Well seeing that this thread is a bit short and not much populated we could then start discussing the cardioid Amphion Kryptons
Joking!!!!

Seeing they have updated the Base One to Base Two and that there is still little feedback on the Flex Base .. that would be a welcome. Anybody using the new Base Two? Anybody using the Flex with either the smaller or bigger Amphions?

I'm using a Flexbase with One18s and absolutely love the combination.

I tried the Base Two's with my Two18's late last year. I wasn't looking to trade up the Base One's I have but got the chance to demo and was hugely impressed

It was as I'd expected it to sound - A little fuller and slightly more focused than the Base One's and in my room they made the low end more of a physical thing

Reminded me of my ATC SCM150's in that I 'felt' everything more than I was used to with my Two18/BaseOne set up

But I love the Base One's so felt that there was no need to swap them for The Base two there and then

If I was building a system from scratch I think I would go for the Base Two's though as that plus the Amp700 seem like perfection

For those of us who like to use alternative amplifiers.....

I just got in a pair of Behringer A800 amplifiers. These can be switched into monoblock amps with a little switch on the back. They marked the binding posts with the monoblock polarity information and the "channel A" input has a little note that says "mono" to let you know to use that input.

I am using them with the Two18 speakers (rated at 4 ohms), and Behringer indicates that bridged mono is not recommended into 4 ohms. However, I never play loud, so I decided to give it a shot. (I was assuming they were protecting themselves against extreme users wanting to run at maximum volume into 4 ohms.)

I did try them in non-bridged mode, using only one channel per side, which made them essentially monoblocks but with half the power and not using the bridged architecture. I greatly prefer bridged mono.

In bridged mono, they have a very solid, effortless energy throughout the range. It feels like the Two18s really like these amps. It feels like a good match.

I am driving them with the 2400 Audio Imperium passive controller, which is wonderful, but it feels a little odd because the pair of A800 amplifiers cost a total of $600 US. The Imperium cost approx $1,000 and I feel it was totally worth it.

The A800s are very well built, solid yet compact. They have LED bar graphs to show how much power is being output. At my loudest normal listening levels the very first LED will light up only on heavy bass notes. I did crank it up to levels that I would not use except for brief testing, and got two lights to come on.

So, I highly recommend these little wonders at $300 each. I think they are a steal.
================
Update:
For anyone choosing to test these A800 amplifiers, they are subject to the same "cold amp" syndrome as the Amphion amplifiers it seems. They definitely sound best when left running. Otherwise it takes several hours to start sounding great, then the following morning they sound cold, sterile and a bit harsh till they warm up again. Just an observation from several days of cold-start surprise. Also, they run warm. Do not try to stack them directly on top of each other because they will get hot. Not burn your fingers hot, but hot enough that I would worry about the long term health of the amplifiers.

I got my GFA-555 back from Jim.

These cabinets like power. There is a lot more weight behind the transients now. I don’t find them quite as fatiguing because it seems the woofers have the energy to keep up. I’m sending my 545 in next and will compare both but I have a feeling the extra power is the missing ingredient for me.

I think we are on to something. The raw power reserves combined with transparent topology seem to be the key. Whether class A/B or D, the key is execution.

It feels to me like I am finally hearing the Two18s able to run free, without having to blast them. I am also running them a little louder than I normally would, but without the ear fatigue. Very interesting.

Keep in mind, these A800s are rated at 800 watts into 8 ohms in bridged mono......

I would concur, I am listening to them louder (for pleasure) without the fatigue.

Did you compare the Behringer against an Amphion amplifier by chance? Curious how they stack up in an A/B test.

Very intriguing for $300. I wonder how a single A800, one channel per side, would perform with a pair of ONE15s...

How long was the turnaround time for the JW mod if you don't mind me asking?

Apparently very well indeed, according to a friend with picky ears who sadly is no longer with us. He did say it was very dependent on running the a800 fully open though, as turning down the volume on it made the sound go to shlt.

Something like 3-5 biz days

This is quite common on gear with variable outputs. It is certainly true of the various DACs I have used. These amps definitely need to have some kind of monitor controller or pre-amp.

Yeah this would be very interesting the price in UK is currently £150 inc delivery. I wouold be tempted to buy a pair of 2nd hand one15 for home use. I have one18 in the studio.

