Hot Separates System Recommendation Tip

[gene]

Folks;

We are seeing a lot of emails from people asking for a good inexpensive separates solution which prompted me to make a recommendation I am very confident is hard to beat for the money.

1) Yamaha RX-V2500 used as a Pre/Pro $1100
2) Emotiva MPS-1 7CH Power amp $2000

for around $3k you have a killer separates solution with power to drive most speakers to insane levels, great processing from Yamaha, and a very dynamic, low noise floor solution.

I have done two installs with this system and it worked phenomenally well. The preamp section of the RX-V2500 is very clean and the synergy between these two components is excellent. I hope this helps.

 

[hopjohn]

Aside from the obvious (both multichannel etc.), what in particular is "synergystic" about these two units?

 

[gene]

The preamp section of the Yamaha is ultra clean and has enough drive to allow the MPS-1 to hit maximum levels unclipped and undistorted. I just like the way this combo sounds. Very clean, powerful, and dynamic.

 

[Doug917]

My MPS-1 is on order. Unfortuneately it is backordered until mid July. Thanks for the advice the other day Gene. I can't wait to get the amp so I can put this combo together. I let av123 know audioholics played a big part in my buying decision and in recomending the amp.

 

[mitch57]

How would the Denon 3805 work in lieu of the Yamaha?

 

[rjustice4]

I just ordered an MPS-1, and am planning on using my Denon 2805 as a prepro for the time being. Do you guys see any obvious issues with that, relative to using the 2805 as a prepro?

Thanks for your help on this.

Bob

 

[gene]

How would the Denon 2805/3805 work in lieu of the Yamaha?

The 3805 will also work as well, though I feel the 2500 preamp section is a tad less noisey which may or may not be an audible issue depending on the sensitivity of your speakers and their proximity to the listening position. If your speakers are under 92dB SPL @ 1 watt/meter and the rears are at least 6ft away, it should work fine.

 

[cam]

Sounds like a great system for $3100, but what about making it a little less expensive, lets say, use the yammy 2500 for the prepro and powering the 4 surrounds and adding a seperate amp for the front three speakers. It should sound just as good while still having a few bucks left over, shouldn't it?

 

[Spiffyfast]

what about using the rxv1500 for the pre/pro i've heard good things about its capabilities as well?

 

[gene]

The RXV1500 would also serve well, I just like some of the added features of the 2500 but they would both work excellently as pre/pros.

 

[Doug917]

cam,

I see it as getting a great set up now and having a powerful 7-channel amp if and when I decide to upgrade to a nicer preamp. I will only power the L-C-R-LS-RS and let the Yammy power either the presence or the surround backs. I am also going to try to throw my pair of SVS CS20-39+ subs on the amp and see what happens. Right now the subs are powered fine by a Carver AV-705x 5-channel (125W per channel) amp but they are the only things on it. If the Emotiva doesn't hickup, I will get rid of the Carver...or maybe not. I can't really see having too many channels of amplification, especially with multiple room setups or multiple zones.

 

[cam]

Sounds good to me, you would be using the 2500 to atleast power something, and you would only need to buy a 5 channel amp for the rest. I would never buy a receiver like the 2500 and only use it as a prepro unless I had money to burn. As good as it would sound to have the 2500 as the prepro and a seperate 7 channel amp, I believe it would sound just as good to have the 2500 power all 4 or just 2 surrounds and either add a 3 or 5 channel seperate amp. A 2500 as a prepro and a 7 channel amp sounds like a waste of money to me. Having said that, if I had the money I would get what gene has recommended. But if a dedicated prepro down the road is in your future, then by all means, get the 7 channel amp now.

 

[gene]

A 2500 as a prepro and a 7 channel amp sounds like a waste of money to me.

It depends on your situation. I did a system for my Uncle in a 50ft room who likes to throw loud parties, Colombian style if you know what I mean, and adding the Emo amp was a must in this scenario. Considering you get 7 channels of amplification for just a bit more money than one would ordinarily spend for two I really don't consider it wasting. Also realize many dedicated pre/pros with lower quality processing and less features cost more than the RX-V2500 so at $1k the RX-V2500 is already a bargain pre/pro with a decent amp thrown in for free

 

[cam]

The rx-2500 is already a bargain pre/pro with a decent amp thrown in for free, all the more reason to use it for 2 or 4 surrounds and add a seperate 3 channel amp for the front 3 where it counts. Thus maximizing every dollar you spend and not every watt drawn from your plug in.

 

[drunkonjack]

No matter if you use the 2500 or not the EMO amp will drive speakers to insane levels . I would also think getting a use pre-amp is another great idea to trim cost. One that comes to mind is the Rotel 1066 along with the Emo amp .

I know first hand what this amp is capable of and it is nothing short of amazing

 

[craigsub]

The rx-2500 is already a bargain pre/pro with a decent amp thrown in for free, all the more reason to use it for 2 or 4 surrounds and add a seperate 3 channel amp for the front 3 where it counts. Thus maximizing every dollar you spend and not every watt drawn from your plug in.

