OK, I'm an idiot, or so I am told!! First post here.

[bandphan]

I didn't want to rub it in.

no but your avatar does

 

[Davemcc]

no but your avatar does

Maybe I should change my avatar back to my little orange kitty cat. It just screamed "cute and cuddly".

 

[rsd22]

Just be advised that your new speakers will make the greatest difference in sound. If you are happy now, you ain't heard nothin' yet. That was a good receiver choice because it should drive most commercial speakers and it has preouts if you want to add an external amp. During your auditions, take note of the ohm and sensitivity specs. Depending on final speaker selection, you may want to add a stereo amplifier for music listening. Like you, I also grew up during the hair band era and I've got a pretty good idea of your listening habits. This should not drive your speaker decision by any means but once you get them home and crank them up to reference level, you should be able to tell if you want to add a more substantial amp to the system.

Ok, I've heard this a few times now. Silly question to you all, but not me.

What benefits do I get from adding an amp?

I mean, why wouldn't my brand new 1018 do the job? It sure seems like it can. Earlier someone suggested I buy the 663 with an amp, and I didn't give it a second thought but now I've heard it several times. I'm confused. Just what will an amp do for or me/my new system?

 

[Adam]

I mean, why wouldn't my brand new 1018 do the job? It sure seems like it can. Earlier someone suggested I buy the 663 with an amp, and I didn't give it a second thought but now I've heard it several times. I'm confused. Just what will an amp do for or me/my new system?

It will come down to which speakers you buy and how loud you like to listen to your system. Speakers present a certain electrical load to an amplifier (be it the ones in your receiver or external amps). The louder you listen, the more current the amp has to supply to produce that level of sound. If an amplifier can handle the load, then you won't notice any distortion or clipping (i.e. everything will sound fine). If an amp can't handle the load, then you will may distortion and clipping, and things might sound less dynamic than they should.

For a real world example, take my system. I have a Pioneer 1015 and NHT speakers that take a bit of juice to play loud. At my normal listening levels, the Pioneer works great. However, at levels louder than I normally listen, the sound seemed less dynamic and muffled - the Pioneer just couldn't handle it. So, I bought a separate amp, and voila - the dynamics were there at loud volumes. So, to sum up...for about 99% of my listening, the Pioneer was perfectly adequate. I really only got an amp because I was curious, and it did help out when I crank it.

As a bit more detail, adding a two-channel (stereo) amp like Dave mentioned also helps for movies. Because it removes part of the load from your Pioneer, the Pioneer is then able to handle the center and rear speakers with more ease.

If you get speakers that are easy to drive (high sensitivity, not very low impedance), then that 1018 will probably keep you happy all day long. So, don't worry about it. Getting an amp is a bridge that we can cross when/if you ever feel the need for one. Get your speakers first.

 

[poutanen]

Looks like a nice AVR, it's got a decent set of outputs on it for the future if you ever decide to separate the amplification. Right on!

 

[Davemcc]

For a real world example, take my system.

No REALLY, take my system, please. [/Rodney Dangerfield]

Using my own case as an example, my mains are 4 ohm 86dB sensitivity. These are going to take a lot of current to drive hard that I'm not sure my Denon 2307 can provide on its own. So I also run a Rotel amp to deliver the clean high current power they need.

 

[Gimpy Ric]

Ok, I've heard this a few times now. Silly question to you all, but not me.

What benefits do I get from adding an amp?

Adam gave you a real world answer and if you choose to get an amp, I highly suggest the Emotiva XPA-5. 200 watts EASY, and loads more into 4 OHM's. Excellent build quality, powerful, only $799.00. Adam has Emotiva amps, I have an Emotiva prepro and 7 channel amp (5 in use), and guys all over the forums have Emotiva because they truely rock out. Great stuff.

Try your system first! If at high volume levels you think its giving out of gas, give that XPA-5 a thirty day try. Yeah they let you try it out for a month, no questions asked.

Just to be fair, Outlaw Audio sells some rather nice equipment too. There are others, but other members will have to suggest them. Oh yeah, NAD, and Denon come to mind. NAD is the brute force in amps, they build stuff that laughs at 2 OHM loads. I own an old 2 channel NAD 2200 amp that puts out 100 watts per channel into 8 Ohms, and 600 watts into 2 Ohms.

But really try what you've got first. Then do your amp research.

Ric

PS - Check this out: Nad Home Theater Amps

 

[Adam]

Ric, as always, gives some great advice here.

