Amp to Expand System

P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Hello everyone,
I'm looking to expand my system from 5.4.2 to a 7.4.2. I have denon 4600 so if I want to use the other channels I will brand to get an amp. I don't know much about amps but I've noticed they're expensive. I would not like to go over $500 if I didn't have to. I was looking at the Emotiva Bas X2 or Bas X3 and it seems like the reviews have been mixed. I'm ok with a two or three channel amo to save some money.

What are your thoughts on this?
 
G

Golfx

Full Audioholic
As you said the emotiva line is struggling with reviews and bugs. Many of us are moving comfortably to the hypex class D amps. They are very powerful, have excellent bench measurements and are very reasonably priced. Hypex ncore 122 amp or 252 would easily outperform the emotivas. These can be had for around $600 in 2 channel. Here in the US, Buckeye and VTV offer reasonable builds. These will be balanced XLR cable inputs. Nord Audio in England offers a switch in the back to also accept RCA inputs probably cheaper than buying RCA-XLR cables.


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P

Project SOG

Audioholic
As you said the emotiva line is struggling with reviews and bugs. Many of us are moving comfortably to the hypex class D amps. They are very powerful, have excellent bench measurements and are very reasonably priced. Hypex ncore 122 amp or 252 would easily outperform the emotivas. These can be had for around $600 in 2 channel. Here in the US, Buckeye and VTV offer reasonable builds. These will be balanced XLR cable inputs. Nord Audio in England offers a switch in the back to also accept RCA inputs probably cheaper than buying RCA-XLR cables.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Thank you so much Golfx. I'll check k all those out.

I apologize for my ignorance, I'm new at this but what's the difference between xlr cables and rca?
 
G

Golfx

Full Audioholic
Hey not to worry. Your Denon pre-outs (as almost all AVRs) use a 2 signal RCA cable. One for hot (the protruding center) and one for ground (the fins around the outside base). Most all better amps use a XLR cable which instead uses 3 signal pins to better rule out ground hum issues. Very few of us have all XLR equipment.


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lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Denon 4600? Don't find one, assume its the 4500 or 4700? How big is your room? Where's your seating in relation to the back wall? You sure 7ch is going to "fit"?

I'd just look for an amp with rca inputs, some of the amps using xlr will expect higher voltage levels than the pre-outs may be able to provide cleanly. I'm not crazy about Emotiva myself but the BASx2 might be a reasonable way to go, altho personally if going to external amp I'd think about a significantly more powerful amp(s) for the fronts and use the avr for surrounds. Amps can cost some $ tho.
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Hey not to worry. Your Denon pre-outs (as almost all AVRs) use a 2 signal RCA cable. One for hot (the protruding center) and one for ground (the fins around the outside base). Most all better amps use a XLR cable which instead uses 3 signal pins to better rule out ground hum issues. Very few of us have all XLR equipment.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Thank you for the explanation, I really appreciate it. I took a look and it seems like they ship from overseas and there's one site that's from the states but it seems like it was from a smaller company.
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Denon 4600? Don't find one, assume its the 4500 or 4700? How big is your room? Where's your seating in relation to the back wall? You sure 7ch is going to "fit"?

I'd just look for an amp with rca inputs, some of the amps using xlr will expect higher voltage levels than the pre-outs may be able to provide cleanly. I'm not crazy about Emotiva myself but the BASx2 might be a reasonable way to go, altho personally if going to external amp I'd think about a significantly more powerful amp(s) for the fronts and use the avr for surrounds. Amps can cost some $ tho.
Sorry for the typo on the AVR, it's the 4700.
My room size is 20x13, is that too small? I have surrounds behind me on the wall and was thinking of placing these towards the side walls in the middle of the room on stands.

For the fronts I have the BP9020'S and CS9080 Def Tech so maybe it's not a good idea to power the fronts with the BAS 2X. What about if I played two surrounds (SR9080 Def Tech) with that? Would it sound horrible? Since I'm new to this, Please be upfront and let me know your opinion as I value your expertise.
 
G

Golfx

Full Audioholic
Yeah. Nord makes it really easy and they take care of import fees and offer you US repair if you pay them like 10 euros fee. They also offer RCA input options and they respond to emails fast.


