dedicated amplifier pros cons

[xboxweasel]

i have the Yam RX-V2500 mated to Boston Acoustic VR3 speakers (93 bd sensitivity and 250 watts max amp). center is Polk CSi5, surrounds are Polk FXi5.

I have a Yamaha RX-V2500 also. I have 3 Anthem amps running my 7.1 system. My speakers are 96-98dB sensitive. Some might say that using seperate amps for these speakers is crazy. But I like the improvement. All my friends are envious of my system. A lot only have their TV as their speaker system.

Listening to any source at low levels won't make your system shine. But when I let it go, it's bloody awsome.

Nothing like watching War of the Worlds (for example) and having the person next to you jump when the alien fired it's vapourizer. I have the power available to drive my speakers when the time comes. Plus living in a semi means that my neighbours get to listen too. muhahahahaha It's loud and clear and in your face. Not sure what the readings would have be without the amps, but in WOTW I was getting <60 to >100dB SPL levels throughout the course of the movie. Meaning that dialog was pretty much at normal levels (ie: when you talk to your buddies in your house). But when stuff blew up it got loud. Because stuff blowing up is always loud. I've never heard of a silent explosion. Well, in space maybe.

But keep in mind that the experience you'll get depends on the source. A badly mixed movie will sound like crap on any system. More so if you spend the big bucks because you'll hear every little detail better. 28 Days Later comes to mind. The sound track was awful. Volume was all over the place. Sometimes the dialog was too loud, other times you could not understand a bloody thing they were saying. In that case I wish I did not have the amps.

Just buy something that you like. Any amp you buy will be around for a long. I know that the local AV shops will me sign out some of their equipment. Or, if I purchased it and did not like the results I can always return it and try out something different.

 

[mtrycrafts]

.....I've found big watts to tame a few room issues, ....

I found a sledge hammer, bigger the better, do the same thing, tame a few issues better LOL

 

[Buckle-meister]

Buy what you will, but be realistic with yourself about what really impacts the sound in your listening room.

and, what does really impact the sound in my listening room?

Acoustic treatment and proper speaker placement.

That's my boy!

.....Definite factors....done for the room, not the system.....

The room must be considered part of the system, and the biggest part at that.

Regards

 

[gcmarshall]

i agree. but, power, clarity, etc. are parts of the puzzle. if not, why would anyone buy a 200 wpc amp (or more) ever? why buy a 130 wpc av receiver? why not just buy a 60 wpc receiver every time? certainly a bigger badder amp adds something to the overall scheme of things, though i see what you are saying - it is not a stand-alone solution to any and all problems. but, aside from the financial outlay, i can't imagine i will be worse off with a 200 wpc dedicated amp compared to using my 2500 for its amps. the improvement may not be night and day, but it has to offer something otherwise there would not be a market for dedicated amps.

there is a law of diminished returns in all of this too. beyond a certain $$ amount, performance level, etc. (what that level is is anybody's guess), the added benefits are exponentially smaller. i am just trying to get to a point right where that curve of diminishing returns starts to flatten out, but not go beyond that point.

thanks again for the ongoing discussion.

 

[Buckle-meister]

Without getting into the same old tired argument of 'all amps sound the same' etc, there is one thing that cannot be disputed:

You could compare every amp, speaker, CD player etc on the planet, but we'd all agree you'll not find a single one that would output sound as much as 30dB or more differently over some parts of the frequency range than another. Sort out your room's acoustics, and it is not unrealistic to expect to be able to recover from a significant portion of the devastating effects your room right now is causing.

Regards

 

[mtrycrafts]

... i can't imagine i will be worse off with a 200 wpc dedicated amp compared to using my 2500 for its amps. the improvement may not be night and day, but it has to offer something otherwise there would not be a market for dedicated amps.

It offers 3 db spl of more output if and when needed. There is a market as humans are gullible by nature, not only in audio but all consumer marketplace.
Why is there a market for homeopathic medicines? A huge market at that. Holistic healing? Special water with memory? Sylvia Brown, et al?


i am just trying to get to a point right where that curve of diminishing returns starts to flatten out, but not go beyond that point.
.


