Amp vs AV

[Nanaea]

Hey all, this may be a stupid question but can someone please explain to my why amps tend to cost more vs AV ?? For example the Denon PMA-1510AE costs around 960€ and it puts out 70W @ 8ohm for 2 speakers (or at least it seems to be for only 2 speakers) and the Denon AVR 2113 costs 600€ and it can put out 95W @8ohm while powering 7 speakers.

Again this might be a completely stupid question but I am relatively new around these places so thanks for your patience

 

[slipperybidness]

Hey all, this may be a stupid question but can someone please explain to my why amps tend to cost more vs AV ?? For example the Denon PMA-1510AE costs around 960€ and it puts out 70W @ 8ohm for 2 speakers (or at least it seems to be for only 2 speakers) and the Denon AVR 2113 costs 600€ and it can put out 95W @8ohm while powering 7 speakers.

Again this might be a completely stupid question but I am relatively new around these places so thanks for your patience

1) Economies of scale. A lot more receivers (AVRs) get produced than amps. As you produce more of something, the cost per unit goes down. They can get better pricing on parts as they buy more, and the less they have to change the assembly line, the less the labor $ involved.

2) Amps (separates) tend to have higher quality, more robust parts in them. Higher quality = more money. A huge, robust power supply is not cheap, and many AVR recievers will skimp on this.

3) Don't always trust the rated specs from a spec sheet. The electronics industry knows how to "cook the books" to cheat and give numbers that look impressive on paper but don't line up with real-world performance. Only trust 3rd party measurements.

 

[Nanaea]

so if my goal is just to use the system for stereo i should always go for an amp despite the fact it seems like it's not as good?

 

[slipperybidness]

so if my goal is just to use the system for stereo i should always go for an amp despite the fact it seems like it's not as good?

Not necessarily. You need more info, what speakers are being driven, what are the measurements from the amp vs AV, room size, etc. In general, separate amps have more power reserves and less problems.

Many people on this forum use receivers with no problem. I have a pioneer elite in the living room, but my 2 channel rig is separate preamp and amp setup.

As far as SQ, probably not a lot of difference. It just depends on your speakers and your needs. List what you have or want and room size, type of music etc, and you will get pointed in the right direction on this forum.

 

[Nanaea]

i was just curious not really looking at anything in particular

 

[slipperybidness]

i was just curious not really looking at anything in particular

Cool. Bottom line, don't always trust the spec sheets from the marketing departments. Sometimes those numbers are inflated to make it look better.

On the other hand, some companies are known to rate conservatively, so they would actually perform better than their spec sheet would seem to look.

Trust 3rd party measurements (stereophile, HTM, etc), but it is best to compare measurements from 2 amps from the same magazine.

 

[Nanaea]

ok, i'll keep that in mind, thanks

 

[mtrycrafts]

i was just curious not really looking at anything in particular

Just one bit of info to pass on; that 95 watts on the receiver doesn't mean it will deliver that much power to all the channels at the same instant. Or, for that matter on any receiver unless specifically stated that the power rating is for all channels driven.

 

[Steve81]

so if my goal is just to use the system for stereo i should always go for an amp despite the fact it seems like it's not as good?

There are always options like stereo receivers such as the Harman Kardon 3490. By its measurements, the 3490 delivers respectable amounts of power into 8 ohm and 4 ohm loads, and does so with excellent fidelity in terms of distortion, noise, and crosstalk. Of course, as slipperybidness states, what speakers you're using and the room make a lot of difference, as does the volume levels you demand. However, I'd daresay that under most circumstances you'd need a heck of a lot more than a costly 70wpc amplifier to significantly improve on the output of the 3490.

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/hk-3490/hk-3490-measurements