Denon Avr-x4500h vs. PrePro Sound, Detail of Sound

K

Klibeshaw

Audiophyte
Hi, I can’t really find a post anywhere on the www where someone is raving about going from 7.1.4 avr with external amps for all channels setup to replacing the avr with a prepro and having their minds blown with the sound quality and effects and everything just sounds better. Does anyone have any experience doing that and was it worth it. Did it make that much of a difference to swap. Thanks in advance.
 
Verdinut

Verdinut

Audioholic Spartan
Hi, I can’t really find a post anywhere on the www where someone is raving about going from 7.1.4 avr with external amps for all channels setup to replacing the avr with a prepro and having their minds blown with the sound quality and effects and everything just sounds better. Does anyone have any experience doing that and was it worth it. Did it make that much of a difference to swap. Thanks in advance.
You won't get any audible sound difference between pre-pro with separate power amps and an AVR, if such equipment is operated within its designed limits. But if you're looking for easily recognizable sound quality improvement, you start by replacing the speakers with better ones.
 
K

Klibeshaw

Audiophyte
You won't get any audible sound difference between pre-pro with separate power amps and an AVR, if such equipment is operated within its designed limits. But if you're looking for easily recognizable sound quality improvement, you start by replacing the speakers with better ones.
Thats what I thought. Although my 4500 i can’t disable the amps like yours, that happens in the 700 series. My speakers are all tonal matching Martin Logan Motion Series with 2 Martin Logan Dynmo 500 subs. So with that then i don’t need to swap my Denon for a str8 up Processor only. If i did I would lose Auro3d which i have grown to like alot. Sounds awesome.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
If you look hard, you will find anything.

You will find someone somewhere out there saying pre-pros (AVP) sound so much better than AVR.

You will find someone saying one amp sounds so much better than another amp.

You will find someone saying using a much more powerful amp will make your 90dB/2.83v/m speaker sound so much better than a regular 200WPC amp.

You will find anything you want to find. :D
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Thats what I thought. Although my 4500 i can’t disable the amps like yours, that happens in the 700 series. My speakers are all tonal matching Martin Logan Motion Series with 2 Martin Logan Dynmo 500 subs. So with that then i don’t need to swap my Denon for a str8 up Processor only. If i did I would lose Auro3d which i have grown to like alot. Sounds awesome.
Did your friend also change the type of dsp/room eq in the pre-pro? That's more likely to be a reason for an audible difference....

I can use a pre-amp mode in my 4520....but whether that's enabled or not isn't an issue for me in any case and doubt it would change anything for you..... Seems your 4500 is working fine for you, no need to change....
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Hi, I can’t really find a post anywhere on the www where someone is raving about going from 7.1.4 avr with external amps for all channels setup to replacing the avr with a prepro and having their minds blown with the sound quality and effects and everything just sounds better. Does anyone have any experience doing that and was it worth it. Did it make that much of a difference to swap. Thanks in advance.
I posted my experience in the opposite scenario, going from an ex Marantz flagship prepro AV8801 to an AVR-X4400H. More impressed with the Denon AVR mainly because of the latest features and the quietness. I kept the prepro but never swap the prepro back in because there was no need to.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Thats what I thought. Although my 4500 i can’t disable the amps like yours, that happens in the 700 series.
Yes you can disconnect the internal power amps, though FL and FR channels only. What 700 series?
 
K

Klibeshaw

Audiophyte
Yes you can disconnect the internal power amps, though FL and FR channels only. What 700 series?
I have a avr-x4500, there are only 2 preouts in the menu and used for fronts or rear height. Currently the rear height are set to preout, if i change it to front it seems like it changes the sound which is weird cause all the channels including fronts are using preouts. Denon said the preouts are all hot on the 4500h that they didnt have an option to technically switch. Idk…..it works fine.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
I have a avr-x4500, there are only 2 preouts in the menu and used for fronts or rear height. Currently the rear height are set to preout, if i change it to front it seems like it changes the sound which is weird cause all the channels including fronts are using preouts. Denon said the preouts are all hot on the 4500h that they didnt have an option to technically switch. Idk…..it works fine.
You don't have to do it, as you say the pre outs are always hot. I, and others do it because by disconnected the power amps from the pre outs, the distortions from the power amp clipping won't adversely affect the quality of the pre outs. Again, the main benefit for doing that is to minimize distortions in the pre out signal at higher voltage.

You can read Gene's review linked below for more information in case you change your mind:

Denon AVR-X3600H 9.2CH IMAX Enhanced AV Receiver Offers Best In Class Features | Audioholics

With the AVR-X3600H configured to reroute the main front L/R internal amplifiers, the preamp is physically disconnected from the power amp. This allows the preamp stage full capability of delivering up to 4Vrms unclipped when connected to external amplification as can be seen in the following output vs distortion plot courtesy of Sound United Engineering.
Note that in this example, it is for the X3600H, but the same would apple to the later and upper models as well, including your X4500H.
 
K

Klibeshaw

Audiophyte
You don't have to do it, as you say the pre outs are always hot. I, and others do it because by disconnected the power amps from the pre outs, the distortions from the power amp clipping won't adversely affect the quality of the pre outs. Again, the main benefit for doing that is to minimize distortions in the pre out signal at higher voltage.

You can read Gene's review linked below for more information in case you change your mind:

Denon AVR-X3600H 9.2CH IMAX Enhanced AV Receiver Offers Best In Class Features | Audioholics



Note that in this example, it is for the X3600H, but the same would apple to the later and upper models as well, including your X4500H.
So should I use the only 2 preout selection to fronts instead of rears?
 

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