Amp to Expand System

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Project SOG

Audioholic
Oh yes I forgot you are getting the 3 channel amp. Good thing I did say 2 for stereo, haha..
Very true! By the way, you have no idea how grateful I am for all your help and everyone else's here.

Thank you so much for guiding me!
 
SithZedi

SithZedi

Audioholic General
All good..
Hi Peng, and Happy New Year to you and family.
Have been reading this string with interest but am slightly confused.
I run a 5.1 system currently with a self powered subwoofer. Might upgrade to a 7.1 later to include to front height speakers).
Am looking at the Denon X4700h to update my system and want to use a 2 channel amp for the front L/R speakers. So the X4700h will just power just the Center and Surround L/R.
Can I assign the Front L/R pre-outs to the amp without the amp assign trick?
Would it be the same process if I add Front Height speakers someday?
Thanks in advance
 
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PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Hi Peng, and Happy New Year to you and family.
Have been reading this string with interest but am slightly confused.
I run a 5.1 system currently with a self powered subwoofer. Might upgrade to a 7.1 later to include to front height speakers).
Am looking at the Denon X4700h to update my system and want to use a 2 channel amp for the front L/R speakers. So the X4700h will just power just the Center and Surround L/R.
Can I assign the Front L/R pre-outs to the amp without the amp assign trick?
Would it be the same process if I add Front Height speakers someday?
Thanks in advance
Happy New Year to you and family too.

You can only assign Front L/R channels to pre -out using the amp assign trick. I called it "trick" because it is not really intended for disconnecting the power amp to gain performance, but for the flexibility to re-assign those two amps to the heights. Gene is the one who first discovered this feature could be used to improved SINAD of the front L/R by using it to disconnect the internal amps (not sure if he called it a "trick") when he reviewed the AVR-X3600H.

Whether you actually use the front height/or Atmos speakers or not has little to do with that, so yes to your question, except until then, once you are done with the trick you should go back to the speaker menu and set the front heights to "none".

One word on the AVR-X4700H, apparently Denon has substituted the AK4458 DAC IC with PCM5102A that has quite a bit lower specs. Denon/Marantz have been given inconsistent responses to some ASR members, mostly telling them they would not disclose the information.

The lower specs would not likely result in audibly worse performance, but if measured on the test bench, it would most certainly get poorer results, though would also likely be still better than many of the AVRs measured there on ASR.
 
SithZedi

SithZedi

Audioholic General
Many thanks! Very informative. Am doing a Hamlet on the Denon versus the Yamaha A6A and sheds some more light..
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Oh yes I forgot you are getting the 3 channel amp. Good thing I did say 2 for stereo, haha..
My amp arrives in a day or so and I'm trying to figure out placement for it in the cabinet. I noticed the avr used to get hot but ever since I got the fans you recommended it has been super cool.

Would it be a bad idea if I placed the DVD player on top of the avr and have the fans on the side of it?
 
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PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
My amp arrives in a day or so and I'm trying to figure out placement for it in the cabinet. I noticed the avr used to get hot but ever since I got the fans you recommended it has been super cool.
That's seems weird, are you sure you didn't accidentally put ECO "On" instead of auto? You can't be using preamp mode because you still have to use some of the internal amps right?[/QUOTE]

Would it be a bad idea if I placed the DVD player on top of the avr and have the fans on the side of it?
In my opinion, it is a bad idea, or at least not a good idea.
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
That's seems weird, are you sure you didn't accidentally put ECO "On" instead of auto? You can't be using preamp mode because you still have to use some of the internal amps right?


In my opinion, it is a bad idea, or at least not a good idea.
[/QUOTE]
I just checked and had ECO off do you think that might have been the cause? Also I don't think I'm using the preamp.

 
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PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
In my opinion, it is a bad idea, or at least not a good idea.
I just checked and had ECO off do you think that might have been the cause? Also I don't think I'm using the preamp.

