what to partner with Vandersteens

R

ruffman

Enthusiast
Hi,
and thank you for your time. Bought a sony 75xbr940D so i can see 4k, have xbox one x, but old arcam avr350 that cant pass the 4k so need to upgrade and thinking separates vs. another AVR that i will have to replace in a few years. I have Vandersteens all around: 2ce signature II fronts, vcc5 for center, vcc2 for the two sides. I've been told these are relatively inefficient speakers & need power for great sound. the local shop, which i like, threw out a few options include NAD due to the ability to add modules as tech changes. I'm thinking i would like to spend my limited budget on a quality amp that i could keep for a long time (doubt i will ever upgrade beyond the 5.1 set up) and less so ($) on the processor. That said, i would appreciate hearing what smarter people than me think. any help is appreciated. i suspect my budget for the amp is <$5k but i am OK with used equipment.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
I have 11-year-old Onkyo TX-SR805. I have had to repair it once (minor issue and easy fix).
This is the model known to fail due to overheating often, but alas - Mine still goes strong and I have no immediate plans to replace it. But given recent direction Onkyo took, I'd do my best to steer away from them.
I brought it up since replacing AVR every few years seems silly to me.

Based on actual measurements and features I like, I'd be going with mid-range Denon AVR, like AVR-X3500H or AVR-X4400H.
See lots of details here:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/90-receivers-amps-processors/2973392-official-2018-denon-s-series-x-series-avr-owner-s-thread-faq-posts-1-8-a.html

For me, having multichannel pre-outs is a single most important way you could "futureproof" your receiver.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
So are you wanting separates (Pre-Pro + Amp) or AVR + Amp for less than $5K ?
 
R

ruffman

Enthusiast
So are you wanting separates (Pre-Pro + Amp) or AVR + Amp for less than $5K ?
i'm not sure i want to go AVR again just becuase i dont want to have upgrade the whole thing again in a few years. my thought (which would be the first time i was wrong) was separates (expectation was to keep the amp a long time and only have to upgrade the processor sometime down the road) but spend the <$5k on the amp and spend something less that the cost of the amp on the processor. again, used but quality equipment is OK.
 
R

ruffman

Enthusiast
i should have said it would NOT be the first time i was wrong!!!!! duh
 
R

ruffman

Enthusiast
do you think the outlaw 7220 amp would have enough power to run the vandersteens the way they should be??
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
The speakers aren't particularly sensitive, in the low/mid 80 dB range, and while nominal 6/7 ohm dip to 4 range. Vandersteen recommends 40-160wpc for your L/R, 100-200 for your center. A power amp may be necessary if you like it loud and/or are at a significant distance from the speakers. How loud do you listen and how far away from the speakers you are have more to do with your amp needs than the speakers just by themselves. Try this spl calculator to get an idea of your power needs for starters..http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html . An avr with pre-outs would give you flexibility for adding amplification, but even prepros get outdated with new audio/video requirements at same pace as an avr and tend to cost more. That Outlaw 7220 or a Monolith amp should be more than sufficient but you may be fine with an avr alone...were you happy using the Arcam avr or were you experiencing problems?
 
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R

ruffman

Enthusiast
we sit about 14 ft from center channel and for movies I tend like at about a "73-75" setting on the arcam. No problems with the arcam, but now that everything is going 4k, it can't handle it. My thought was that the amp would be functional for a longer time period than the processor but again it is a possibility that I have no idea what I am talking about.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Another thought is that some 4k bluray players come with dual hdmi output, with such a unit you can send audio to the avr and video to the tv directly....
 
R

ruffman

Enthusiast
does the fact that the front speakers are bi-amped make a difference in which amp I should use?
 
R

ruffman

Enthusiast
lovinthehd,
thank you very much for taking the time!

the vandersteens fronts have 4 terminals each so the installer told me that they had to bi-amped...
 
R

ruffman

Enthusiast
looking at the manual, vandersteen calls it bi-wiring....
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
lovinthehd,
thank you very much for taking the time!

the vandersteens fronts have 4 terminals each so the installer told me that they had to bi-amped...
looking at the manual, vandersteen calls it bi-wiring....
Did you read the article? Looking at the manual I had forgotton that Richard is a bit goofy when it comes to wiring beliefs. Your call.
 
John Parks

John Parks

Audioholic Samurai
One of finest demos I ever heard was with the Vandy 2Ce mated with a Parasound HCA-1500A (205 wpc - no bi-wiring or amping necessary). There was "jump" factor galore - the dynamics (and overall sound) were excellent. Unfortunately, my (then) wife did not like the looks of Vandersteen's black sock and we wound up with a pair of Paradigm Studio 100v2 (which were inferior, IMHO). We did buy the amp, though, and it was quite the performer.

That Outlaw amp looks like quite a beast and I am sure it will pair with the Vandertseens very nicely. Other than no 4K HDMI pass-through on your Arcam how is it holding up? If I were in your shoes, I would consider an HDMI splitter, buy the Outlaw and keep the AVR350. Of course, I do like shiny new things and would have to consider a new pre/pro because , well, shiny...
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