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7.1 PC-based AMP? Replace GigaWorks setup.

A

Agrajag

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 3, 2008
Messages
92
My ancient but enjoyable Creative/Cambridge GigaWorks S750 system is on the fritz. I can get it worked on but it's getting to the point where it's not going to get much better.

It's the old 7-speaker setup (which still work great and sound perfectly fine -- except for the dead control unit.

I'd like to find an inexpensive, but acceptable 7.1 amp that can drive those speakers and that's set up for a PC environment (something that easily fits on a desktop without taking up much room, etc). It needs to be able to output to a Z-series sound card.

What can anyone recommend?

Thanks.
 
If you can find a basic 7.1 amplifier (or even 7.2!), I'd certainly like to know. I imagine it's something that could be built with basic components but I don't know what to search for.

I currently use an Onkyo receiver but I really don't need this receiver because it just acts as an amplifier to drive my speakers for my X-Fi that I use primarily for gaming. If I could find or maybe even build a simple (smaller!) amplifier that would take input from my sound card and give enough power for my cheap speakers, I'd toss the big Onkyo receiver.
 
"Inexpensive" is the problem. You will be able to find a 5.1 refurb Denon or something for around $120 or less, but 7.1 receivers are going to be a minimum of $250 and at that point it is probably better to just abandon your speakers and buy new ones.

A quick Google brought me to this, if you're okay with 5.1:
http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...3-5.1ch-home-theater-receiver-3d-ready/1.html

"Doesn't take up too much room" is also going to be an issue ;) Put your monitor on the receiver!
 
It would definitely be either 4-8 ohms. 16ohms isn't the widely used standard it was in the late 70's. 6ohm's are usually off the shelf HT stuff based (Sony, Panasonic HT systems), general speakers are either 4 or 8ohms.
 
I've bought 12, 16 ohm and other various driverss on various sales before. Not as common, no, but not impossible for an integrated system.
 
Most importantly is that not many amp's are designed to drive 16ohm loads, yes some can and it cuts the efficiency down by half of regular 8ohms but you're putting extra load on the transformer and output stage in the amp with anything beyond 8ohms (10, 11, 12, 14, 16 and even 18 ohm drivers).
 
Wow. Sounds like I might be better off buying a whole new PC speaker setup! Seems silly when all the speakers themselves are just fine. Kinda frustrating.
 
To be honest I'd rather fork out a bit extra for a new system completely, a 7.1 amp or receiver is not exactly going to be very cheap even if you buy the crappiest one out, unless used.

I'd grab an iron, DMM and some 60/40 solder and diagnose that dead control unit.
 
It's a common issue. Apparently either the glue aged and became conductive or something happened that a component needs to be heated first to run properly. Youtube videos show people using hair dryers to get their unit going again. That seems odd, but it works. The issue is, it only works until the next power cycle.

Repair might be the best option.
 
Post some pictures of what it looks like. Hair drier to fix it temporarily? Sounds odd.
 
Yamaha RX-V575

I use Yamaha RX-v473 for 5.1 setup. It is inexpensive but very good amp based on the reviews. I guess it bigger brother is also not very expensive and as good. But read the reviews first.

And I attached to mine reused Creative PC speakers and 2 specially bought big hifi front speakers. All works just fine :)
 
Matthew Kane said:
...you're putting extra load on the transformer and output stage in the amp with anything beyond 8ohms...
Click to expand...
Assuming a typical solid-state amp, I don't understand this. Doubling a speaker's impedance cuts the current in half, which should make it easier on the amp. It might not play very loudly, but it shouldn't hurt anything.

What am I missing?
 
Yes theoretically it should but let's just say some amp's that I've serviced and peeked inside are designed with a lot of omission and irregularities, hell some amp's I've tried with 16ohm and 18ohm old school Alnico based drivers power on and no more then a few seconds the protection circuit kicks in with no sound output. Some tube amp's have this problem. Solid-state not as much except that one line of Denon's from the 90's (can't remember model, was posted on AA awhile ago) that had the problem of the open frame trafo overheating because the impedence is cut by half and somebody kept going full blast on the volume knob.
 
I see how tube amps with 4 & 8 (but not 16) taps have problems there. The Denon SS amps are news to me.

Thanks for the info.
 
The S750 Gigaworks here stopped working over a year ago. It uses dodgy glue, cheap capacitors and the amplifier overheats. I also read that replacing the transformer and housing the electronics separately from the sub should improve the sound.

Repairing it is going to require significant man hours. It's probably easier to build your own amplifier from scratch:

https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2873671
 
HammerSandwich said:
Assuming a typical solid-state amp, I don't understand this. Doubling a speaker's impedance cuts the current in half, which should make it easier on the amp. It might not play very loudly, but it shouldn't hurt anything.

What am I missing?
Click to expand...

It's almost never a problem, but some amps will oscillate with too high an impedance load. Not sure of the specific issue with those 90s Denons that Matthew refers to, but the issue definitely wouldn't be with the transformer itself. It may be oscillating, causing it to draw (and sink) additional power, but it can't do that just because of the impedance itself. Needs something like oscillation to happen to cause the extra power draw (though that would likely be audible as well). Ignore everything about tube amps unless you intend to make the terrible decision to buy one.

It also doesn't majorly affect efficiency even when your amp is designed for 8 ohms, though it will typically limit the amount of power your amp can deliver. This is not to say it has zero effect on efficiency. It's just not major.
 
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