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P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Denon 4600? Don't find one, assume its the 4500 or 4700? How big is your room? Where's your seating in relation to the back wall? You sure 7ch is going to "fit"?

I'd just look for an amp with rca inputs, some of the amps using xlr will expect higher voltage levels than the pre-outs may be able to provide cleanly. I'm not crazy about Emotiva myself but the BASx2 might be a reasonable way to go, altho personally if going to external amp I'd think about a significantly more powerful amp(s) for the fronts and use the avr for surrounds. Amps can cost some $ tho.
Thinking about placing them on the side walls. Please click on the link to set pics.

 
H

Hetfield

Audioholic Samurai
Sorry for the typo on the AVR, it's the 4700.
My room size is 20x13, is that too small? I have surrounds behind me on the wall and was thinking of placing these towards the side walls in the middle of the room on stands.

For the fronts I have the BP9020'S and CS9080 Def Tech so maybe it's not a good idea to power the fronts with the BAS 2X. What about if I played two surrounds (SR9080 Def Tech) with that? Would it sound horrible? Since I'm new to this, Please be upfront and let me know your opinion as I value your expertise.
Def Techs are good speakers, they are not hard to drive. I personally like a separate amp though to power my speakers.

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P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Def Techs are good speakers, they are not hard to drive. I personally like a separate amp though to power my speakers.

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That's good to know! What amp do you use?
 
H

Hetfield

Audioholic Samurai
By the way I had Def Tech speakers for 20 years until last year when I went in another direction. I had many, many models from different lines.

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lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Sorry for the typo on the AVR, it's the 4700.
My room size is 20x13, is that too small? I have surrounds behind me on the wall and was thinking of placing these towards the side walls in the middle of the room on stands.

For the fronts I have the BP9020'S and CS9080 Def Tech so maybe it's not a good idea to power the fronts with the BAS 2X. What about if I played two surrounds (SR9080 Def Tech) with that? Would it sound horrible? Since I'm new to this, Please be upfront and let me know your opinion as I value your expertise.
No, would choose a much more powerful amp than the BAS if I'm going external, at least 200wpc into 8 ohm, preferably 300wpc. Always better to have more than less in this direction IMO.
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
No, would choose a much more powerful amp than the BAS if I'm going external, at least 200wpc into 8 ohm, preferably 300wpc. Always better to have more than less in this direction IMO.
Makes sense, which one would you recommend?
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
With the seat against the wall I wouldn't use rear surrounds and I'd place your surrounds to the sides where they actually belong already....
Do you mean, move them To the sides of the wall on stands?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Do you mean, move them To the sides of the wall on stands?
On the sides, perhaps higher up and angled down, or on stands, altho I do like surrounds raised up above ear level myself and is generally recommended IIRC. Just having your seat against the wall like that brings it's own acoustic issues. Rear surrounds I use when I have a good space behind the seating, IMO at least 3-4 ft....otherwise I stick to 5ch.
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
On the sides, perhaps higher up and angled down, or on stands, altho I do like surrounds raised up above ear level myself and is generally recommended IIRC. Just having your seat against the wall like that brings it's own acoustic issues. Rear surrounds I use when I have a good space behind the seating, IMO at least 3-4 ft....otherwise I stick to 5ch.
Yeah the the couch is kind of close to the wall, about a foot away. I had Gene DellaSalla take a look at the surrounds and he approved having them 2 feet above ear level so I stayed with that.

I got the prime elevation as heights so they can fire down. Do you feel like I should have them angled more on mounts or are those fine in the firing down angle?
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Hello everyone,
I'm looking to expand my system from 5.4.2 to a 7.4.2. I have denon 4600 so if I want to use the other channels I will brand to get an amp. I don't know much about amps but I've noticed they're expensive. I would not like to go over $500 if I didn't have to. I was looking at the Emotiva Bas X2 or Bas X3 and it seems like the reviews have been mixed. I'm ok with a two or three channel amo to save some money.

What are your thoughts on this?
Is the $500 budget in US$, and you are in the US?
 
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