Power Amps for Ns-10

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Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby mullan12 » Thu May 26, 2011 6:10 pm

Yo Turtle's!

First time posting on here.
Anyway, Bought some Yamaha NS-10's off ebay about a month ago (in really good condition!). Im currently running them off a generic consumer hi-fi amp and its enough for me to use them. But i can tell that theres a bit of colouration through the amp.

Im after any suggestions of power amps that would work well with NS-10's.
I could go to any music store and buy one thats gonna have the same power specs but ive heard that some amps just work and may sound slightly better depending on the speakers.

Any suggestions would be great!
Looking for anything under $500, but ill pay that little bit extra if i can get exactly what im after.


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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby mullan12 » Thu May 26, 2011 6:29 pm

Yeah i've heard the crowns are really good!

Currently looking at on ebay from america but postage is going to be costly.
If anyone has a crown or knows someone who is selling, im very interested!
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby Kurt » Thu May 26, 2011 6:50 pm

Out of interest, how can you tell the amp is coulorationing your new speakers? Unless you've heard those units, in that room, with a known reference amp, what are you comparing to?

mullan12 wrote:Yo Turtle's!

First time posting on here.
Anyway, Bought some Yamaha NS-10's off ebay about a month ago (in really good condition!). Im currently running them off a generic consumer hi-fi amp and its enough for me to use them. But i can tell that theres a bit of colouration through the amp.

Im after any suggestions of power amps that would work well with NS-10's.
I could go to any music store and buy one thats gonna have the same power specs but ive heard that some amps just work and may sound slightly better depending on the speakers.

Any suggestions would be great!
Looking for anything under $500, but ill pay that little bit extra if i can get exactly what im after.


Luke
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby mullan12 » Thu May 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Well I may not be 100% sure. But ive mixed a few songs on NS-10's at a studio, but when ive brought them home to listen on mine. sounds a bit different. I know theres a chance its the room too, but the hifi amp im using now has an eq curcuit it runs through which cant be bypassed. Even just the audio going through those components would change the sound yes? or am i not thinking correctly?
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby Kurt » Thu May 26, 2011 7:04 pm

My guess would be there should be no audible effect from passing through an eq circuit set flat. The room, especially if untreated will always have a much more audible effect than an amp that isn't broken or shit.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby Kurt » Thu May 26, 2011 7:05 pm

Besides, NS-10's always sound bad, it's what they do!
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby mullan12 » Thu May 26, 2011 7:15 pm

Yeah I guess your right. But I still want to use a proper studio amp instead of my ugly hifi amp.

NS-10's may not sound good, but thats why they are good.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby rick » Thu May 26, 2011 8:51 pm

this post gets put up maybe twice a year around here
the results are the same though ns-10 sound best when they are massively overpowered
they also blown speakers easily when they are sounding good
find a unloved 150 -250 watt amp and start your engines .

there was a local guy who made an amp specifically for these speakers they sounded great
but his name is mud around here ... it rhymes with " hornicrook"
if you can find on of those ns-10 amps and pop the badge off it you will be well pleased
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby rob » Thu May 26, 2011 10:48 pm

i've popped the top of one of those unspeakable amplifiers and from memory i reckon it was just the ETI 100W amp kit.
I agree with Rick, NS10s are a horrible sounding speaker, but fill their function when you have at least 100W up your sleeve and be prepared to blow tweeters and woofers.

At the risk of being low brow, get any straight power amp at around 100W with balanced inputs and nothing but level controls on the front. Don't worry if it is a be!@#$%^& or a crown or a magazine kit amp.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby mullan12 » Fri May 27, 2011 12:24 pm

Thanks Rob!
Ill look into finding an ETI amp then.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby obutcher » Fri May 27, 2011 11:37 pm

We use an Australian Monitor power amp in our studio, works great.

To stop yourself blowing any drivers, put a fuse between the power amp and the speaker. We use 1A 250v fuses. Lord knows how many times our drivers have been saved because of that.

EDIT: corrected fuse values
Last edited by obutcher on Sun May 29, 2011 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby Alistair » Sat May 28, 2011 1:37 am

Do the fuses in anyway affect the frequency response or anything else of the speaker? Just got a pair myself...
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby rick » Sat May 28, 2011 8:28 am

yes but what are you going to do ?
blowing them up affects them more
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby rob » Sat May 28, 2011 8:52 pm

Here's a hot tip about putting fuses inline with your speakers to protect them:
All fuses are not created equal. There are good quality fuses and cheap shitty ones. In most applications the difference doesn't matter. When one is in series with your speakers, it does matter. Shell out and buy good ones from RS or Element14.
Use the best quality and highest rating fuse holder you can get, one that applies strong contact pressure to the ends of the fuse body.

No point in getting your knickers in a knot about the best amplifier and then go and ruin it by sticking a couple of intermittent ohms of resistance in line with it's output.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby GlennS » Mon May 30, 2011 12:11 pm

I must be one of the few people in the world who like the sound of NS-10's.
Keep them upright & off the console or desk (on stands about a foot behind).
Love 'em or hate 'em, great for mixing.
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Re: Power Amps for Ns-10

Postby graemeh » Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:58 pm

I wouldn't say i LIKE my ns10's, but I TRUST them which is the main thing really.
I have them fuse protected 2 amp slow blo through an Amcron D150. Never had them loud enough to blow a fuse for years - if I want loud I've got my Mackie hr824s or JBLs...
Also got a be!@#$%^& A500 power amp for my other NS10 system and it sounds ok too.
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