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New member Username: I4detailsPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-05 | I want to separate audio zones in my house. Do I need newer equipment? I have a McIntosh MA 6100 preamp and a yamaha M40 amp. The house is wired in 8 rooms and I don't want my new plasma TV booming through the whole house. I do have volume controls in the room but I'd like to controll the music by remote if I can without spending a fortune. Help! |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 6960 Registered: May-04 | First of all, the MA6100 is an integrated amplifier with both a pre amp and a power amp included. So I'm not sure why you have the Yamaha power amp in addition to the power amp already in the Mac unless some salesperson suggested you required higher wattage to drive a pair of speakers. With the new plasam TV it becomes an issue of whether you would like to have a surround sound system for TV and movie viewing or, like many of us who have become disenchanted with the whole surround sound debacle, you would rather stick with a higher quality two channel system for the video room. For the rest of the house you could use the Mac and the Yamaha together to make a whole house system work by buying an autoformer based speaker switch and routing the two amplifiers to various rooms. Depending on how many rooms you want playing at any one time, it is possible you wouldn't even require a switch since both the 6100 and the M-40 have some capability to switch between speakers already incorporated into their design. At this point there are too many unanswered questions to suggest anything more than the above. It will depend on your desires and flexibility and what can be accomplished on site that will determine the best way to go. I would encourage you to find a very good installer to do an on site assessment of what you have versus what you might want. However, any salesperson/installer who immediately begins talking about scrapping the Mac and Yamaha should be shown the door. If they can present viable options with new equipment and also include your current gear into the design, then I would say that person has your best interest and your wallet in mind. Should you decide to sell the Mac you will find there is still a very good market for that amplifier. Check here for comps: http://buy.audiogon.com/cgia/fsb.pl?inta |
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New member Username: I4detailsPost Number: 2 Registered: Dec-05 | The installer suggested I replace the McIntosh and Yamaha with an $500 Onkyo that had 2 zones so I can play the TV and have stereo in the rest of the house at the same time, and be able to change music without having to go back upstairs where my components are. I don't need surround sound in the TV room but crisper sound than my two ceiling speakers would be nice. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7001 Registered: May-04 | As I said, if he offered you no options for incorporating the Mac and Yamaha into the new system, I would doubt he has your best interests at heart. More likely, he has the ease of his installation in mind. With that said, incorporating the Mac and Yamaha will present some compromises in convenience. That, of course, is something you must decide for yourself. Personally, I would find it difficult to go from a Mac, no matter how old (I run Mac tube amps from the 1960's and a MA-6200 integrated from the '80's), to a $500 Onkyo. It is, however, your call. I would certainly inquire about what happens if you are unhappy after the install is done. A simple, "I'll make it right", is not what you want to hear. You need clear direction regarding what will be done and at whose expense. |
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Silver Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 774 Registered: Dec-04 | Run, don't walk away from this person, or company. Unless you are obliged to stay with this guy, you could do better than Onkyo at a flea market. Or here. Really |