That is a tricky road you are on.

 

[gcmarshall]

mtrycrafts......

you are probably right. in any case, do you use any dedicated amps? if so, in what capacity are they used and why did you choose them over an "all-in-one" A/V receiver?

 

[mulester7]

I found a sledge hammer, the bigger the better, will do the same thing, tame a few issues better LOL

.....but when she woke up, that look you got from her, said you would lose in the long run, BuddieeEE.....

 

[Nick250]

i agree. but, power, clarity, etc. are parts of the puzzle. if not, why would anyone buy a 200 wpc amp (or more) ever? why buy a 130 wpc av receiver? why not just buy a 60 wpc receiver every time?

{snip} but it has to offer something otherwise there would not be a market for dedicated amps. {snip}

And why do people buy expensive speaker wire? Why do people buy little green markers to put on their CDs? Why do people buy expensive copper bracelets and believe it will cure their arthritis? There is a market for all these things.

My opinion is that there is great toy factor in amps, pre amps etc. and that drives the market. Nothing wrong with that but just know it before making your purchase. Hell I may even buy sperates one day because they have hugh cool factor to me and they will be great fun to tinker with.

Remember what PT Barnum said: "No one ever lost money over estimating the gulibility of the American public."

 

[mtrycrafts]

mtrycrafts......

you are probably right. in any case, do you use any dedicated amps? if so, in what capacity are they used and why did you choose them over an "all-in-one" A/V receiver?

I cannot confirm anything about my system beyond that I have two boomboxes
But, if I had external amps, it would be for any number of other reasons outside of sound improvement as that would not enter the picture, same as Nick

Nothing wrong with external amps, especially when one has one from the past, or hand me down, or a great steal of a deal.

 

[gcmarshall]

let me guess....your system is so exclusive it must be kept secret or you'd have to kill the forum if we found out, right?

 

[zumbo]

You see, it's always the little guy who says size doesn't matter. Or the woman who supports the little fella. Let me set the record straight. SIZE MATTERS. Da bigga, da bedda.

 

[furrycute]

Is there such a thing as too big?

 

[Nick250]

This is like me buying a car:

Salesman: How big an engine do you want sir?

Me: How big do you make?

 

[indcrimdefense]

i have had numerous demos in my house in the last 6 months, both amplifiers used w/ my denon 2805 as a pre/pro and amplifiers used w/ both stereo pre-pro & A/V pre-pros. adding an amplifier to a receiver can certainly make a difference, and a worthwhile difference in my opinion. just last night i unhooked a B&K 125.2 i was demoing to take it back to the store, and i already miss it. however, the best sound quality i have had was with a dedicated pre/pro used w/ an amplifier. my home theater/music system is used primarily for my benefit, so impressing others is not really a concern. i would be more than happy to be able to stop spending money and just keep my current setup (RF7 front, RF5 rear, 2805 receiver, 2910 for SACD, cary audio DVD6 for redbook cd & dvd) the only problem is that it doesn't sound as good as the demo cary audio cinema 6 pre-pro & cinema 5 (200x5) did for misic & movies, or the B&K stereo pre-amp & amp for music which are going back to the store. best sound i had using the denon as a prepro was w/ a krell showcase 5, but it still was not as good as the cary combo for music or movies. B&K stuff was nice, but lacks surround sound ability, and i have now abandoned the idea of having a dedicated 2 channel system as well as a seperate home theater, primarily due to my house layout the 2 systems would both be in the same room. receivers are great, and i love the convenience of having an amp/processor in a single box, and the fact that a receiver fits into my expensive entertainment center where seperates will not (not enough space). but i have yet to hear a reciever that sounds better than seperates. next im looking at an anthem avm 20 pre-pro (waiting on the demo) along w/ a B&K, krell, cary audio or mcintosh amp. simply depends on the best sound i can get for the least amount of money.

 

[zumbo]

.

I agree.