Combine stereo and surround sound in one av system help

[mixlsplitz1]

I've started my stereo setup with plans to grow into surround system. I found this article, along with a few others

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.whathifi.com/amp/features/how-to-combine-stereo-and-surround-sound-in-one-brilliant-av-system

with instructions on how to go about pulling it off. I need help finding an affordable stereo receiver/integrated amp with 'av input'. I just
need capability to bypass the stereo volume control just using it as a power amp for my front L/R. That article does give a few examples but they're all way out of my price range. Ive been trying to search for the ones listed sold as used but am having no luck. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[nathan_h]

Don’t fall for the marketing. Get a good AVR and use it for both purposes.

 

[lovinthehd]

Whathifi isn't exactly a good source for much of anything.

 

[mixlsplitz1]

Well either way I'm starting with my stereo setup. So the census is to just get a good avr? I thought it would be easier to get all the features I wanted if I got a separate stereo amp. But i guess the total price would be around the same, if not more with separates. Is there a website I can use to filter features i want in an avr?

 

[mixlsplitz1]

The rbh 61's i picked up at bi amp able, so it kind of made sense to get a 5.1 avr and a separate stereo amp, but reading more i found out I can bi amp a 7.1 avr provided it allows it. So I guess I just need a platform to search the features i want in my avr

 

[NINaudio]

There's no need to biamp those speakers.

What features are you looking for exactly?

 

[mixlsplitz1]

The more i read into bi amp, the more i see about the audible benefits, if any, are negligible. For video quality I'm looking for hdmi 2.1, 4k /120 hz (available with future update ok) upscaling to 4k. And for audio i guess if I'm nixing the bi amp scenario I want a second zone to play music in another room or in the back yard, and a good room correction. And either pandora or spotify capability to stream music

 

[NINaudio]

Denon 3700 and on up will have all those features that you want. The 4700 will get you 3 zones if you wanted to do both another room and the backyard.

 

[nathan_h]

Well either way I'm starting with my stereo setup. So the census is to just get a good avr? I thought it would be easier to get all the features I wanted if I got a separate stereo amp. But i guess the total price would be around the same, if not more with separates. Is there a website I can use to filter features i want in an avr?

Quite a bit more with separates, and I cannot imagine you'd hear a difference. Those are nice RBH speakers but not so esoteric that you need to do something extreme with amplification etc.

There isn't a great site that I know of to search via features for AVRs, but these can help. They both have filter criteria.

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[William Lemmerhirt]

Definitely start with a solid avr. Then if you want to add an amp for mains in the future, you can. Biamping in this context is a complete waste, as with most speakers the signal path is still through the same passive internal XO.

 

[Pogre]

The rbh 61's i picked up at bi amp able, so it kind of made sense to get a 5.1 avr and a separate stereo amp, but reading more i found out I can bi amp a 7.1 avr provided it allows it. So I guess I just need a platform to search the features i want in my avr

No, no no no. Do not listen to what hifi first of all, and secondly just get a good avr and you're set for both music and ht.

Bi amping is a waste of time and wire. For kicks I bi amped my Ultra towers and didn't notice even a tiny difference in performance. Not to mention I fried an amplifier by forgetting to remove a set of jumpers. Risk not worth the no reward.

 

[Pogre]

Well either way I'm starting with my stereo setup. So the census is to just get a good avr? I thought it would be easier to get all the features I wanted if I got a separate stereo amp. But i guess the total price would be around the same, if not more with separates. Is there a website I can use to filter features i want in an avr?

I like Denon or Marantz. Mainly because of Audyssey XT32 room correction in the mid tier models starting with the 3*** series for Denon and the SR6*** series for Marantz. I'm using a SR6011 for everything, and I'm a music first guy so my goal is ultimately for music playback. Both of those series also have full set of preouts if you do decide to add add amp down the road.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I like Denon or Marantz. Mainly because of Audyssey XT32 room correction in the mid tier models starting with the 3*** series for Denon and the SR6*** series for Marantz. I'm using a SR6011 for everything, and I'm a music first guy so my goal is ultimately for music playback. Both of those series also have full set of preouts if you do decide to add add amp down the road.

I will echo this, as I use a 6012, and Yamaha pro amp for my mains. I’m 100% music, and 100% movies. Depending on what I’m doing, lol.
I believe in one system to rule them all.

 

[lovinthehd]

@mixlsplitz1 what do you mean by "I thought it would be easier to get all the features I wanted if I got a separate stereo amp"? An amp alone is featureless. An integrated amp has minimal feature set in general. I'd start with the avr too, altho if there is no display involved using just the front panel display on the avr can frustrate some people....

 

[mixlsplitz1]

@mixlsplitz1 what do you mean by "I thought it would be easier to get all the features I wanted if I got a separate stereo amp"? An amp alone is featureless. An integrated amp has minimal feature set in general. I'd start with the avr too, altho if there is no display involved using just the front panel display on the avr can frustrate some people....

Well I saw some integrated amps that have the a/b/a+b and maybe bi amp able? I may have just seen that on avrs and am mixing it up. There were some that had some sort of sonic filter i think? I don't recall which models or if it's even something useful much like the bi amping.

 

[lovinthehd]

Well I saw some integrated amps that have the a/b/a+b and maybe bi amp able? I may have just seen that on avrs and am mixing it up. There were some that had some sort of sonic filter i think? I don't recall which models or if it's even something useful much like the bi amping.

Having A and B speaker terminals is more about having a main set of speakers and another set of speakers in another room.....not passive bi-amping. Still a single power supply and A&B run together generally lower impedance capabilities. Some integrated amps may have filters, like a rumble filter for using vinyl, maybe a filter at the other end of the frequency to tone down the highs. Nothing special in either case.

 

[Pogre]

Well I saw some integrated amps that have the a/b/a+b and maybe bi amp able? I may have just seen that on avrs and am mixing it up. There were some that had some sort of sonic filter i think? I don't recall which models or if it's even something useful much like the bi amping.

I think you've been served a little of the koolade. I'm not picking on you, we see it all the time. Bi amping really is a waste of time and definitely not something that should influence a purchase decision. A mid tier avr will have all of the power you need for those speakers. If you still want to get an amp just to have one, most mid tier avrs also have a full set of preouts.

An avr is your one shot solution for stereo music and future 5.1 or 7.1 down the road.

 

[mixlsplitz1]

Hahaha! All good my man. No offense taken, I'll gladly take the advice. I've just been soaking up all this new info with this new obsession of mine and I'm glad I found this forum so I can have guys like you all to help filter out the nonsense. So as far as the Marantz avr's go.. what's with difference between the diff lines? NR, SR, PM? I noticed the NR is generally smaller which probably means less power I'm assuming. But most listening probably doesn't go above 50w, am i right?

 

[mixlsplitz1]

Being that I am in the same boat as you @Pogre, placing higher priority on my music playback.. i think I'm gonna go with Marantz, just need to figure out which one. The 6011 is discontinued

 

[lovinthehd]

Hahaha! All good my man. No offense taken, I'll gladly take the advice. I've just been soaking up all this new info with this new obsession of mine and I'm glad I found this forum so I can have guys like you all to help filter out the nonsense. So as far as the Marantz avr's go.. what's with difference between the diff lines? NR, SR, PM? I noticed the NR is generally smaller which probably means less power I'm assuming. But most listening probably doesn't go above 50w, am i right?

Mostly it's in the numbering series but NR is a slimline avr lineup, SR full sized avrs, PM is an integrated amp line up (2ch). Keep in mind modern Marantz has been married to Denon for quite a while and share a lot, and often Denon is better priced for the same feature set.