Why We Love Mono Block Amplifiers So Much?

[MiTT]

Question for ALL of you based on the pic of the 9007 MBL Amp!

It shows RCA inputs if you want to go stereo, but only a balanced input for mono use...are there RCA to balanced cables out there? I only have RCA outs on my Rotel 1098 Pre/Pro and would LOVE to get one of these in the next 2 years or so...actually TWO of them...for the Prodigy! YEA BABY! Maybe even Bi-amp the Prodigy w/ the Rotel 1090 running the subs....hmmm....

James, adapters are available as others here have mentioned, but putting an adapter on the end of a single ended (RCA) cable does not "convert" the signal to differential operation as you have in an amp like the mbl's running a real "balanced" circuit. You will transfer signals, but they will NOT sound as good as they are designed to sound until you run a full differential circuit - balanced pre-amp feeding the balanced amps. Using your Rotel to drive those mbl's would be a pretty serious compromise I'm afraid.

 

[Robin]

The Theata Dreadnaught II...

I realize this is not a mono-block amp., though I believe, unless you guys know better, this Theta Dreadnaught II runs five individualized mono's in one housing, at 225 watts / channel - x5..., just like my Anthem Statement P5. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong... Anyway, it looks impressively awesome...

 

[DrJRapp]

I realize this is not a mono-block amp., though I believe, unless you guys know better, this Theta Dreadnaught II runs five individualized mono's in one housing, at 225 watts / channel - x5..., just like my Anthem Statement P5. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong... Anyway, it looks impressively awesome...

Actually it runs anywhere from 2 to 5 modules and they have 225wpc and 125wpc modules so you can have 3 heavy hitters up front and 2 lightweights for the surrounds and any combination thereof. Sure is pretty in person.

 

[Pcar928fan]

James, adapters are available as others here have mentioned, but putting an adapter on the end of a single ended (RCA) cable does not "convert" the signal to differential operation as you have in an amp like the mbl's running a real "balanced" circuit. You will transfer signals, but they will NOT sound as good as they are designed to sound until you run a full differential circuit - balanced pre-amp feeding the balanced amps. Using your Rotel to drive those mbl's would be a pretty serious compromise I'm afraid.

No doubt...the amps are each (the cheap ones now) TWICE the cost of the 1098 Pre/Pro...you can only do so much at once though. When you have a connection that might be able to save you some serious $$$ you take what you can get when you can get it... I would upgrade to something different in time. Maybe a Halcro...I think they have the screen on the front that might just work for my home CCTV system...

 

[Diamonds]

I realize this is not a mono-block amp., though I believe, unless you guys know better, this Theta Dreadnaught II runs five individualized mono's in one housing, at 225 watts / channel - x5..., just like my Anthem Statement P5. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong... Anyway, it looks impressively awesome...

It is great looking amp but I think the theta amps lack in sound at least for my ears. They are a little bright for me. I heard their top end mono blocks paired with Wilson Watt Puppy 7s and they were not to my liking.

 

[Pcar928fan]

Diamonds,

It is good to know that Pass Labs was smoother than the MBL 9007 amplifier... Thanks for sharing, as I have not heard the MBL 9007 or Pass Labs amplifiers - as of yet...

Are the Pass tube amps? That would explain it...the MBL's are all SS, which is a bit strange for the price. I always tend to equate really expensive high end amps with tubes, but clearly I have been mistaken is so doing...

 

[Beat_Dominator]

No way! Nelson Pass is a solid state guy 100%

 

[Pcar928fan]

No way! Nelson Pass is a solid state guy 100%

Interesting. I would have thought in the SS league MBL would surpass just about anybody out there...they certainly charge enough so that they SHOULD surpass all comers in the SS field of amps! Of course they do have more or less reasonably priced amps as well as pretty out of this world expensive amps. I guess Robin has found some pics of more expensive amps...I think there was a pair of Mono tube amps that were like $150k, the top MBL's would only be about what $80k or something like that? Maybe $90k... a pittance!

 

[Robin]

Big, Bad and Beautiful... The Boulder 850 Mono-Blocks...

These Boulder 850 mono-blocks run at 200 watts continuously at 8 ohms... I just wonder how they must sound...?

 

[Beat_Dominator]

Oooooooh Boulders are very nice looking

 

[Sambob2]

""All I got are a pair of rocks"...no seriously those Boulders do look really sweet! Wonder what the suggested retail price on those is?

Going to audition the Pass Labs again tomorrow morning. Let's see if I got the will power not to purchase just yet! Hopefully it will only be an audition...not a purchase. Just some forward thinking I guess. It's all about the will power...leave the card home...for now.
Sam

 

[risabet]

""All I got are a pair of rocks"...no seriously those Boulders do look really sweet! Wonder what the suggested retail price on those is?

