mini Amplifier 60 WPC ($105, headphone output also), SMSL Q5 Pro ($140), Topping TP-60 TP60 2*80W High Power Class-T AMP TA2022 Stereo Power Amplifier($200).

I was unable to find a price for the magnat m600, but if it's one of the more expensive dac/amp combos ($500 and up lets say), there are plenty of options available as well. You could, say, use a Emotiva BASX PT-100 Stereo Preamp/DAC/Tuner, in conjunction with an amp. A good option to consider might be to look in your local area for a vintage receiver in acceptable condition. You never know, you might luck out and find something awesome on the cheap that sounds better than a lot of far higher priced options.

You could also look into getting a newer integrated amp from Marantz or Denon, or Yamaha, Onkyo, etc. Another option is to add those speakers of yours to a 5.1 setup. Dayton Audio offers an excellent pair of floorstanding speakers (Dayton Audio T652 Dual 6-1/2" 2-Way Tower Speaker Pair, $118), and add a subwoofer as well, from dayton for another $100. A 5.1 receiver with the wattage your looking for can be found for as little as ~$150. Bic also makes some excellent subwoofers and speakers.

Your sound card isn't bad, though tbh some of the latest z270 motherboards are offering much of what you'll find on it, onboard in their audio codecs. But your soundcard is fine. It really depends on your budget and quality of sound you want. If you have a flac library, I'd suggest an endgame of finding a quality DAC and AMP. Though for now any of the above solutions should suit you fine. Heck, you'd do ok with a Nobsound® TPA3116D2 Mini Digital Amplifier HiFi 2.1CH Stereo Amp with Power Supply, gives you the option of adding a subwoofer in the future and only $75.00.
 

Loque2g4

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Feb 6, 2014
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No they are not, they sound great and look awesome, not something that i want to change in the far future!My last audio setup lasted me 10 years and it was because the sub got cranky and some visual defects.
I\m only using the headphones during late night gaming, so that's not a priority since you can find cheap gaming headsets anywhere without the need of an amp.
Budget would be between 50 and 250 euros while keeping the creative sound card. Lets say 400-600 EUROS, but that would imply me selling the soundcard because a 400+ Euro amplifier bring everything this soundcard has to offer for a pair of bookshelf speakers and probably even more.
Also on my favorite lists i have the following amplifiers that i m keep in check for a dissccount:
Onkyo A-9010 - which i almost bought since it was dirt cheap 1 week ago and has the best reviews for the price.
Denon PMA-720AE
Pioneer A-10-K
Denon PMA 720 is now on discount for about 130 EURO
and other variations from Maranz in the price range.
Thing is that from what i've seen in reviews each of these gives the sound its out flavor and i don't have the patience and money to run around checking all these out.
Cheers for the attention !
 

Loque2g4

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
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Cheers for the suggestions mate, i will be looking into these
Sarch Magnat MA 600, you can find it on .de sites only since its german company or try the link below and let me know what do you think about the specs!
http://www.magnat.de/en/home-audio/electronic-components/ma-600/
It has outstanding specs but so is the price...
I don't intend to go 5.1 or any variations, i more than happy with these as a stereo setup for music mainly and games. Plus the low end is so great i don t need a sub and the room is 13 square meters big. One of the reasons i picked them because they are small beautiful and great sounding fitting any decent sized desk.
I just want to get something fitting the quality of these speakers so i don't damage them or lose potential because i m being cheap over picking the right electronics to drive them! And the market is quite deceiving, i d rather not follow it, but instead ask the people who are knowledgeable in a field where i'm clearly not :D

 

Loque2g4

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Feb 6, 2014
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Also going for a vintage amp was my first pick, but then changed my mind because you never know what the seller did to it and i risk the speakers health or it just breaks in matter of months.
And the vintage ones from what i researched eat alot of power. Having an amp drawing 250+ W when running with no possibility of standby is not what i m looking for.


 

Virtual_Singularity

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Feb 18, 2016
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I did look into the specs for both the speakers and the amp, I'm grateful to now know about a decent audio company I had no idea existed. And the products strike me both as excellent value for the price, which is increasingly more difficult to come by. That integrated amp seems very nice in particular, and for bookshelf speakers those are among the nicest I've seen. Btw, there's an Onkyo A-9050 on Amazon at the moment, used but fulfilled by Amazon's terms, for $251, $351 new from an authorized dealer. It may not be as nice as the MA 600, though it's a 75w/c @8 ohm amp which also offers a Wolfson DAC and other similar features to the MA 600. For vintage receivers or amps, you could always ask the seller to look it over thoroughly inside and out if dealing with a local retailer or shop.
 

Virtual_Singularity

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Do you use that DH550 5.2 as an output via your desktop if I may ask? I've been eyeing that receiver for a bit as well, for the price its really not a bad receiver, though looking at its inputs, I start to wonder whether I'd be able to use the optical output from my mobo to it just for audio. Do u know, are its dual subwoofer pre outs just split mono or dual channel? The 550 seems to be a great value at its price, just wish I knew for sure if using my desktop as an audio output into it would work, as I think it'd make a decent basic audio setup. I don't even really care about it's 4k video throughput (even though its vid options are also decent), I'd just want to use it strictly for audio.
 

jwcrellin

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Dec 3, 2016
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I use a usb dac to get to rca outs since my mobo doesn't have optical out. I do use an optical audio from my tv. The 2 subwoofer outs are individually tunable. I just got a couple powered 10" subs, one down firing, one front firing. For each sub, run a rca single cable from the sub out to the sub's left/white rca in port (or LFE).
 
Solution

Virtual_Singularity

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Feb 18, 2016
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thx
 

Loque2g4

Honorable
Feb 6, 2014
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10,510
Virtual_Singularity
I have looked into the specs of Magnat M400 which is quite cheaper and affordable, but the specs are very close to what the speakers recommend. Would it be a good idea to get something close to recommended specs without damaging the system in a long run?
 

Virtual_Singularity

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Feb 18, 2016
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yes