The amp 500 will be at a disadvantage right off the bat. In my setup with the Amphions, going from a stereo amp to dual mono makes a nice difference.

This has been proven with the last two pairs of amplifiers I used. One pair was a class A/B audiophile style amp where I tried one amp in stereo, then added a second amp and just used one channel on each. Technically they were now monoblocks, but not bridged so it was exactly the same power, just separate power supplies and no crosstalk because the second channel in each amp was not pulling power from the supply.

The second pair was tested just a few weeks ago, some SMSL class D stereo amps. (Exquisitely clean and dynamic, but only about 50 watts per channel). Same thing, tried one in stereo, then added the second but used only one channel on each. Same result. Cleaner, more dynamic, sweeter.

Update from previous reporting:
The A800s appear to break-in over several days, in my setup. Using the 2400 Audio Imperium, where it has pre-set volume level buttons so that you are always listening at the same level when you choose a particular button, I get a consistent level every day. It is entirely possible that my ears are the part that is breaking in.... however, I am completely sold on these little amps. Effortless presentation of the most demanding music. Super quick transient response, agility, imaging and resolution, yet easy on the ears!

In comparison, the tiny little SMSL amps exhibit a much less stable power signature probably because of the limited power of the Infineon chip and the limited current of the external power brick (like a small laptop power supply).
So, while the SMSL have that super quick, clean transient resolution and clarity, they lack the effortless expanse, grace and power of the A800s.

Update:
For anyone choosing to test these A800 amplifiers, they are subject to the same "cold amp" syndrome as the Amphion amplifiers it seems. They definitely sound best when left running. Otherwise it takes several hours to start sounding great, then the following morning they sound cold, sterile and a bit harsh till they warm up again. Just an observation from several days of cold-start surprise. Also, they run warm. Do not try to stack them directly on top of each other because they will get hot. Not burn your fingers hot, but hot enough that I would worry about the long term health of the amplifiers.

Ah you are tempting me ! Are the A800 completely silent ?


I've got this fantastic amp from YBA France, stellar Hifi amp but they do make an slight electric hum, it's no that bad but actually irritating.

Also my Class D Lipinski L301 had a problem and my super gifted friend is unable to repair them, holding to them in a mix of pride and procrastinating towards the beasts. can't count on them !


cheap, reliable, AND silent Behringer's brided at 8ohm would be nice and ok for the 8 ohms One 18.

My pair of class A/B amps had hum, some sort of persistent grounding issue. It was low level, but I knew it was affecting the clarity of whatever came out. I was going to put together some DC blocking filters (the A/B amps were DC coupled inputs), but decided to experiment with new amps instead. So glad that I did!

So to answer your question, I did not notice any hum or hiss, I also do not hear a pop when I un-mute the Imperium. It uses relays to connect or disconnect the main outputs. The Class A/B amps always popped when the relay connected the signal.

I will put my ear up against the speaker this evening to see if I hear anything, but from a distance of about .75 meters, I don't hear anything.
========================
Update: Two pieces of information.

First; I set the monitor controller to maximum, put my ears a few inches from the speakers, cupped my hands around my ears to amplify any noise. I heard nothing.

Second; For anyone choosing to test these A800 amplifiers, they are subject to the same "cold amp" syndrome as the Amphion amplifiers it seems. They definitely sound best when left running. Otherwise it takes several hours to start sounding great, then the following morning they sound cold, sterile and a bit harsh till they warm up again. Just an observation from several days of cold-start surprise. Also, they run warm. Do not try to stack them directly on top of each other because they will get hot. Not burn your fingers hot, but hot enough that I would worry about the long term health of the amplifiers.

Thanks a lot ! I trust you, don't stick your ear to your speakers please

Anything quieter than my amp will be nice. I also have a Quad 405 in repair, waiting for that to come back.

Hello Amphion One 15 users,

Very happy to have setup my Amphion One 15 and the Amphion 100 Amplifier.
I am still working to get my room fully treated.


I find the Amphion very pleasant to use.

So here is my question: Is the Amphion 15 a good trustworthy speaker in terms of translation ?
I heard some people comparing them to ns10, especially for the medium?

So is the Amphion one 15 a neutral mixing tool speaker to rely on, or more a hifi speaker to please you when producing ?

Would love to hear your feedback.