Going to audition the Pass Labs again tomorrow morning. Let's see if I got the will power not to purchase just yet! Hopefully it will only be an audition...not a purchase. Just some forward thinking I guess. It's all about the will power...leave the card home...for now.
Sam

10K per pair!

 

[MiTT]

10K per pair!

Actually, those are the Baby Boulders - the 850's.

If you really want to talk about Boulder Monoblocks you need to consider the Boulder 2050 Monoblocks. 1000W into 8ohms, 4000W into 2ohms, 240 lbs each. $36,000.00 each.

James, I've listened to these Boulders in direct comparison to mbl's and Accuphase on JM Labs Mezzo Utopias. The mbls are good amps to be sure, but I preffered the Accuphase, and the Boulders were in a class all their own. These are to my ears the finest sounding solid state amplifiers I've heard. Everything through these things sounds amazingly effortless and pristine with an almost tube like sweetness. The also happen to have the best fit & finish of virtually any consumer or laboratory product I've ever seen. I've said it before here, if you have never seen or heard the Boulder products you must simply find a way to do it. If I won the lottery I have a good feeling where $72K of my money would go.

Sorry for the bad picture, it was taken at CEDIA. Somewhere I have another picture of them hooked up to the JM Labs Mezzo Utopia's, but I can't find it.

 

[Pcar928fan]

James, I've listened to these Boulders in direct comparison to mbl's and Accophase on JM Labs Mezzo Utopias. The mbls are good amps to be sure, but I preffered the Accuphase, and the Boulders were in a class all their own. These are to my ears the finest sounding solid state amplifiers I've heard. Everything through these things sounds amazingly effortless and pristine with an almost tube like sweetness.

Tim,

Thanks for the info! Great to know! For me I like the LOOK of the MBL's...I have never heard them to compare them to anything else, but I LOVE the way they look. I KNOW they will sound good too. Will there be things better, probably, will they be a lot better, probably not, but I KNOW they won't look as good and since they will sit out and all will see them I want them to LOOK good AND SOUND good...I want to eat my cake RIGHT NOW! Oh, and I want them to be ALMOST free!

 

[Beat_Dominator]

How about some UK jewelry..... Chord's SPM 14000; ONLY $75,000/pair producing olny 1000w @ 8ohm.

 

[MiTT]

Tim,

Thanks for the info! Great to know! For me I like the LOOK of the MBL's...I have never heard them to compare them to anything else, but I LOVE the way they look. I KNOW they will sound good too. Will there be things better, probably, will they be a lot better, probably not, but I KNOW they won't look as good and since they will sit out and all will see them I want them to LOOK good AND SOUND good...I want to eat my cake RIGHT NOW! Oh, and I want them to be ALMOST free!

I understand James, and don't get me wrong, the mbl's are certainly big league amps that I would be proud to own as well. Good luck getting them for almost free too!

Don't be too quick to dismiss the looks of the Boulder amps either though. I realize aesthetic considerations are subjective, but I'll tell you that the Boulders simply can't be done justice in a photograph. You have to see them to really understand what is going on with them and they have a real jewel like appearance once you have them right in front of you.

 

[Pcar928fan]

Don't be too quick to dismiss the looks of the Boulder amps either though. I realize aesthetic considerations are subjective, but I'll tell you that the Boulders simply can't be done justice in a photograph. You have to see them to really understand what is going on with them and they have a real jewel like appearance once you have them right in front of you.

I don't doubt, it but unless they look glossy black in person instead of silver, I am just not there. I DO like the intricate look of the sides of these amps though. If they did them in a nice Piano black finish, I would certainly put them on the list to listen to against the MBL's! By the time I am ready to buy maybe they will be doing that...

 

[ScottG]

Manly 500... 500 Watts of 'ever-warm'... no clue if that is important... but they claim it's a benefit

"To avoid a heavy power drain when the cold amplifier is first switched on, we conceived a "Soft-Start" mode which also functions as an "Ever-Warm" position allowing the amplifiers to be always warmed up for pleasurable listening"

 

[Sambob2]

Nice...big bucks nice...nice big bucks!!!

Streophile did a recent review on the MBL Reference 9007 Power Amp...all $26,600.00/pair!!! September 2006 issue. I just recycled it this morning, nothing in that issue I could afford but it is nice to read, look at and learn about. Same with all those other amps up there.

 

[risabet]

Manly 500... 500 Watts of 'ever-warm'... no clue if that is important... but they claim it's a benefit

"To avoid a heavy power drain when the cold amplifier is first switched on, we conceived a "Soft-Start" mode which also functions as an "Ever-Warm" position allowing the amplifiers to be always warmed up for pleasurable listening"

"ever-warm" probably switches off the B+ and leaves the heaters on, allowing the tubes to remain warm w/o shortening tube life dramatically. On start up the B+ comes up and voila peak sound.