Would a Power Amp Help my Denon Receiver?

AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
The front speakers sound crappy in stereo mode (2 speaker). When I biamp the front speakers using the surround back I get crisper, cleaner sound... The sound is better.
Hmmm. Are you certain that the speakers actually sound better when you bi-amp them even when you keep all the settings exactly the same?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Two amps per channel will allow you to passive bi-amp, that's why. To active bi-amp also requires the removal of the internal crossovers of the speakers and use external crossovers. I am not aware of any AVR or even prepro that has build in crossovers suitable for biamping 3 way, or even 2 way speakers.
The Onkyo 818 avr had active crossovers suitable for a 2-way but only one I can think of....(altho perhaps one or two of their models at the time may also have had that feature)
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
The Onkyo 818 avr had active crossovers suitable for a 2-way but only one I can think of....(altho perhaps one or two of their models at the time may also have had that feature)
That is an amazing find!! How did you find out about such information? Do you own one?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
That is an amazing find!! How did you find out about such information? Do you own one?
No, don't own one, it was just one of the XT32 equipped avrs I was looking into a while back (but lacked SubEQ, an oddity of Onkyo's implementation). I thought it might be a cool thing to play around with it for diy speaker designs, tho I never bought one mostly for the lack of SubEQ as well as Onkyo was having the hdmi/network board issues around that time....
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
No, don't own one, it was just one of the XT32 equipped avrs I was looking into a while back (but lacked SubEQ, an oddity of Onkyo's implementation). I thought it might be a cool thing to play around with it for diy speaker designs, tho I never bought one mostly for the lack of SubEQ as well as Onkyo was having the hdmi/network board issues around that time....
I downloaded the manuals of the newer models and can confirm that they no longer offer that "digital processing crossover network" feature.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I downloaded the manuals of the newer models and can confirm that they no longer offer that "digital processing crossover network" feature.
I think just the 929 and maybe a 3xxx series at the time had it....a short-lived feature.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
The Onkyo 818 avr had active crossovers suitable for a 2-way but only one I can think of....(altho perhaps one or two of their models at the time may also have had that feature)
My Onky 939 doesn't have that feature as best I know. Maybe the 818 was the last?
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Only 818 and 929 that I can tell after looking around; looked at some of the 3xxx series....but don't find one, thought one of those could do it, too.
I just pulled up the manual for the 818. Zone 2 is used if bi-amping is desired.
Important: • When making the bi-amping connections, be sure to remove the jumper bars that link the speakers’ tweeter (high) and woofer (low) terminals. • Bi-amping can be used only with speakers that support biamping. Refer to your speaker manual.

Also read the setup section on p 59:
`Digital Crossover: Select this if you’re using speakers without crossover network.

And on p 63 it gives you all the possible crossover frequencies
■ Crossover `“250Hz”, “320Hz”, “400Hz”, “500Hz, “630Hz”, “800Hz”, “1000Hz”, “1250Hz”, “1600Hz”, “2000Hz”, “2500Hz”, “3200Hz”, “4000Hz”, “5000Hz

Hope one is suitable.

From what I gather you can use this active bi-amp with only a 2 way system without built in crossovers or one could rewire the speaker to bypass the built in passive crossover.

No 3 or more way speakers or just plain bi-amp.
But indeed it can be an active bi-amp setup for 2 way speakers.
Interesting.

My 939 is olden days and speakers are at least 3 way or 4 way up front.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
I wouldn't worry about bi-amping.
Lol. I appreciate that. It’s one of the things in this hobby I could not care any less about. The selectable xo slopes in the 818 just seemed surprising.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Lol. I appreciate that. It’s one of the things in this hobby I could not care any less about. The selectable xo slopes in the 818 just seemed surprising.
Very interesting design and probably well intended. It would have been a good toy for me, but I wouldn't use it for real regardless.
 
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