- class D amp (solid state) rather than a class A or A/B amp because of power consumption and heat dissipation
- external amp rather than a plate amp so that I could locate it with the rest of my audio equipment
- ~200 watts
My Yamaha R-N803 receiver provides a “subwoofer out” RCA jack. That line is spec’d at 4V/1.2 Kohm so that, by itself, it cannot drive a subwoofer; it must feed either a powered subwoofer or a passive subwoofer via an amp. Since the THTLP is a passive subwoofer, I need to choose an amp for it.
I’m planning to use an Ultimax 15” driver in my THTLP which presents a nominal 4 ohm load. According to the THTLP build information, 200 watts will be plenty to power the THTLP.
I could use a plate amp (like a Dayton SPA250 or a BASH300) but I’d prefer an external amp (like the Crown XLS 1002).
- A Dayton 250 will provide 250 watts into 4 ohms and (with enclosure) will cost about CAD$350.
- The Crown XLS1002 costs about CAN$550 and (in bridged mode for use with a subwoofer) will provide 1100 watts into 4 ohms.
I’d be interested in opinions from forum members about amps that I should consider for my requirements.