Need some receiver help!

[JforJohnathan]

So I am extremely new to all this and need help. I just want to listen to music. I have a audiotechnica AT-LP120XUSB, a pair of Yu6 by Kanto speakers and just got a klipsch r-120sw sub in since they were recently half off. Anyway, I need a receiver for these and I have no idea what to select. My friend tells me I need a very specific type of receiver for the r-120sw sub and I’ve tried looking up what to select with almost no luck. Not looking for anything expensive just a basic one would be fine.
Anyone have some suggestions for a decent receiver?!

 

[MalVeauX]

Hi,

What's your budget?

A basic stereo receiver will handle this. Just depends on how you want to integrate things and how many sources you want to hook up to it.

For the sub, you only need pre-amp sub output since it doesn't have the option to use high-level inputs.

So without knowing more, I'd point you towards a Yamaha RX-V385.

Very best,

 

[JforJohnathan]

Hi,

What's your budget?

A basic stereo receiver will handle this. Just depends on how you want to integrate things and how many sources you want to hook up to it.

For the sub, you only need pre-amp sub output since it doesn't have the option to use high-level inputs.

So without knowing more, I'd point you towards a Yamaha RX-V385.

Very best,

Thanks for the quick reply!
So I’m hoping to keep it under 300 and besides the record player, the pair of yu6 speakers, the sub and my phone occasionally I probably won’t have any other sources.

 

[lovinthehd]

Why are you starting with a vinyl oriented setup?

 

[Spkrdctr]

I was also thinking of the Yamaha 385. Inexpensive and will get the job done.

 

[JforJohnathan]

Hi,

What's your budget?

A basic stereo receiver will handle this. Just depends on how you want to integrate things and how many sources you want to hook up to it.

For the sub, you only need pre-amp sub output since it doesn't have the option to use high-level inputs.

So without knowing more, I'd point you towards a Yamaha RX-V385.

Very best,

So I got the Yamaha 385 today for a steal at bestbuy for $160 and also the cord to connect the sub. BUT the speakers require RCA cables and the receiver looks like it needs optical? I couldn’t find any cords that connect those two things.

 

[MalVeauX]

So I got the Yamaha 385 today for a steal at bestbuy for $160 and also the cord to connect the sub. BUT the speakers require RCA cables and the receiver looks like it needs optical? I couldn’t find any cords that connect those two things.

Your speakers (YU6) are active monitors; they have their own amplifier built in, they just need line level input from a source. The posts on the back of an AVR are for passive speakers that need amplification. Your speakers take unbalanced RCA and optical as inputs (line level).

The RX-385 is a great receiver for its price; but if you're using active monitors, you ultimately just need a pre-processor DAC and not a full on receiver (unless the receiver has pre-amp output, but the inexpensive ones lack this). You may need to simply return the RX-385 ultimately since again you're using active monitors. It's a good AVR for its cost, but again, you're using active monitors. Or an AVR with pre-amp output for a zone would work, but this is a lot of cost for what you're using it for, since your speakers have their own amplifier built in. You namely just need the ability to have phono input from your turntable and whatever other sources you want to use.

More up to speed for what you're doing, a processor that can take several inputs (digital, phono, etc) and output line-level unbalanced output and still have unbalanced sub pre-amp output is what you would ideally want. A good example of this is Emotiva's TA-100.

Very best,

 

[JforJohnathan]

Your speakers (YU6) are active monitors; they have their own amplifier built in, they just need line level input from a source. The posts on the back of an AVR are for passive speakers that need amplification. Your speakers take unbalanced RCA and optical as inputs (line level).

The RX-385 is a great receiver for its price; but if you're using active monitors, you ultimately just need a pre-processor DAC and not a full on receiver (unless the receiver has pre-amp output, but the inexpensive ones lack this). You may need to simply return the RX-385 ultimately since again you're using active monitors. It's a good AVR for its cost, but again, you're using active monitors. Or an AVR with pre-amp output for a zone would work, but this is a lot of cost for what you're using it for, since your speakers have their own amplifier built in. You namely just need the ability to have phono input from your turntable and whatever other sources you want to use.

More up to speed for what you're doing, a processor that can take several inputs (digital, phono, etc) and output line-level unbalanced output and still have unbalanced sub pre-amp output is what you would ideally want. A good example of this is Emotiva's TA-100.

Very best,

I honestly don’t know what about half of that means. Like I said in my original post I’m brand new to this and I’ve been doing a ton of reading up and trying to learn but all that is just beyond me. I’ll probably just return the sub and receiver and call it a loss. Because returning this receiver to buy something twice as expensive and still not even knowing if it’ll work just doesn’t make sense. I just wish this was a lot simpler to understand...

