Pioneer HPM-200 speakers...

some of you guys were right-these require more power. i hooked them up to my anthem mca5(190w front channels) and i think i could use a bit more. any suggestions? im leaning towards an adcom gfa555...

The GFA-555 does not have speaker relay so beware if you want to protect your drivers.
 
some of you guys were right-these require more power...
Yep. Pioneer even advertised HPM-200s as being power hungry beasts when they came out, mentioning 11 companies that have introduced "Super amplifiers". "Designed to deliver all the sound expensive high-power amplifiers can produce". See the attached front cover foldout ad from the March 1976 Audio magazine.
 

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Yep. Pioneer even advertised HPM-200s as being power hungry beasts when they came out, mentioning 11 companies that have introduced "Super amplifiers". "Designed to deliver all the sound expensive high-power amplifiers can produce". See the attached front cover foldout ad from the March 1976 Audio magazine.

can anybody recommend a "super amplifier" less than a 1k? i dont want to abuse these speakers but i also would like to "hear" them...

thanx again for all the info fellas
 
can anybody recommend a "super amplifier" less than a 1k? i dont want to abuse these speakers but i also would like to "hear" them...

thanx again for all the info fellas

Pioneer SPEC-2 comes to mind. It's in the stack of amps in the picture sitting on top of a Crown DC-300A. A SPEC-2 can be had for less than $1K.
 
The HPM-200's enjoy alot of power, however they don't fall into the category of "Amp Killers".
For years I ran mine on a Yamaha CA-1000 and was not not hooked into a "critical listening" mode but enjoying them immensely while watching HiFi encoded movies. I am currently enjoying them on a Yamaha M-85 with appox. 250 per channel. Even with the meter pegged at full signal strength , the amplifier runs a little warm but nowhere approaching hot and I know the speakers would love more juice:yes:.
 
Thanks for the links / pics!

(1) I didn't know the HPM was a Piezo!

Not having a stellar experience with BIC horn-loaded supertweet elements, but used to be happy with Sennheiser HD414 piezo headphones.

(2) I'm listening now to HPM-1500's on a Luxman R-117 and the highs are smoothed just fine.

This 1500 has a smaller radiant surface area than the 200's multi diameter barrels, but has a top-mounted 270 degree dispersion supertweeter driver element; big step up from the 100's I tried. It doesn't pair up nicely with Adcom 555s. Likes Onkyos.

tubed that M-85 is a high-bandwidth design, nice.

In that price range I'd try a couple of 250+ wpc VFET Sonys, MOSFET Haflers, or Parasounds (the larger ones not the half high ones). Let them warm up before passing judgment!

Pro amps with Class-D (if you're okay with switching) will give you plenty of current. Helps if your circuits can handle 20A.

And of course your PRE is more important than your AMP... :scratch2:
 
Yep. Pioneer even advertised HPM-200s as being power hungry beasts when they came out, mentioning 11 companies that have introduced "Super amplifiers". "Designed to deliver all the sound expensive high-power amplifiers can produce". See the attached front cover foldout ad from the March 1976 Audio magazine.

Oh man,now I want a pair:drool:thanks alot
 
Yep. Pioneer even advertised HPM-200s as being power hungry beasts when they came out, mentioning 11 companies that have introduced "Super amplifiers". "Designed to deliver all the sound expensive high-power amplifiers can produce". See the attached front cover foldout ad from the March 1976 Audio magazine.

That's pretty awesome. I see that there is a SAE MK2600 on top of the heap. It makes me wonder how I'd like the HPM 200 with my MK2500...
 
Congratulations on acquiring a very fine speaker! :thmbsp:

I have a friend who has a pair of those circular tweeter units. About ten years ago, he pulled them from a perfectly good HPM-200 as being "the good part", and threw the rest of them (cabs with woofers) in the trash. Today, he kicks himself about it. :bash: :whip: The "magic" (and much of the value) of the HPM-200s comes from the overall synergy between the parts, not just from the cylindrical parts, but "common wisdom" around here back then apparently didn't include that fact.

I could buy those "supertweeters" from him, but from what I've heard, I prefer both the Heil AMTs and the Elac circular ribbons. Both have more power, more "solidity" to their sound, and seem to contribute more to the soundstage, probably because they can crossover a bit lower. Not to take anything away from the HPM units; they're cool, too! :music: :yes:
 
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i have had my 200's since 1982 been driven with A Sansui 9090 , a pair of bridged Nakamichi 620's for years and now a pair of Yamaha M-80's the only thing i have done to them is replace the surrounds on the woofers can't say that i have ever heard anything better for my listening needs
 
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Is the super tweeter in the HPM similiar to the HPM 100's were it only operates in the very highest frequencies? Looks like it needs a cone tweeter to agument it
 
there are 2 seperate 270 degree tweeters in the array stacked on top of each other if you look at the pics closely
 
The HPM-100's supertweet is crossed over very high (12000 ?). It has a lot less radiant area and is mounted on the front of the baffle. Very different animal. Ported.

The two barrels are a tweeter and a supertweeter on the 200. The woofers are a woofer and a low woofer...
 
The HPM-100's supertweet is crossed over very high (12000 ?). It has a lot less radiant area and is mounted on the front of the baffle. Very different animal. Ported.

The two barrels are a tweeter and a supertweeter on the 200. The woofers are a woofer and a low woofer...

Don't forget the dome mid!
 
Dome mid? Like my DQ-10s? Cool.

I like the idea of keeping the middle of the critical midband freer of xover inconsistencies. A dedicated mid can do that if the designer is careful and knows about the physiology of hearing.

We've evolved to discriminate best in the midband speech registers. (Or bark registers for dogs... screech registers for bats...infrasonics for elephants!)
 
im considering adcom amps(gfa 555, 565) for the hpm's or dual carver m400. any thoughts on these? ive heard the adcoms had some leaking cap issues but thinking that most that are still functioning now have had the repairs done.
 
The GFA-565 will provide the additional power needed to make a slight difference over what you are using now. I'm not a fan of the M400 carvers.
 
Sorry I did not see this thread sooner.
But I think the sound descriptions posted here about cover it.

Then again you are experiencing them first hand now!

I believe I am one of the few that run a HPM-100/200 combo...
The 200's will be with me until I part this World!:yes:
Missing one nameplate other than that they are in great shape.

For a short time a ran them using my SPEC-1/2 combo and they really came to life.
As of now I run them with a SA-9500II 80 wpc intergrated amp.
It takes very little power to get both of the HPM sets filling the room with sound.
A little more on the throttle and they will run you out of the room, SA barley breaks a sweat.
 

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