[/QUOTE]

With ECO off, I don't know why it would run "super cool". Are you using external fan(s), or your 4700 is really well ventilated? Anyway, cool is good, I am just wondering why that's all. Most Denon users seem to think their units run warm. Running cool is typically the bragging right for Yamaha owners only.:D
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
I just checked and had ECO off do you think that might have been the cause? Also I don't think I'm using the preamp.

With ECO off, I don't know why it would run "super cool". Are you using external fan(s), or your 4700 is really well ventilated? Anyway, cool is good, I am just wondering why that's all. Most Denon users seem to think their units run warm. Running cool is typically the bragging right for Yamaha owners only.:D
[/QUOTE]
Sorry about that, I think I messed up the explanation.

It has been running cool due to the external fans you recommended me to get but prior to that it was running warm to a little hot.

So do you think the ECO off caused it to run warm? Should I set ECO to auto?
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
With ECO off, I don't know why it would run "super cool". Are you using external fan(s), or your 4700 is really well ventilated? Anyway, cool is good, I am just wondering why that's all. Most Denon users seem to think their units run warm. Running cool is typically the bragging right for Yamaha owners only.:D
Sorry about that, I think I messed up the explanation.

It has been running cool due to the external fans you recommended me to get but prior to that it was running warm to a little hot.

So do you think the ECO off caused it to run warm? Should I set ECO to auto?
[/QUOTE]

Okay with external fan then yes it will run much cooler.
Setting ECO to auto won't help if your volume is about a certain point, I believe about -30, that is about 50 as soon as you go higher than that ECO auto will be same as ECO "On".

But yes, it wouldn't hurt to leave it in auto as it will help whenever the unit is idling (after some time delay I think..).
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
Sorry about that, I think I messed up the explanation.

It has been running cool due to the external fans you recommended me to get but prior to that it was running warm to a little hot.

So do you think the ECO off caused it to run warm? Should I set ECO to auto?
Okay with external fan then yes it will run much cooler.
Setting ECO to auto won't help if your volume is about a certain point, I believe about -30, that is about 50 as soon as you go higher than that ECO auto will be same as ECO "On".

But yes, it wouldn't hurt to leave it in auto as it will help whenever the unit is idling (after some time delay I think..).
[/QUOTE]
Thank you PENG for responding to that.

If I set ECO mode to auto, how does it affect performance?
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
If I set ECO mode to auto, how does it affect performance?
I never said it would!

My point is just that the "auto" part is based on the volume position mainly. The newer version, such as the one used in your X4700H does have the additional feature that would engage ECO not only based on the volume setting, but also would engage ECO if the AVR goes into standby mode, that is when it has been idled long enough. That means if you are done watching TV or listening to music and forgot to turn the unit off, ECO will kick in so you won't find your AVR cooling the next morning.

So for your AVR, there isn't much down side using ECO auto, just don't expect it to help much if you typically have your volume dial higher than around -30 or 50 as I mentioned before.
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
I never said it would!

My point is just that the "auto" part is based on the volume position mainly. The newer version, such as the one used in your X4700H does have the additional feature that would engage ECO not only based on the volume setting, but also would engage ECO if the AVR goes into standby mode, that is when it has been idled long enough. That means if you are done watching TV or listening to music and forgot to turn the unit off, ECO will kick in so you won't find your AVR cooling the next morning.

So for your AVR, there isn't much down side using ECO auto, just don't expect it to help much if you typically have your volume dial higher than around -30 or 50 as I mentioned before.
That's awesome!

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. You have this home theater thing down pack pretty good, super impressive!
How long have been doing this?
 
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PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
That's awesome!

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. You have this home theater thing down pack pretty good, super impressive!
How long have been doing this?
Too long to count, too old to remember..:D
 
P

Project SOG

Audioholic
I just got my amp and got it all connected but I hear a buzzing sound coming from the speakers that are connected to it.

Any idea what might be causing that?
 
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