powering svs with anthem (1 Viewer)

[Kevin T]

hey, i can get a pretty decent deal on two anthem mca-3 mkII amps and i was wondering what the pros and cons might be going this way rather than using the recommended samson s700 or a sub plate amp. the anthem claims 350w @ 4 ohms but the other two channels will be pumping out the surrond effects so i question how much of that 350 the svs will really see. i'm about to special order some hardware to build my own rack so i need to make some sort of decision here soon. if i don't go the dual mca-3 route, i'll end up with an mca-5 and probably a sub plate amp to power the svs. thanks for the input guys.

kevin t

 

[Kevin T]

bump

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I can only comment on the Samson. I just received mine (S700) today and it is great. There is absolutely no fan noise. I know the fans are there but I can't hear them. It also plays very cool. I've had it on all day long and I just went over and felt the top of it and it was cool like it had not been used for the past 8 hours or so.

 

[Kevin T]

i appreciate the input. i'm really fishing for someone who has powered their svs with amp like the anthem or such and then switched to the samson so i can kinda gauge the differences. i just wonder how things such as volume control and what not work with an amp like the anthem. if i get the samson, it will go inside a closet with the wiring run in the walls. if i get the anthems, i'll have to order extra shelf components and have two amps in my rack instead of one. i emailed tom / ron recently but they haven't replied yet so i don't know if they're on vacation or what. i heard they were pretty quick about replying but it's been almost 3-4 days since (if i'm not mistaken). i'm just kinda antsy trying to make that final decision. thanks.

kevin t

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Tom & Ron are VERY quick on the emails. I should know because I was bugging them this afternoon about my new SVS . I'd send another email in case the first one you sent didn't make it through the ether.

 

[SVS-Ron]

Kevin,

I don't know what happened but I am certain I saw a reply to your note go out. Do you have multiple e-mail accounts maybe? We don't get many requests for info about Anthem, which is the reason I remember seeing it.

Anyway, if I recall Tom's response right, he simply indicated that you should see little if any difference with an Anthem vice a Samson. The "sound" of amps is highly contested, but with subs I can say I've never heard one amp sound different, much less "better" than another. Louder? Sure. Cooler? yup. Nicer looking? Ditto.

But if you are talking 300-350 watts from one brand versus another? Get what you have confidence in from a support/warranty standpoint, has the looks you are after (if any), and is priced right. We offer the Samsons because they are virtually perfect in the price class they are bundled into. That is NOT to say a great price on a like powered amp should deter you from going another way.

The bottom line? Other than fan noise (the Samsons have virtually silent fans) I can think of no hard screening criteria in the 300-500watt amp class.

Ron

 

[Kevin T]

thanks for the reply ron. i only have one email account so i dunno what the problem might be. i'm not expecting any difference in the quality, i'm mainly concerned about functionality i might be losing. naturally, using a plate amp has it's benefits in that you can adjust the crossover and volume. using just a plain old amp, i would gather you'd use your pre for setting the crossover (which would probably not be as flexible) and volume. i just wonder how much of an issue and trade off are involved between these two choices. the samson has dials on the front which i assume are used for some type of volume control. i just needed to know because if i use a plate amp or samson, i'll stick it in my closet and run the wires...but if i opt for the dual anthems, it'll have a dedicated space in a rack that i'm building (and about to order parts for). that's why i was wanting to know so fast...so i could place the order and begin the "project". thanks for the quick reply though. i appreciate it.

kevin t

 

[SVS-Ron]

Kevin,

If you are using a Dolby Digital receiver/processor as your front end, there is virtually nothing on a typical subwoofer plate amp you could need. Some offer continuously variable phase control which can be helpful if you have multiple subs that are not co-located, but that's about it. The crossovers are about useless since bass management in your receiver is all you need.

The front panel controls of the Samsons can be helpful in dialing in calibration quickly, but the level controls of your DD receiver USUALLY suffice for this. I like the look of the Samsons enough that I would not hesitate to put one right in the middle of an exposed equipment rack. They don't give up much to the Anthems IMO anyway.

Either option will work for you. Plate amps are the low-cost budget choice but for max power and still very easy integration go with the Anthems or a Samson.

Ron

 

[DavidY]

I think that Hometheaterhifi lab tested the MCA-5 Series I. It turned out 170WPC, all five channels driven simultanenously at 8ohms. ~250WPC at 4ohms. The MCA-3 should provide similar performance.

Dave