"Getting Started
in Analog . . . Again"
June 30, 2005
Your feature about
purchasing vintage vinyl was spot-on! Our local NPR radio station sponsors a spring
"Vintage Vinyl" sale, which is not to be missed. Over the years I've picked up a
lot of very good albums. Bargains are becoming a bit more difficult to find, as my
collection becomes more complete. As you stated in the column, a lot of this stuff will
never turn up on CD. I've found most of the LPs to be in near-pristine condition. There is
a lot of fun to be had in the eternal quest for the unexpected.
TLS
Rotel speakers?
June 29, 2005
Do you know if Rotel ever made speakers? I was told of some
Rotel RS-1200 speakers, but I can't find a reference anywhere.
Roger
Evidently at one time they did, though it may have been
20 years ago. I can find mention of them in a few obscure places, but with little detail
provided. I'm confident that there is no support available for them currently, but if you
find an old pair in good shape at a thrift store or garage sale, they might be worth a few
bucks to try out. Sorry I can't help more on this one.
Bridge or biamp?
June 23, 2005
I recently bought an NAD 902 power amp (30Wpc stereo or 90W
bridged) with the intention of getting a matching stereo preamp to use with it. Does it
make sense and is it possible to drive the amp in bridged mode with an integrated
amp, using it for one speaker and using the integrated amp's power amp for the second
speaker? In this way I get 90Wpc, assuming the integrated amp has a preamp out and can
also be bridged to get 90W.
If so, which integrated amp would you suggest to match?
There are input-level controls on the power amp's inputs -- both sides.
Ben
I think the configuration you're suggesting is risky
from a sound-quality standpoint. You're assuming that the amplifier section in the
integrated can be bridged, and if so, it would have the exact same sonic signature as the
bridged power amp. I wouldn't take that chance. A better idea in my mind would be to sell
the power amp and buy a more powerful integrated amplifier -- NAD makes several of these.
The C352, for instance, is rated at 80Wpc into 8 ohms and a whopping 240W dynamic power
into 2 ohms. If it's more power you're seeking, I think it would fit the bill and give you
better sound. You'd also save money on those additional interconnects you'd have to buy
with two separate units. A second alternative would be to biamp -- use the power amp you
have for the upper frequencies and the integrated amp for the lower frequencies, for
instance. You could do this if your speakers are biampable (they will have two sets of
binding posts connected with a jumper, which you would remove).
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