AV receiver pre out voltage

[tavernHall]

I am currently running a 5.2.2 setup with Yamaha aventage 860 receiver, driving the main channels with Emotiva XPA 5 Gen 3. I have Klipsch RP 260 fronts, 250s surrounds and 140 SA front presence and dual SVS PB-4000 sub. Been with this for 2.5 yrs and honestly am more than happy with how my system sounds. Take any action movie, and this setup slays it with sheer force and Daft Punk score in Tron rattles my windows. Honestly, after I started reading reviews and forums the upgrade bug is having the better of me, and I started looking to upgrade the receiver. I am currently looking at 3 options now -
1. Yamaha A3080 receiver
2. Yamaha 5100/5200 Pre amp
3. Marantz 8012 receiver

1, 3 - I can continue to use my emotiva to drive the mains, and may be get 4 ceilings for a full 5.2.4. Receiver driving the heights.
2 - I need to get an additional 7 channel amp. Not sure if I want to take this route

I am new to this forum, and hoping to get some advice here. As I was researching, I found that Yamaha has a pre out voltage to 1V or 2V, and Marantz has 4V. Gene praised Marantz for having pre outs of 4V!!

Any receiver I will be buying will be serving as a preamp/processor for the main channels, and will preout voltage in Yamaha or Marantz make a difference? Is 1V on Yammy 3080 or 5100/5200 not enough??

I have always loved my current receiver for what it makes to the movies, and I would love to know what you experts think. Greatly appreciate any advice.

 

[ryanosaur]

First with a 7.x.4 rig, and a good 5-channel amp, you can run your rears ad height channels off the on-board amp of an AVR, no problem. Unless you are bi-amping your mains, which really isn't necessary. Regardless, I went down the pre-out voltage/amp sensitivity rabbit hole a bit myself. I am not the expert here, but in general, with most modern AVRs and Amps, they should work just fine together: this was the message to me. Most said that the pre-out voltage ratings on my SR6012 were very conservative at 1.4v. That was followed by some claiming that it easily hits 2-4v. Take from that what you will... I afraid its not much. Im certain others will chime in with deeper information. (I'm eager to learn more myself!)

 

[lovinthehd]

Consider that the Marantz 8012 is spec'd with a nominal 1.2V pre-out level, that's what you'll find mostly in the way of a spec on the pre-out, a nominal figure. Most avrs will put out more but for specifics you'd need a measurement. Yamaha in a previous review done here believe had one particular avr with poor pre-out performance, the one you have now. https://www.audioholics.com/av-receiver-reviews/yamaha-rx-a860/measurements

I believe I've seen measurements on the Yamaha Pre-pro you listed and it performed well above 2V. I would imagine the 3080 would as well but don't recall seeing a bench test. Search for bench tests for specific avrs/pre-pros but many don't test for it like Audioholics has.

 

[PENG]

Given the speakers the op has, imo the cleanest way to upgrade is to replace the 860 and the emo amps with one of the following:

Rx-a3080, sr7013 (the 8012 won't make any audible difference), avr-x6500h or

3080, x4500h, sr7013 and keep the emo amp or if separate is preferred, the 5100 may potentially be a better deal than the 5200 if deep discount is offered.

 

[tavernHall]

Thanks for the responses. As a newbie, I really appreciate you guys taking time towards a common passion.

I am pretty much sure the AVR pre out voltage is not a deciding factor as the amps gain will suffice. As I really like my 860 and the way it plays with the sonics, I will continue to purchase Yamahas. So it is 3080 then!

This is that time of the year where 3080 is already 8-9 months into the market. If I go for it, should I get a new one from BB or Crutchfield or is it safe to get a refurb from A4L. The latter sells it $400 below what the priors are selling it for. I am sure many here have opinions on getting a refurb, but do you think its fine?

And also, I am guessing the release of newer models from Yamaha are right around the corner, is it May?! Should I wait for the feature set and see if they are good, and then decide to get a 3080? Or get 3080 asap

 

[Sef_Makaro]

Thanks for the responses. As a newbie, I really appreciate you guys taking time towards a common passion.

I am pretty much sure the AVR pre out voltage is not a deciding factor as the amps gain will suffice. As I really like my 860 and the way it plays with the sonics, I will continue to purchase Yamahas. So it is 3080 then!

This is that time of the year where 3080 is already 8-9 months into the market. If I go for it, should I get a new one from BB or Crutchfield or is it safe to get a refurb from A4L. The latter sells it $400 below what the priors are selling it for. I am sure many here have opinions on getting a refurb, but do you think its fine?

And also, I am guessing the release of newer models from Yamaha are right around the corner, is it May?! Should I wait for the feature set and see if they are good, and then decide to get a 3080? Or get 3080 asap

You’ll get replies from both camps in regards to buying new or refurbed. I’ve had good luck buying refurbs from A4L. I got my 3080 for $1399 when it was $2200 new. I haven’t had any problems with it.

As far as buying now or waiting for new models, that’s up to you. It’ll depend on what’s changed with the 2019 models. There were pretty minor changes between the 3070 and 3080. Most notably to me, the removal of the front panel hdmi input and the addition of Surround AI. Neither are very compelling reason to choose one over the other.