2 channel receiver with good bass management.

[TLS Guy]

Hey guys. Looking for a 2 channel receiver with good bass management (title says it all...) and I'm not really finding much in the way of information on that specific aspect of the receivers I've looked at.

Basically I'm currently using a Pioneer 521K in my main living room and it is laughably horrendous at bass management. I'm having to use the speaker level inputs then route the wires back to the speakers. Not optimal and pretty ugly.

I'll be building a new sub next week and will be placing it further away from the receiver so speaker level isn't an option.

I'm currently looking at the Yamaha models and my only requirement is an optical input as the TV will be passing all audio from the HDMI sources through it's optical port. Simple enough.

I'm not tied to any brand, but when I build my new speakers (speedsters) I want something pretty transparent as those are supposed to be very good, but don't dig all that deep. Hence the need for bass management.

So, what do you guys use for simple 2 channel rigs?

I don't think there is a good single box solution to your problem. There should be, but there isn't. That means using true full range speakers (usually not practical) or separates. You can use a good 2 channel preamp, (I use a Quad 34) and then an electronic crossover, (I use an old Crown VXF-2) and two power amps (I use a Quad 909 for mains and a Quad 205-2 to power the passive subs. You can then use the TV audio out. These days it is generally optical SPDIF. Mine is an older TV and has analog outs. However you can use a DAC form TV to preamp.

This can make a very neat installation, especially with Quad gear as he preamps are small and panel mount. These are matching Quad FM 4 tuner, top and the Quad 34 preamp below.

The sub amps and Crown crossover are in the cabinet between the two subs.

I did not have room for a receiver. In any event that rig is used mostly for listening to music by the fire in the winter. The sound quality is if a higher order then you would get from a receiver.

If you don't want, or have room for a multi channel receiver and don't to have a bunch of amps always on idle this is a good solution.

 

[JRT3]

Years ago, I put my $ in my 5.1 HT, determined to re-purpose older generation Yamaha AVR's and DVD players to replace my then recently defunct Philips stereo equipment (FA-50 & CD-960) as my 'office' stereo. Realizing the folly of that, the AVR's at a minimum offered too many 'program' choices, and then there were faults - including the DVD players going wild and eating favorite CD's, I decided that I needed a dedicated music-only stereo system. A move to my garden home resulted in $527 being spent on a pair of NHT S1 2.1's and an Onkyo TX-8020 50 Wpc stereo receiver and a C-7030 CDP - wow! It filled my 11' x 12' x 9' office - especially after adding a $247 (Sale!) JBL SUB 550P. I would simplify that further by adding a pair of Klipsch RB-81ii's and an Emotiva a-100 mini-X 50 Wpc power amp with a volume control. Hooked directly to the CDP, that's all I need for music listening - I even removed the sub, which wasn't supported by the Emo amp anyway.

I cannot overstate the obvious - simplicity rules - the KISS principle is fundamental, try it. Do you really 'need' a tuner? Most FM tuner sections are little better than a table radio, with their AM sections actually worse. If you bypass the tone controls, aka 'direct, why have them? Same with phono preamp. I just use the CDP, so my system is simple. If you have to have a hono preamp, sub out, and a fair AM/FM tuner, as a receiver, the Onkyo TX-8020 is a bargain - with a decent set of spec's.