Receiver / integrated amp question to WHAT HI*FI? SOUND AND VISION magazine - DISCUSS!

Timothy Dannenhoffer Silver Member Username: Twochordcool Post Number: 103 Registered: Jun-05	Posted on Friday, August 19, 2005 - 00:31 GMT I recently purchased 3 pairs of B&W DM602 S3 speakers for both music and home theater applications. I am trying to find a surround sound receiver and/or an integrated amp that will do them justice. I am looking to spend approximately £1000, but I would spend a little more if it would make an astronomical difference. Music is very important to me, and I have heard that most surround receivers are not very good at playing stereo music. My problem is that I probably cannot afford a surround receiver that is as good at playing stereo music as it is at playing movies. I have considered purchasing a surround receiver with approximately half my budget and purchasing an integrated amp with the other half of my budget -- perhaps something like a Yamaha DSP-AX757SE for movies and a Rotel RA-03 for music -- but I do not know if this is the best way to go or if it's even practical -- I don't even know if I would be able to wire them up in a way that I would not have to disconnect and reconnect speaker wires every time I wanted to listen to the other! In your SOUND ADVICE section of your August issue you had stated that the NAD C352, the Marantz PM7200 and especially the Rotel RA-03 would sound superior for music than the Denon AVR-3805 surround receiver. In your INSTANT EXPERT section of your July issue you had stated that the Arcam AVR250 is one of the best surround receivers for stereo music. My question is, if I really want music to sound terrific on my system, but I want it to be part of a home theater, what is the best way to go? Can I buy and hook up a separate surround receiver and integrated amp somehow? Would this be the best way to go at this price point? If not, at what price point can you buy a surround receiver that performs equally as well with music as the 3 integrated amps mentioned earlier? Can you mention a few specific brands and models? Thank you very much!
Peter Galbraith Gold Member Username: Petergalbraith Rimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1257 Registered: Feb-04	Posted on Friday, August 19, 2005 - 01:43 GMT Can I buy and hook up a separate surround receiver and integrated amp somehow? Yes. We've said this before... - Plug the analog output of the CD player into your integrated amp and drive the main speakers with it (no sub). That's your music system. - Then plug your DVD player into your HT receiver, and hook up the other four speakers to the HT receiver as you would normally. - Turn down the volume on your integrated amp, and plug the pre-outs of the front R/L of the HT receiver into an analog input on the integrated amp. - Calibrate the level of the channels on the HT receiver. When the test tone goes to the front, leave the HT settings to 0 dB and use the integrated amp volume to calibrate the level. Once set, remember the position of the volume dial on the integrated amp and set it there any thing you play the HT system. The integrated amp will now drive the front speakers in both HT and stereo settings. To play the HT receiver, turn on the integrated amp with input set to the HT front pre-outs and set the volume dial at the calibrated position. To add a sub to the stereo music part, you could use the speaker level connections on the sub and its internal crossover. Tell your HT receiver that you don't have a sub and it will redirect LFE content to the front speakers (set to large) and that will later get split back to the sub. Would this be the best way to go at this price point? I really don't know, since I'm happy with an h/k avr-325 pulling both duties.
diablo Silver Member Username: Diablo Fylde Coast, England Post Number: 209 Registered: Dec-04	Posted on Friday, August 19, 2005 - 02:27 GMT I suspect that 'What HiFi?' magazine may reword their previous advice, maybe adding the NAD T763/T773 on the surround receiver side of things. You can do as Peter suggests and use the pre-outs for the front channels with a separate amp, provided the surround receiver has pre-outs - not all do. It is also useful if the HT receiver has a direct pass-through option for stereo sources. Another option would be a speaker switch if you prefer to keep them separate.
Timothy Dannenhoffer Silver Member Username: Twochordcool Post Number: 104 Registered: Jun-05	Posted on Saturday, August 20, 2005 - 14:48 GMT "Another option would be a speaker switch if you prefer to keep them separate" Now that's what I'm talking about! Do these things work well? Are they as convenient as simply throwing a switch to listen to a different pair of speakers or a different source? How do they affect the overall sound quality? Who has experience with them?
larz Bronze Member Username: Agimat Post Number: 93 Registered: Aug-04	Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 04:47 GMT Go with the Arcam AVR 250! It's all in one-has everything that you need.Receiver for HT and a decent amp for music.Forget those switches that will might ruin the audio signal. downside-no pre-out for future upgrade.
Marantz Fan Unregistered guest	Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 14:30 GMT The Marantz SR-8500 gets rave reviews for stereo/surround music as well as HT. As I have 602's running from my SR-7300 I can only add that the Marantz/602S3 combo is absolutely wonderful.
Steven G New member Username: Grifter_sg Brisbane, QLD Australia Post Number: 4 Registered: Jul-05	Posted on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 23:06 GMT "Can I buy and hook up a separate surround receiver and integrated amp somehow?" Use a speaker switch box in reverse. I would prefer the switch to adding the receiver's preamp to the audio chain. Alternatively, just use an AVR for music first, and then A/B a demo integrated amp. You may find the difference not worth the money/inconvenience.
Timothy Dannenhoffer Silver Member Username: Twochordcool Post Number: 111 Registered: Jun-05	Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 00:29 GMT Thanks Steven - I purchased the Rotel 1062 integrated amp w/ the Rotel RCD-1072 CD player - I have heard that it is an incredible combination that goes together gloriously for the amount of money spent. (had to have it ordered) I'm also looking at some kind of Niles Audio switchbox thingy for switching from integrated to surround receiver - I think it's pretty much what I have been looking for.

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