Arcam A85 and P90 Configuration

[DistortedVision]

I've just bought some new speakers: Monitor Audio Gold Reference 20. Monitor Audio's UK Sales Manager, Alex Brady, was very helpful in helping me choose. He actually talked me into getting the GR20s instead of the more expensive GR60s!

Anyway, he told me to do something interesting. He said to connect my Arcam P90 to the top speaker terminals and the A85 to the bottom. He gave this reason

"The top end of the speaker has more delicate detail to resolve. Configuring the P90 to the top end will give you a purer top end, with more space and air, with better imaging and soundstaging.The fact that the top set of terminals on a GR20 handle mid and upper bass too make this even more beneficial."

I've certainly noticed a difference and was wondering if anyone had experimented with this with other speakers. I still don't understand why the P90 would be better than the A85 in resolving detail.

Also, I bought my P90 after the A85 and P85 had been discontinued. I noticed that even John Dawson has posted in this forum that the P90 and P85 are electrical identical but I wonder how this can be. The continuous power output per channel for the P85 is 85W and for 90W for the P90. How much difference does this make when using a P90 with an A85?

Look forward to hearing your views.

Many thanks,

Rupesh

[Crustyloafer]

Originally Posted by DistortedVision

Also, I bought my P90 after the A85 and P85 had been discontinued. I noticed that even John Dawson has posted in this forum that the P90 and P85 are electrical identical but I wonder how this can be. The continuous power output per channel for the P85 is 85W and for 90W for the P90. How much difference does this make when using a P90 with an A85?

The slight difference in power outputs will not make any difference as they both have the same gain levels. The slighly higher power output increase is probaly due to one or two minor component changes internally but in essence the P85 is basically the same as a P90.

[mrkeeling]

Originally Posted by DistortedVision

...Anyway, he told me to do something interesting. He said to connect my Arcam P90 to the top speaker terminals and the A85 to the bottom. He gave this reason...

I would most definitely (at least) try the other way around. Here is why:

LF, which you are currently driving with A90, is more current demanding, meaning it is taxing the power supply more. The power supply in A90 is shared between amp and preamp section and a high current demand from amp section can compromise its power supply to preamp section.
The other disadvantage that I see is that you have to use interconnects for HF instead the shortest possible path in the preamp. The longer the signal path – the more chances for distortion (and IMO it’s way easier to hear distortion in HF).