 

[MalVeauX]

I honestly don’t know what about half of that means. Like I said in my original post I’m brand new to this and I’ve been doing a ton of reading up and trying to learn but all that is just beyond me. I’ll probably just return the sub and receiver and call it a loss. Because returning this receiver to buy something twice as expensive and still not even knowing if it’ll work just doesn’t make sense. I just wish this was a lot simpler to understand...

No worries; just enjoy the ride. The more stuff you you experience and go through, the more you'll know and understand and it will come together. The trouble shooting and learning curve stuff is part of the journey and you'll appreciate things for what they are the more you learn. Don't be hard on yourself and don't take anything hard, this is fun, a hobby, treat it as such. Don't rush anything, it's not going anywhere. Take your time and just slowly learn stuff that interests you. Again, enjoy the ride.

So, just to back peddle a bit: your speakers are active monitors. What this means is that they have a built in amplifier in them and do not need a separate amplifier; they just need a line level (non-amplified) signal as a source. Your speakers also have an unbalanced RCA pre-amp line out for attaching a sub-woofer (top left on the back, called "sub out"). Your YU6's source input is a L & R channel RCA (unbalanced) and this is the most common to use so everything can work with it. Keep your sub. It integrates into your speakers very nicely since they already have sub-out.

The only thing you actually need is a DAC/pre-amp with a phono pre-amp to accept input from your turntable. Your turn table's needle cartridge will take those vibrations and translate the canyons on your records into sine waves, basically, and the phono pre-amp will increase the signal and your speakers will then amplify that signal.

Here's a good, inexpensive phono pre-amp: ART DJPREII.

That phono pre-amp will take the output from your turn table and output a signal that you then put into the back of your active (powered) monitors (YU6).

If you want to add another source, you need a different kind of pre-amp processor/receiver or a switch to simply switch between analog inputs (RCA connections likely, simple, unbalanced). But for now, if you're just turning records and listening to them, the above phono pre-amp is all that is needed to take signal from your turntable to your YU6 and your YU6 output signal to your sub. Simple pathway, no extra stuff needed.

Keep your sub. Return the receiver. Just get a phono pre-amp.

Very best,

 

[3db]

To the OP... You will still need an AVR if you plan on using the sub you purchased AND this AVR will need pre-outs (pre amplifier outputs for front left and front right). These preouts are the source for your speakers and use phono plugs which should allow you to connect them to your speakers. If you are budget constrained, I would look to buying a used AVR that contains both the preouts and a phono input for your turntable.

 

[JforJohnathan]

No worries; just enjoy the ride. The more stuff you you experience and go through, the more you'll know and understand and it will come together. The trouble shooting and learning curve stuff is part of the journey and you'll appreciate things for what they are the more you learn. Don't be hard on yourself and don't take anything hard, this is fun, a hobby, treat it as such. Don't rush anything, it's not going anywhere. Take your time and just slowly learn stuff that interests you. Again, enjoy the ride.

So, just to back peddle a bit: your speakers are active monitors. What this means is that they have a built in amplifier in them and do not need a separate amplifier; they just need a line level (non-amplified) signal as a source. Your speakers also have an unbalanced RCA pre-amp line out for attaching a sub-woofer (top left on the back, called "sub out"). Your YU6's source input is a L & R channel RCA (unbalanced) and this is the most common to use so everything can work with it. Keep your sub. It integrates into your speakers very nicely since they already have sub-out.

The only thing you actually need is a DAC/pre-amp with a phono pre-amp to accept input from your turntable. Your turn table's needle cartridge will take those vibrations and translate the canyons on your records into sine waves, basically, and the phono pre-amp will increase the signal and your speakers will then amplify that signal.

Here's a good, inexpensive phono pre-amp: ART DJPREII.

That phono pre-amp will take the output from your turn table and output a signal that you then put into the back of your active (powered) monitors (YU6).

If you want to add another source, you need a different kind of pre-amp processor/receiver or a switch to simply switch between analog inputs (RCA connections likely, simple, unbalanced). But for now, if you're just turning records and listening to them, the above phono pre-amp is all that is needed to take signal from your turntable to your YU6 and your YU6 output signal to your sub. Simple pathway, no extra stuff needed.

Keep your sub. Return the receiver. Just get a phono pre-amp.

Very best,

The speakers have a built in phono pre-amp. So does the turntable I have but I am able to turn that off if needed