Mid priced Receiver - Best Pre-amp stage?

[gregz]

I already have a stereo amplifier that I'm quite pleased with, so I figure I can pipe the L and R mains through my existing amp and devote all the power of the mid priced A/V amp to drive the center and surrounds.

Do mid priced receivers have the quality in their pre-amp sections and processors? Looking at specs of several popular (in here) brands, I do frequently see the same DSP chips listed in mid and upper tier units.

I know asking for "best" can lead to a chorus of different brand listings, and that's fine as long as you qualify which model of that brand would work best.

My emphasis is pre-amp transparency and solid surround processing. My target price is between $400 and $500, but if you think I need to bump up for good pre-amp quality, I'm open to suggestions as well.


Thanks!

 

[Az B]

The largest difference between receivers preamp stages and dedicated seperates preamps is noise floor.

 

[Yamahaluver]

This is a catch 22 situation, however if you buy the high end models from Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer, SONY ES, Marantz, NAD, HK etc. you can get good pre amp sections with low noise level. Yamaha's higher end models also feature a good phono section which is becoming a rarity these days. Bear in mind, most pre amps are use digital input stage so noise is no longer a concern but quality of sound and transparency is and this is where the stand alone pre amp can never be touched.

 

[gregz]

Rats; that confirms my suspicions. I suppose I can start with an A/V preamp and use my trusty Onkyo receiver to power the surround channels while the main amp takes care of the front. Phantom mode will cover for lack of center speaker for now...

Looks like I can still come away within my target price range and be in quite a good position for later upgrades!

Thanks, folks!

 

[gregz]

Wrong again... I just looked up an array of different mainstream A/V pre-amp processors (such as Rotel, Adcom, etc.) and they start at $1200 and go up quickly from there.

It seems that once one goes into the specialty niche of separates, the price is automatically doubled - which I suppose is to be expected considering how production volume works.

That means I'll be keeping my stereo setup for the forseeable future and continue to rely on the wide imaging my trusty old NHT monitors are able to project.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

t seems that once one goes into the specialty niche of separates, the price is automatically doubled - which I suppose is to be expected considering how production volume works.

Yep. Gene and Hawke, in various articles and posts, have made a good case for getting a receiver instead of a separate prepro if one's budget is limited to any but the high-end separate stuff like B&K, Lexicon, etc, for just that reason and others as well.

Anyway, to piggyback on (or hijack?) this thread, I've been looking closely at midlevel Harmon/Kardan for my receiver to use with external amps when I finally make the multichannel leap. From my admittedly incomplete survey, HK seems to offer more flexible bass management even in their low to mid-level stuff than most others. That, and 0.5 dB trims for all channels. That's what has tipped me in that direction.

However, comments and suggestions pro and con are welcome. And they might help gregz, too. I'm an old guy still stuck in the two channel stereo paradigm - this newfangled multichannel stuff makes my head spin!

However, I do recall Hawke telling me in a post awhile back that they were going to be looking at a promising "value priced" prepro (sub-$1500) at CEDIA. Haven't looked at the coverage in detail -- did that happen?

Gregz -- IMHO, sonic transparency/differences in prepros vs. receivers, or between receivers, aren't an issue. The choice is on features, build quality, and the other intangibles that matter to an individual. Possible exception: there *might* be audible differences in the implementation of even "standard" DSP modes like DPL II. I have heard some well reasoned pro and con arguments on both sides and haven't got that one sorted out in my own mind yet. And haven't seen ABX test data on that issue.

 

[gregz]

Thanks for the input, Rip, and good luck.

Me, I just finished listening to Pink Floyd's "Division Bell," with a chaser of **** Hyman's "From the Age of Swing."

I'm good with 2 channel for a while here...

 

[Colonel_Tomb]

Wrong again... I just looked up an array of different mainstream A/V pre-amp processors (such as Rotel, Adcom, etc.) and they start at $1200 and go up quickly from there.

It seems that once one goes into the specialty niche of separates, the price is automatically doubled - which I suppose is to be expected considering how production volume works.

I feel your pain, man. I ran mid-priced stereo separates for years, and it was a major step to upgrade to 5.1. I put off the upgrade for years, because, realistically, I knew I'd need a new array of speakers, a new five-channel amplifier, and (worst of all) a new A/V preamp -- and all A/V preamps range from expensive to very-expensive.

I eventually got an Adcom GTP-880 ($2,400 list), but take note of two things: (1) that's a relatively low price point among A/V preamps, and (2) there really aren't many units to choose from in the $1,500 to $2,500 range. (The GTP-880 is a good piece, by the way; it has analog bypass for all inputs and two 5.1-channel inputs with analog bass management.) I also considered the big Rotel (the one with the LCD display built in), but it was $3,000, if I recall.

Now, if you wanna drop 4 or 5 Large, there are lots of choices. It's a bizzare market when you consider that you can get some very nice AV receivers for $1,200 or so.