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Low volume with active AE1s

MVV

MVV

pfm Member
My main amplifier has lost a channel and is going to be fixed. So I dug out a pair of active AE1s and a passive pre amp I bought a while ago but never tried. It doesn't go very loud at all; actually at full volume probably just about enough. It is fed by a WT turntable, with Ortofon Cadenza Blue through a Arkless Turbo phono stage. Is this what I should expect with a passive pre?
PS The speakers are set to full volume.
 
I'd think the issue is the "Passive pre". This is really likely to be just an attenuator, so you are dependent on the output voltage level from the phonostage. I would think this would be insufficient to provide suitable input level for the amps in your active speakers. Passive "Preamps" are really nothing of the sort - there is (unless some form of transformer gain is employed) no amplification factor in play, they are really just switches and volume controls.
 
I guessed as much but useful to have it confirmed so thank-you both. I think it will do until the other amp comes back. Then I will look into a cheap transparent active pre if I decide not to sell them.
 
It's a problem of the whole. A function of the output of the phonostage and no les's important, the input sensitivity of the active speakers. Some amplifiers output maximum voltage when input reaches 0.5V, some only at 2V or whatever. This determines the maximum volume. The passive pre means you don't have a way to increase this. But cheap good active pres are a very rare species.
 
A "conventional" passive can give full output from the source but some types use a fixed resistor with a switched one so there are only two resistors in the signal path and these cannot give max volume from the source. You may get half to 2/3rds ish at max vol.

There is no such thing as an Arkless Turbo BTW. There is an Arkless 640P Turbo and an Arkless GTi Turbo and they are VERY different.
 
dreamer69 said:
How good do the ae1’s sound?
Click to expand...

Much better than they cost! Very clean, detailed, image well and good bass if a bit 3 note. but I've got them on their side (to bring the tweeter down) on the ES 14s, so hardly set up.
I've got a daft thing about 14s I spend fortunes on other speakers then end up going back.
It will be interesting getting the 14s back on stream, will I think 'great they are back' or 'Im not sure?' If they stay it will end up a super flat earth system, something I thought I'd left behind. Five grands worth of turntable going via a volume pot into c1k actives.
 
Arkless Electronics said:
A "conventional" passive can give full output from the source but some types use a fixed resistor with a switched one so there are only two resistors in the signal path and these cannot give max volume from the source. You may get half to 2/3rds ish at max vol.

There is no such thing as an Arkless Turbo BTW. There is an Arkless 640P Turbo and an Arkless GTi Turbo and they are VERY different.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know but I'm not sure what I've got. I got my first one from you then this came up in the classifieds called an Arkless Turbo plus. Big advantage is it has an on/off button. Bloody great it is too!
 
MVV said:
Yeah, I know but I'm not sure what I've got. I got my first one from you then this came up in the classifieds called an Arkless Turbo plus. Big advantage is it has an on/off button. Bloody great it is too!
Click to expand...

Glad you like it:) If it has a switch for MM/MC then it is not the GTi
 
The Tisbury is a nice introduction to passives but is soon overtaken. You may not need an active preamp but a better passive. You can borrow my Khozmo passive if you like, to see if it works. If it doesn’t, you need an active. The problem then is any active that approaches the same quality costs a lot of money.
 
Alex S said:
The Tisbury is a nice introduction to passives but is soon overtaken. You may not need an active preamp but a better passive. You can borrow my Khozmo passive if you like, to see if it works. If it doesn’t, you need an active. The problem then is any active that approaches the same quality costs a lot of money.
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Thank-you Alex a very kind offer which I will think about. No rush because the main amp should be back in about 3 weeks. I have to say I'm enjoying the AE1s though!
 
Sorry yes, I forgot your main amp is coming back so all this may be irrelevant, but in case not, the offer’s open as and when.

BTW I had the original passive AE1s and enjoyed them for a good 15 years.
 
I must say I am really warming to these speakers. They are on their side on on top of the ES14s but are just so solid and image brilliantly! I can't remember the 14s and the M3 doing this at a 3k break. Audio memory is rubbish so we will we see.
 
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