AMP/preamp help

[ticks77]

hi,

im new to the forums and was looking for some advice.
i have a yamaha htr -5940 receiver with 100 watts per channel (6.1) and i also have a dayton apa 150 amplifer. i hooked up various speakers to the APA and i realized that my receiver does not have any where near the sound of my APA even when i split the watts on the apa to like 75 it still sounded way louder than my yamy at less watts .. here lies my problem:

i want my speakers to be louder as they handle a lot more watts than my receiver can apparently put out (all handle 100 but my center, which handles 150) well it says it puts out 100 but the sound is much better on the apa at just 75 watts . the apa sounds great but i can only hook up two at a time to it.
i dont want a new receiver because the only thing i can find that puts out more watts is like 600 700 dollars which im not trying to drop.
is there a solution to this problem maybe this emotiva LPA-1 7 Channel
Audio Power Amplifier it has 7 channels. can this be used with my receiver to give me more power to my speakers and still give me 6.1 sound.
can you even play all channels at once? no clue what a preamplifer really does i guess conditions the signal or something like that so i dont guess that would help.

please help guys i know my athena speakers can sound soo much better with the right power as when i hooked them up to the apa
i need speaker wire connects on what ever it is because my receiver doesnt have all the outs just the ins, line and speaker wire

link to the emotiva http://www.emotiva.com/amplifiers.html
link to my receiver http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200504&CTID=5000400

 

[asahikasei]

What are you running for speakers?

 

[ticks77]

athena center , athena left right and mtx rears rated at 150 centter and the rest are 100 watts the thing is when i hook up the apa two speakers at a time they are soo good sounding then i hook them back to the receiver and they have good sound just not near as loud or clear .. and i want to either get a 5 or more channel amp to run with the receiver or get a new receiver but i only have 500 to spend and to get a receiver with more watts than my yamy its gona cost to much .... the yamy only has a left and right conection that is RCA out put the rest are speaker wire output so i dont know if i could even hook the emotiva and the receiver up. sh*t i dont know what to do help

 

[mtrycrafts]

athena center , athena left right and mtx rears rated at 150 centter and the rest are 100 watts the thing is when i hook up the apa two speakers at a time they are soo good sounding then i hook them back to the receiver and they have good sound just not near as loud or clear .. and i want to either get a 5 or more channel amp to run with the receiver or get a new receiver but i only have 500 to spend and to get a receiver with more watts than my yamy its gona cost to much .... the yamy only has a left and right conection that is RCA out put the rest are speaker wire output so i dont know if i could even hook the emotiva and the receiver up. sh*t i dont know what to do help

The LSC50, rated for 100 watts, not sure what kind of rating that is as the spec sheet is kind of scarce on the spec details, is also only 84dB sensitive. No mention of impedance, an important factor.

The LSC 100 is 125 watts rated, with 87dB sensitivity, also same as above, no impedance.

So, neither are very sensitive but it should still deliver the volume with 100 watt peaks when needed.
And, just because a speaker is somehow rated at 125 watts doesn't mean that it will perform properly when such power is applied to it.

How do you split that APA amp to 75 watts?
Not sure what loud is to you.
Something doesn't sound right with the setup.

 

[ticks77]

all are 8ohm.
my center is as - c1
i have the left and right plugged into the same spot on the amp set to mono 150 divided by 2 75.. basicly my left and rights are way louder than my center with the apa on it and i want my center to soud just as loud (which it does when i put the apa on it) i need more power to my center and i dont want to turn the left and rights down a few dbs to match the center i want to get the center up a few dbs to match the left and rights. so i must have more power and i dont have anymore out puts on the receiver to just run another apa nor do i want two amps id like to have a amp to run all my surround even the rears .... could i buy a big mono amp and hook them all up to it in the same spot and get 6.1 still from my receiver?
do i need a pre amp or anything ?

 

[Seth=L]

Well first of all, that Yamaha receiver doesn't have preamplifier outputs. Why not upgrade to receiver that has preouts, such as the Yamaha RX-V661 and use the Dayton amplifier for your front left and right until you can afford a multichannel amplifier like the Emotiva LPA-1 you expressed interest in? The RX-V661 or HTR-6060 (same receiver) should have a bit more power than the Yamaha you presently have. Combined with the Dayton it should hold you over until you can upgrade your speakers are amplification (upgrading your speakers will have more dramatic results in bettering your SQ).

 

[ticks77]

ill buy the lpa now if it will do want i want it too. can it be hooked to my receiver and all the channels play at once and still give me 6.1

 

[Gimpy Ric]

ill buy the lpa now if it will do want i want it too. can it be hooked to my receiver and all the channels play at once and still give me 6.1

Do what Seth suggested. You can't hook your receiver up to an LPA-1 (I know, I own one).

A preamp is a receiver without AM/FM or amplification. Its just a switch box for all your components, with a volume knob (and much more if it has processors). An example is found here.

Get a receiver WITH pre amp outs. That will let you enjoy 7.1 surround sound AND hook up an amp like the LPA-1. The Yammy Seth suggested is a good choice.

Here is a good place to learn about audio/video gear. Go here for help.

 

[ticks77]

i can hook the apa up to the yammy ... so i guess i need a receiver with two center out left and right out rear out

 

[Seth=L]

i can hook the apa up to the yammy ... so i guess i need a receiver with two center out left and right out rear out

How did you connect the Dayton amplifier to the Yamaha? The headphone output?

 

[ticks77]

lol no .. the tech guy recommended the dvr out and it works great no issues at all .. a left and right rca in the dvr to the left and right input in the dayton .. plays fine whether its in dvd mode dtv mode or mcdr mode i think the emotiva might be able to be hooked up the same way ..