Question About 5.1 Amps.

[Kyliefan001]

Right now I have a Technics SA-710 with 6 channel discrete audio. It's been a workhorse for me over the last 15 years or so. With an amp that old I know that eventually it will go kaput! So I have a question about the 5.1 amps available today.

Do all 5.1 amps have bass redirection circuitry that eliminates virtually all bass from the front speakers and directs it to the subwoofer? If so what's the point of having an all range front speaker?

If there are amps without this feature which ones would you recomend in the $300 - $500 range?

Thanks!

 

[cfrizz]

Hi Kylie. Most receivers today come in 7 channels + an input for a sub or 2.

The reason for setting the the speakers to small & letting the sub do the heavy lifting is because most speakers drivers simply can't go that low & trying to do so puts a strain not only on the speakers but also the receiver which has a hard enough time driving the speakers.

Not all of the bass is removed, it all depends on where you set the crossover. Most recommend setting it at 80hz. anything after that gets sent to the sub.

Look at all the different brands of receivers, pick the one that has all the bells & whistles that you want it to have. Listen to as many of them as you can. Take a cd with a mix of music that you know very well to listen to how the receivers processes the music. Pick the one that has the most pleasing sound to your ears.

Good luck!

Right now I have a Technics SA-710 with 6 channel discrete audio. It's been a workhorse for me over the last 15 years or so. With an amp that old I know that eventually it will go kaput! So I have a question about the 5.1 amps available today.

Do all 5.1 amps have bass redirection circuitry that eliminates virtually all bass from the front speakers and directs it to the subwoofer? If so what's the point of having an all range front speaker?

If there are amps without this feature which ones would you recomend in the $300 - $500 range?

Thanks!

 

[edmcanuck]

Do all 5.1 amps have bass redirection circuitry that eliminates virtually all bass from the front speakers and directs it to the subwoofer?

Firstly, it's not bass "reduction," it's bass management. You'll end up getting more bass of better quality by using the subwoofer. And it's always optional, you don't have to use it if you prefer.

If so what's the point of having an all range front speaker?

I'd doubt that you have "all range" fronts unless your speakers way outclass your receiver and can extend down to 18Hz +/-3dB. A better question would be, why would you have a subwoofer if you didn't plan on using it to reproduce your bass?

A sub extends lower in a more linear and distortion-free fashion, can be moved to the best spot in your room for producing bass (which is almost never the best spot for placing your fronts), and has its own amplifier to handle the toughest-to-generate frequencies (lessening the load on your speakers and receiver greatly).

If there are amps without this feature which ones would you recomend in the $300 - $500 range?

You can always turn bass management off. But you're unlikely to find a receiver that doesn't do it since turning it off is just the wrong way to set up a home theatre.

Have a read of this.

 

[skizzerflake]

Right now I have a Technics SA-710 with 6 channel discrete audio. It's been a workhorse for me over the last 15 years or so. With an amp that old I know that eventually it will go kaput! So I have a question about the 5.1 amps available today.

Do all 5.1 amps have bass redirection circuitry that eliminates virtually all bass from the front speakers and directs it to the subwoofer? If so what's the point of having an all range front speaker?

If there are amps without this feature which ones would you recomend in the $300 - $500 range?

Thanks!

Even cheap receivers made now have fairly slick bass management. Most HT people don't have full range front speakers unless they want to not have a sub. I doubt that you can find a receiver, especially in a low range, that does NOT have bass management. Their internals are mainly digital except for the final stage of amplification and bass management is part of the usual software that runs the thing. You can turn it on or off as you wish or you can configure it to send lows to the sub, the mains or both.

 

[no. 5]

Do all 5.1 amps have bass redirection circuitry that eliminates virtually all bass from the front speakers and directs it to the subwoofer?

As was said before, yes, all receivers and processors have bass management.

If so what's the point of having an all range front speaker?

When wavelengths get to be close in dimension to the dimensions of the room, the frequency response of any loudspeaker will be controlled by the room. More specifically, by the speakers location in the room, and the location of the listener.

That means bass will sound different in each channel, and that the best place to put a speaker for bass response may not be the best place to put a full range speaker. Therefore, redirecting bass from all channels to a subwoofer(s) allows, not only continuity in the bass response of the system, but also the ability to put the low frequency source in a location that provides the best bass response for the listener.