Adam has Emotiva amps...

Just to clarify so that rsd22 doesn't take my ownership of equipment as a recommendation, though, I wouldn't buy Emotiva again and I don't recommend them. That's based on my experiences with them last year. Others here are happy with them, including Ric.

 

[Gimpy Ric]

Ric, as always, gives some great advice here.


Just to clarify so that rsd22 doesn't take my ownership of equipment as a recommendation, though, I wouldn't buy Emotiva again and I don't recommend them. That's based on my experiences with them last year. Others here are happy with them, including Ric.

Sorry Adam, I forgot you had some problems with your Emo gear.

Ric

 

[Adam]

Sorry Adam, I forgot you had some problems with your Emo gear.

Ric

Ric, no need to be sorry at all! Your advice was solid as usual. I just wanted to clarify, that's all.

 

[gus6464]

So after you have everyone tell you that choosing speakers are first then receiver the OP still buys the receiver first.

I am sorry to say OP that no matter what Dynaudio speakers you go for that receiver won't cut it since all Dynaudio speakers are 4ohm nominal.

 

[Davemcc]

I am sorry to say OP that no matter what Dynaudio speakers you go for that receiver won't cut it since all Dynaudio speakers are 4ohm nominal.

That's what I was trying to get at without really saying it when I re-raised the separate amp issue. Two things I would hate to see happen: 1) Have the OP get the Dynaudio home and find out after the fact that the receiver won't drive them cleanly to the SPL he wants; 2) Have the OP not consider Dynaudio or other brands because the receiver isn't capable of driving them.

At least the issues have been raised and the choices are clear. Now it's up to the OP to find a speaker he likes and power it appropriately. If the choice ends up with Dynaudio or another speaker like it, at least the Emotiva is an affordable amplifier option that shouldn't skew the equation too badly. With DefTech or Paradigm, the receiver will be fine on it's own.

 

[jostenmeat]

In addition to your posts gus 'n Dave, I remember what TLS said about his own Dyn drivers. Can't quite remember what he might've said regarding phase angle, but he mentions how beefy the voice coils are. This is why the dust caps are so large on Dyns, IIRC.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You can talk tell you're blue in the face but some people will not listen.

The OP could have at least got the SC 05 and maybe the ICE amp in it would drive what ever speakers he gets

So after you have everyone tell you that choosing speakers are first then receiver the OP still buys the receiver first.

I am sorry to say OP that no matter what Dynaudio speakers you go for that receiver won't cut it since all Dynaudio speakers are 4ohm nominal.

 

[Adam]

Okay, fine...so he didn't pick out his speakers first. Big deal. He read the recommendations, and he chose to go another way. That's his prerogative, right? That doesn't mean that he didn't listen. He just made up his own mind.

He seems very happy with the 1018, and it's a nice receiver. If he finds that he wants/needs an external amp, I say no big deal. He still saved a good chunk of change, and he can use that external amp with the next low-to-mid priced receiver that he can get next time he needs the newest codecs or connections.

Plus, he can probably return/exchange the 1018 is he changes his mind after reading your remarks.

Just my two cents.

 

[rsd22]

Whoa!!! Easy there cowboys.

Before you ride me out of town, I do listen to what you folks have been saying to me. In fact, you helped me long before I even dropped my first post on this site. The receiver I bought will do me just fine, it was one I had been considering for some time, it was a killer price, and it had my name on it -- and you blast me for this?? So I should have bought a receiver (05) that would cost me over $1000 more....yeah ok.

I NEVER said that I was interested in Dyn speakers. If "two" of you weren't so "blue in the face" from talking too much smack, you would have heard that. In fact, I've been to 4 locations looking at speakers (2 boutique stores, two retail). None of them even carried Dyn. If I went out tomorrow morning and bought Paradigm, Def or Kilpsh I'd be happy. But I'm having fun shopping around.

I sincerely appreciate everyones help, but Gus & P-Dawg just need to chill and get outside more. Fresh air will do you wonders.

 

[mazersteven]

Fresh air will do you wonders.

 

[Adam]

Mazer, funny picture, but I couldn't see it until I went directly to the link. It might not show up for most people.

 

[gus6464]

Mazer, funny picture, but I couldn't see it until I went directly to the link. It might not show up for most people.

Can't see the pic either or link

 

[Adam]

Can't see the pic either or link

If you quote Mazer's post, you can see the link. That's how I got it.