Need help choosing an external amp (or using my old AVR as an amp??)

[TheLamonster]

I am planning to replace my 2018 Yamaha RX-A780 with one of their upcoming 2021 Aventage AVRs because I'd like to upgrade my system to 11 channels. My original plan was to sell the 780, get an RX-A6A, and pair that with an external amplifier in the $800 price range (because that is the price difference between the A6 and A8) to power my front stage, like the Outlaw 5000x, a couple Outlaw 2220 monoblocks, or the Emotiva BasX A3.

However, I am now considering keeping the 780 and using it in pure direct mode as an external amp to power my front left and right speakers. The 780's rated output power is 95 W (2ch) and the A6/A8 is rated at 150 W (2ch). The goal is to increase sound quality (clarity & separation). I often listen to music in all channel stereo mode which means the stereo signal is upmixed and sent to every channel at the same time, and I worry that even the A8 will not be able to sufficiently power all 11 channels at the same time. My room is 10.5' x 17' with a 7' ceiling, so it's relatively tiny and I typically listen at around -30dB. My speakers are all 8 ohm bookshelves in the Polk Signature line (s20/s30/s15/s10 etc) and I have two 12" powered subs.

Hoping you guys can steer me in the right direction to make the right choice. Do I add an external amp, use my old AVR as an amp, or stick with just the A8A on its own?

 

[PENG]

The RX-A6A is clearly more powerful than the RX-A780 so why not just get it to power 9 channels and use the 780 to power the surround/height speakers that are closest to your mlp and/or highest sensitivity?

If you typically listen at around -30 dB with the 780, that is a good indication that the A6A is all you need. People often think all channel stereo mode is much more demanding but it is a misconception because it also depends on the size of your room and the purpose of using all channel stereo. For example, in a large room, using 7, or 9 channel stereo to have loud music at every corner of the room is in fact much more demanding, but in your 10.5X14X7' room, it is not going to be much more demanding because with 7.9, 11 speakers, you will gain at least 7 to 8 dB spl, so you will have to turn the volume down accordingly, thereby offsetting the increased demand significantly.