Regards

Sergio

Set them up and work on them, Sergio. You don't need a world class perfectly treated room to get the benefit from the One 15's since they're so small and don't have alot of low end. You can work on them at close distance and it'll mitigate a lot of room issues.

To answer your question - in my opinion they're both "hifi" and very accurate. I could never write music on NS-10's personally. I had them for years. I guess they were "accurate" even though all of my mixes were always a struggle with the low end. The Amphions, in general, are less aggressively "bad" sounding then the NS-10 and are much better for writing music over long periods of time.

I had mentioned this way back in this thread - but I think you should've just gone with the Two 15's and you would be done. You wouldn't even need to wait around for your Genelec to hear low end, if that's what you're missing on the One 15.

I've updated my previous posts with this information, so it may look odd for first time readers.

First; I set the monitor controller to maximum, put my ears a few inches from the speakers, cupped my hands around my ears to amplify any noise. I heard nothing.

Second; For anyone choosing to test these A800 amplifiers, they are subject to the same "cold amp" syndrome as the Amphion amplifiers it seems. They definitely sound best when left running. Otherwise it takes several hours to start sounding great, then the following morning they sound cold, sterile and a bit harsh till they warm up again. Just an observation from several days of cold-start surprise. Also, they run warm. Do not try to stack them directly on top of each other because they will get hot. Not burn your fingers hot, but hot enough that I would worry about the long term health of the amplifiers.

oh thanks, yeah small down sides. I was pretty excited to try them out, but the whole idea to leave them on is a bit off putting to me ( running hot too).

I might just experiment with the Quad 405 for now.

Hi there,

One of my One 18 tweeter seems to be dead (like distortion on high frequencies coming from the tweeter).

I tried to search amongst this huge thread but did not find something related.

Questions:

1) where I can get a replacement?

2) is it complicated to change? (I know how to solder)

3) would it be better to change the pair so that I start equally with both (and then I keep the good one for future replacement).

I still find quite weird that such high end stuff is going broken after a few years (I am not playing them loud) ...

Thanks for your help ... A bit sad because it sounds like it will cost a lot ... no idea in fact

contact Amphion https://amphion.fi/create/support-pr...nical-support/

They'll have replacement, and I'd not trust any other sources!

good luck

Many thanks! I contacted them.

While searching the web, I found a distributor in France and they sell an additional circuit for protecting the tweeter ... looks like it is a known problem ...

I will wait for the answer of Amphion before doing anything.

The same thing happened to me. The seller offered me a replacement. I changed it easily and seamlessly through the rear filter and connection compartment. I didn't notice difference between the two speakers when changing it. These speakers sound great but you have to be careful with the volumes ... I don't go with them anymore with 76db spl-

Wow I'm already pretty worried to blow the woofer tracking with them with a stupid synth bass note or something, but now tweeter fragility?! outch

Blowing tweeters isn't a known problem with Amphions
I've had 2 sets for over 6 years and not blown one (and I mix loud!)

But yeah make sure you get a replacement from Amphion

Exactly the kind of feedback I was dreaming of!!!
So it seems there is no need to change both tweeters ? great news!

Can you please share more details about how to change the tweeter? Should I solder the wires? or is it about plugs? Is the tweeter pasted or with screws? Did you open only the top part (where you connect the speaker wires or also the radiator?)

I think my issue was that I work remotely with a band and I placed 4 kicks at the beginning of track so that I can align all tracks to the exact sample of the kick BUT I forgot to remove kicks once tracks were aligned so that when I hit play all tracks with kicks played and maybe this is what caused the issue?

yep they are fragile speakers ... from tweeter to woofer

Mmm I think this problem is known ... at least by Amphion because I found a PCB that can be installed to protect tweeters by an french Amphion reseller ... I dont know if this one is an official one or not (I asked Amphion about that too).

Here the link to this "new" PCB :

https://www.tigershop.fr/pieces-detachees-1/amphion/pcb-board.html


I have mine since 3 years and did not have an issue (apart a part that was not paste correctly inside the speaker (dealt by a local dealer)).

Anyway I am in contact with Amphion now and asked them about this PCB for tweeter protection. More news soon.

I am still hesitating to order two tweeters (65 euros each) and to change both of them to restart with same configuration with the two One 18. (and then I keep the current working tweeter if I have such a crash in the future). What do you think?