do i even need a receiver?

[xreaperx22]

ok so im currently on the waiting list for my phil 3's,and i just got a pair of wharfedale diamond 250's,i plan on hooking them up to my pc as its in my game room and i do all my gaming and alot of movie watching on my pc,but the pc already has a sound card whit ess sabre dac's and all that good stuff so should i just get a good amp?

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

The function of a receiver is to provide a place to plug in, and switch between, various source components, decode 5.1 surround sound audio processing, and provide amplification for multiple surround sound speakers. Doesn’t sound like you need any of that.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[lovinthehd]

If you're happy with the analog output of your pc, and the source being the pc, a power amp might be the way to go....a receiver gives more options as Wayne mentioned. Depends if you need them altho a receiver can be a cost effective way of getting amplification....

 

[xreaperx22]

yeah i wont be using anything other than the 2 speakers most likely but i have digital out on my sound card optical and coaxial,but i noticed not alot of amps have digital inputs so maybe a pre-amp than amp?

 

[lovinthehd]

yeah i wont be using anything other than the 2 speakers most likely but i have digital out on my sound card optical and coaxial,but i noticed not alot of amps have digital inputs so maybe a pre-amp than amp?

Yes if you want an onboard dac and multiple sources either a receiverintegrated amp or preamp/amp would be other choices....

 

[xreaperx22]

hmm seems ill be spending some money either way,i was looking into adcom stuff they have a nice pre-amp and amp that wont break the bank,also i see alot of pyle equipment but im on the fence as them being anything but good lol.

 

[KenM10759]

I had a simple NAD D3020 integrated amp on my desktop for a few weeks and liked its performance. I only switched to a Bluesound Powernode 2 because I missed having the Bluesound app running everything. The D3020 (original one, not the new v2) is fairly priced, you can find them under $300. The D3020v2 adds an internal phono amp. Either does have an analog input for your good ESS Sabre DAC, or digital input and use it's own DAC. The best part is how little space they use.

 

[lovinthehd]

hmm seems ill be spending some money either way,i was looking into adcom stuff they have a nice pre-amp and amp that wont break the bank,also i see alot of pyle equipment but im on the fence as them being anything but good lol.

Definitely no to Pyle....don't waste your time/money. Adcom has been long out of business so be aware of potential issues with old gear.

Economy of scale gives the avr advantages....

 

[2channel lover]

ok so im currently on the waiting list for my phil 3's,and i just got a pair of wharfedale diamond 250's,i plan on hooking them up to my pc as its in my game room and i do all my gaming and alot of movie watching on my pc,but the pc already has a sound card whit ess sabre dac's and all that good stuff so should i just get a good amp?

I'd get an AVR...with a pair of Phil3s, you're building a great system. The AVR gives you plenty of control, it can interact with your PC as a source, also more power...as you said, you're going to be spending some coin anyway, relieving the PC of some duties could help extend the life as well.

 

[Montucky]

Definitely no to Pyle....don't waste your time/money. Adcom has been long out of business so be aware of potential issues with old gear.

Economy of scale gives the avr advantages....

Just came to second that. They must be called Pyle because IME they're just big piles of poo. They actually do make some decent phono preamps for the money and couple other things, but stay far, far away from their AVRs and amps.

 

[Montucky]

For your purposes, you should hit up the used or even refurb market if you want the best bang for the buck. Especially since you don't need the latest bells and whistles that the newest AVRs come with.

 

[xreaperx22]

yeah i was thinking of something vintage or similar but bad thing is if it dies no warranty and/or parts would be hard to find,i was looking at tube amps as ive never listened to one before but hear nothing but good things about them,hmm i may just get an avr for simplicity of hookup,rather than have 2 or 3 pieces of equipment just to have sound lol,what are the most audiophile avr's if there is such a thing? what i would like is something with flat signal across the board,the pc has a plethora of options to tailor the sound curve to my liking,so i wouldnt need it to have any fancy eq or dsp,the pc has tons of vst plugins that i like to use many from steinberg.

 

[Swerd]

ok so im currently on the waiting list for my phil 3's,and i just got a pair of wharfedale diamond 250's,i plan on hooking them up to my pc as its in my game room and i do all my gaming and alot of movie watching on my pc,but the pc already has a sound card whit ess sabre dac's and all that good stuff so should i just get a good amp?

Phil 3s are excellent speakers. They're among the best you can buy at any price. Congrats!

Have you asked Dennis Murphy what amplification he suggests? You might learn, or be surprised, from what he'll say.

yeah i wont be using anything other than the 2 speakers most likely but i have digital out on my sound card optical and coaxial,but i noticed not alot of amps have digital inputs so maybe a pre-amp than amp?

No audio amplifiers have digital inputs. All AVRs and a few integrated stereo amps or receivers have them.

yeah i was thinking of something vintage or similar but bad thing is if it dies no warranty and/or parts would be hard to find,i was looking at tube amps as ive never listened to one before but hear nothing but good things about them,hmm i may just get an avr for simplicity of hookup,rather than have 2 or 3 pieces of equipment just to have sound lol,what are the most audiophile avr's if there is such a thing? what i would like is something with flat signal across the board,the pc has a plethora of options to tailor the sound curve to my liking,so i wouldnt need it to have any fancy eq or dsp,the pc has tons of vst plugins that i like to use many from steinberg.

Again, talk to Dennis Murphy. I doubt if he would recommend any tube amp.

The flat frequency response of Phil 3 speakers does not need the "plethora of options to tailor the sound curve to my liking". I think it would be a genuine shame to do that to those speakers.

Find out from Dennis Murphy how much power he recommends, and find an AVR or an integrated stereo amp or receiver that has that. I'll guess he'll say to find something that delivers an honest 100-125 watts/channel and is stable at 4 ohms.

 

[xreaperx22]

Phil 3s are excellent speakers. They're among the best you can buy at any price. Congrats!

Have you asked Dennis Murphy what amplification he suggests? You might learn, or be surprised, from what he'll say.
No audio amplifiers have digital inputs. All AVRs and a few integrated stereo amps or receivers have them.
Again, talk to Dennis Murphy. I doubt if he would recommend any tube amp.

The flat frequency response of Phil 3 speakers does not need the "plethora of options to tailor the sound curve to my liking". I think it would be a genuine shame to do that to those speakers.

Find out from Dennis Murphy how much power he recommends, and find an AVR or an integrated stereo amp or receiver that has that. I'll guess he'll say to find something that delivers an honest 100-125 watts/channel and is stable at 4 ohms.

yeah thats a good idea i think i will,i do have my eye on a marantz SR5012 which is 100wpc and also 4 ohm stable so if i get an avr thats the one ill likely get.And remember im still on the wait list so in the meantime im going to be powering these wharfedale Diamond 250's