HTM2Diamond powered with 600w too much?

[SMC23]

Hey all,

I've got the 2nd gen HTM2D's and they are recommending an amplifier power 50W - 300W into 8Ohm on unclipped program.

I am thinking of adding a McIntosh MC601 for center duty which has a continous output rating of 600w.

Do you think this will be doing damage to my center when I am watching movies/concerts at reference level?

thanks
smc

[krustycat]

I don't think that is a problem.

it's always better to be overpowered and have some extra headroom

if money is not an issue for you, I would get it.

[SMC23]

I agree with overpowering speakers but doubling the recommended amplifier power seems maybe too much?

I'm worried that on strong dynamic passages I could ruin the speakers. Wish there was Mac monobloc in the 400w range. That would be perfect for this speaker

[tweet]

smc,
The MC601 works very well with the HTM2D. I have that setup and even at extreme levels I have never felt like the MC601 was even close to overpowering it. Bullets, bombs, concerts, you name it. The HTM2D seems content with whatever comes its way. The MC601 is an outstanding amplifier. I say go for it and enjoy.

[SMC23]

So last night i did some experimentation and decided to unhook both my MC601's and use one solely for center channel. I started to play some of my favorite concert blurays and movies through the one front channel and immediately I heard a difference with how much more open and airy the sound was. Voices and effects were better and I felt like i could turn the volume up further without straining the speaker. The speaker literally came alive!!! Awesome...

As far as my concern of pushing the center above it's rated power, I put on some demanding action sequences, Batman Dark Knight, Tron, Avengers and played at reference volume. The HTM2D2 was LOUD and soooo CLEAN and clear!!! I was watching the needles poking between the 60w - 600w mark on dynamics so seems to be fine. As long as it's well under the 600w level I think I'm good, plus it was already as loud as i would want it to go.

So today I think I will be ordering another MC601....Thanks guys for your input and helping me! Looking forward to having a trio of these across the frontstage!

[tweet]

smc,
Your ears are far tougher than mine if you can stress the HTM2D with a MC601. Congratulations in advance on the new MC601. I think you'll enjoy the combination.

[Rod#S]

What are you using now to power the center? To be hearing such a noticeable improvement to me it sounds (no pun intended) like the amp powering the center is simply not of equal quality to your 601's so you may get similar performance by matching quality not necessarily adding so much extra power. Another possibility is that the current amp is clipping taking away from providing pure clean power.

Instead of a 601 you might consider getting something like the MC303 and use the extra 2 channels for surrounds. The 300 watts would more align to the speakers max rating.

However....I plan on adding a 7B-SST to my HTM2D down the road so like was mentioned by Tweet and like you observed there shouldn't be a problem unless something bad happened at the SSP which had it output an ungodly loud sound burst then with the 601 being able to exceed the max of the speaker that could easily blow the drivers.

[SMC23]

Hey RodS - currently powering the center with one channel of an MC205. I didn't think the difference would be as pronounced really, but it is there, especially at higher volumes. I can get the powergaurd lights to flicker on my MC205 when at reference so this indicates to me that the I definitely need more power/headroom. I didn't do any testing at normal listening levels, but I expect the MC601s to produce the same effortless sound across all volume levels.

Yeah I looked into the MC303 and ruled it out as I wanted the same long XLR cables across my front channels, rather than using a long spkr cable for the one channel. Also it is much more than a single MC601 that i want to spend at this point. I know later on my next upgrade would be powering the rear speakers with a set of MC301 mono blocks!

Good to hear you also are in the same camp of running a powerful amp for the center!

[tweet]

When I first brought the HTM2D home I had a MC207 for the center and surround channels with MC601s for the mains. It was good but at times noticeable that the center lacked the dynamics and voicing to match the mains. The difference was more apparent on well recorded multichannel SACDs and blu-ray audio tracks where the vocals/instruments are primarily in the center channel. The difference seemed less noticeable for movies possibly due to more surround activity on all channels compared to music tracks. At least that was my theory. Adding the third MC601 for the HTM2D was an immediate and substantial update and really brought the front together much more than I expected. The HTM2D was like a different speaker. I hope the MC601 provides you a similar experience and very rewarding upgrade to your setup.

[tweet]

However....I plan on adding a 7B-SST to my HTM2D down the road so like was mentioned by Tweet and like you observed there shouldn't be a problem unless something bad happened at the SSP which had it output an ungodly loud sound burst then with the 601 being able to exceed the max of the speaker that could easily blow the drivers.

Rod,
Have you given any thought to a third 28BSST to match the 800s? That would give you pretty substantial front stage. On the other hand, so will the 7B-SST. :)

[Rod#S]

:) no not so much as a thought...not with the HTM2, considering the 7's are rated at over double it's max power into 8 ohms, 7's typically weight in between 640 to 660 watts generally so going up to almost 1300 watts just seems like crazy town :D

[SMC23]

Yeah at that much more power it seems crazy. Doubling the power seems to be the absolute max I would go. Can't even imagine putting something like a 1.2kw on the HTM2d.

Btw - the MC601 is ordered. Thanks again guys for convincing me it is the right way to go!! Can't wait to receive it in the coming weeks.

[Rod#S]

Congrats! Make sure to post some pics :)

You need to update your signature, it's still listing the HTM3S as your center ;)

[tweet]

smc... Congratulations on the MC601. I hope you enjoy it.

[tweet]

:) no not so much as a thought...not with the HTM2, considering the 7's are rated at over double it's max power into 8 ohms, 7's typically weight in between 640 to 660 watts generally so going up to almost 1300 watts just seems like crazy town :D

Rod,
Ha, just joking. If B&W would reconsider and bring back the HTM1D then it would be worth some thought. The 7B-SST and MC601 are both great amps for the HTM2D. I'll be watching for news of a new 7B in your rack.

[Rod#S]

The 7 for the center will be a ways off. Now that I have my BDP-2 the focus is on getting my 28's separated. They have been sitting one on top of the other ever since I purchased them because my cables were to short to allow me to place the 2nd over by my right speaker. Aesthetically it looks horrible this way. I'm finally going to properly address that later this summer, almost 2 years later :)

I'm going to get some proper amp stands (2 single Solid Tech Rack of Silence stands) and a pair of Siltech Princess cables. Once that's paid for I'll probably get a pair of Siltech Prince speaker cables for my 28's. Once that is over thus securing a proper high quality signal path to the 28's then I can turn focus to the other 3 channels and add 7's, I'm just not sure which to do 1st, the HTM2 or the 802's. With the HTM2 I might be able to temporarily do without getting new cables depending on whether I could keep a single 7 in my rack when I swap my 6B for my currently unused 4B and sit the 7 on top of the 4. If that doesn't work then my interconnect will be to short to reach the amp if placed outside the rack. To do the 802's and put the 7's beside them I would 1st need to redo my cables and get a long run of balanced interconnects. Right now because I have the 6B, it's in the rack thus I use a long run of speaker cables and really short interconnects.