Cam - Once you have heard the MPS-1 running in 7 channel glory, no three channel amp will do. For $2000, it really is nothing short of astonishing.

If someone just cannot swing the extra $$$, sure, the three channel approach is valid.

By the way, I have also done what Gene has, and tried out the MPS-1 with several AVR's - and as long as you have a "quiet" receiver with pre-outs, the MPS-1 will make for a killer upgrade.

In fact, I like the MPS so much, I bought a 2nd one.

 

[RLA]

Hello All

I have been using the RVX2500 as a Pre-Amp for about 4 months now in one of my systems. I use the RXV 2500's amp to drive the EX channels in a 7.1 system. I am a little hesitant to admit this but the RXV-2500 bests My Aragon Stage One as a Pre-Amp for Home Theater applications. My Plan is to obtain the new RXV-4600 and do the same in my dedicated Home Theater.

The Aragon has a razor thin edge for 2 channel and analog I would say the Yamaha performance is about 98% in this catagory. If I had the choice and could only pick one based on performance I would choose the Yamaha
The Aragon does have stellar looks and build quality. IMOHO the new Yamaha
Receivers will outperform many of the Pre-Amps on the market.

The money saved with a combination like Gene mentioned over higher end separates could be used for upgrades like room treatment. This will yield better bang for the buck overall. Another thing to consider is when new formats arrive and your equipment is not upgradeable you will have less money invested and will have to spend less to obtain a new pre-amp



Ok all, I just put my head on the chopping block in more ways than one and I am sure the axe will fall very soon

 

[mulester7]

Hello All

I have been using the RVX2500 as a Pre-Amp for about 4 months now in one of my systems. I use the RXV 2500's amp to drive the EX channels in a 7.1 system. I am a little hesitant to admit this but the RXV-2500 bests My Aragon Stage One as a Pre-Amp for Home Theater applications. My Plan is to obtain the new RXV-4600 and do the same in my dedicated Home Theater.

The Aragon has a razor thin edge for 2 channel and analog I would say the Yamaha performance is about 98% in this catagory. If I had the choice and could only pick one based on performance I would choose the Yamaha
The Aragon does have stellar looks and build quality. IMOHO the new Yamaha
Receivers will outperform many of the Pre-Amps on the market.

The money saved with a combination like Gene mentioned over higher end separates could be used for upgrades like room treatment. This will yield better bang for the buck overall. Another thing to consider is when new formats arrive and your equipment is not upgradeable you will have less money invested and will have to spend less to obtain a new pre-amp



Ok all, I just put my head on the chopping block in more ways than one and I am sure the axe will fall very soon

.....I simply can't see any ax falling on an excellently detailed report of comparison and opinions derived.....

.....the concept of seperates is being considered more in the posts here....this is not a necessity as we all know....but to do so, in an attitude of carefully scrutinizing all the options and costs, is moving upstream, imo.....

 

[mulester7]

.....some may think slave amps styled rack-mount will warrant headaches via a ton of extra work and additional costs from hardware needed/bought for mounting in racks....doesn't have to be that way at all....may look a little better, I don't know, but let's take a long look at "who" that "look better" is trying to please....if I do something I feel looks fine, I personally think what I've done is acceptable and who cares what someone else thinks?....

....I now have a quartet of matched slave amps and am done on the system for a few months, maybe....one thing my Daddy, a building contractor, did for me back in about '75, was to have his cabinet maker construct me a stereo cabinet with 4 drawers and 4 doors that has a flat top-plate of wood about 7 feet long by about 30 inches deep....the doors open to expose a floor and shelf in the middle inside....my pre-amp, tuner, cassette deck, and phono are one stack sitting on top of each other at one end using about 18 inches of the surface area of the top plate of the cabinet....next to that stack, I have two slave amps mounted very scientifically and the costs were staggering.....

.....I took the ole' trusty Skil-saw and ripped a piece of 2x4 in half longways....then I cut 2x2 pieces 3 inches long....painted them black, and set four of them in four-corner style on the cabinet top....then I set a rack-mount slave amp on the four pieces....then I set four more painted-black three-inch long pieces of 2x2 on top of the slave amp in four corner style, and set a second slave amp on top of those pieces....

.....moving on down the cabinet top, I did the same thing with two more slave amps....at the end of all that, I set a silver 9 inch Lakewood cage-fan sideways, that blows MUCH air, on LOW, can't hear it on low at all, blowing said air "between" layer one and two concerning BOTH stacks of two....the fan is not an absolute necessity with the amps I have which are sealed, but what the hey, heat destroys, so why not?.....

.....yes, I could have taken them four-high with the spacer wood pieces, and may with time, who knows?.....

.....was everyone able to keep up with all those scientific applications and equations?....sure, the costs for me were staggering, but I scrimped and saved toward the effort, haha....

.....here's the bottom line....it was dirt-simple, no cost, and looks fine....actually quite decent....food for thought.....

 

[RLA]

.....I simply can't see any ax falling on an excellently detailed report of compariso

Without going into details trust me my neck is stuck way out on this one