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Silver Member Username: Divin11112000Michigan Post Number: 107 Registered: Dec-04 | I am considering the purchase of an amp to add a little more power to my 5 speakers for HT and some music (which i usually do in 2ch). I'm going to use my current receiver (which has unbalanced pre-outs). Would it make sense to buy a 7channel amp (receiver has capability of 7ch) eventhough i am only using 5 speakers? Reason for doing this is future expansion (when i have more room i'll add in the rear's) To further the question is it possible or is it not recommended to split my pre-out. Doing this I can take my front 2 channels and go into the amp in 4 places, thus bi-amping my fronts with the extra 2 channels of the amp. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 9322 Registered: May-04 | . You don't mention which seven channel amp you're considering. I would tell you what you're suggesting is not worth the money or effort in any seven channel amp I know of. Most of these amps are designed to be an efficient way to get seven channels into a relatively small space. That makes them akin to receivers in trying to do too much with too little. The power supply of these amps is usually not up to the task of serious duty. So you end up with sufficient power on paper and not enough when it comes to driving a real world speaker. Bi-amping with inadequate amplifiers is not a good choice compared to just getting a better amplifier that will actually improve your system. Also, I'm not sure what you expect from bi-amping your speakers. At the same volume level the peak wattage is still going to be consumed by the low frequency driver and unless you add substantial amounts of reserve power in the form of real world "watts", there will be no more power delivered to your speakers. Sensitivity of the sepaker will determine how many "watts" are required to reach a specific volume level. If you speakers are power hungry, you probably need an amplifier that has the ability to deliver higher amperage to your speakers. Buying watts alone won't necessarily get you higher current capability. Merely upping the wattage and keeping the quality of those watts equivalent to what you now own would require a jump of approximately five to ten times what you already have in your receiver to make a possibly noticeable improvement in volume potential. Or, you could buy a two or three channel amp of better quality that has more real world power available, clips more gently and does a better job of controlling the speakers. But if power is your reason for buying a new amplifier, planning to bi-amp isn't going to achieve that goal. There's is no problem splitting a pre amp output. Buy a well built splitter and the signal loss is approximately three dB to each leg. . |
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Silver Member Username: EramseySouth carolina United States Post Number: 498 Registered: Feb-05 | Chris: Although I don't have any real experience with bi-amping, I don't believe it would be of use in your situation. I can however suggest the following 3 seven channel amps,if you want to upgrade from the amp section in your receiver and use it as a pre/pro that will have no trouble at all with virtually any speaker. 1.http//www.outlawaudio.com/products/7125.html 2. http://nadelectronics.com/products/home-theatre-amplifiers/t973-Seven-channel-po wer-amplifier 3. http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=18161 Haven't heard #1, but I have heard #2,3 and both are fantastic. #3 in particular has 156.8Kuf of power supply capacitance and two massive torridial transformers and tips the scales at 119 lbs! This amp rest assured is no spring flower crammed into a steel box and will drive any real world speaker with authority and grace,and it is sold from a very reputable online dealer that I have bought products from before. As I have said before speaker sensitivity is a meaningful measurement,about the only one that is worth considering. I would strongly suggest you find a dealer,however,so that you may listen before you spend this kind of money if you go this route. |
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Silver Member Username: Divin11112000Michigan Post Number: 108 Registered: Dec-04 | Sorry i guess i left a TON of information out. Speakers are Klipsch reference 35's (97db sensitivity), and i was kinda debating between a rotel 1095 and a NAD t973. Or I may go rotel 1075 vs nad t955 (I know that klipsch doesn't need a lot of power so don't know that i need to go BIG). I never really thought of checking out Outlaw, and the dealer i usually go to carries rotel, mcintosh and classe (both too expensive). I don't know that my receiver can "control" my speakers that well, there isn't much in line of bass. About a year ago i changed the speakers to be set to small (I know that won't do anything in bass) so that i don't have to worry about clipping the speakers. The receiver is a pioneer VSX-d811s claims 100watts (i know it doesn't do that espically since it doesn't say all channels driven). I think an amp would be better to get instead of a higher end receiver because then i'll always have the power and when the new dts or dolby digital come out I just get a "standard" receiver with preouts instead of dumping all that money into a new preamp or new receiver with the latest decoding features. I'm more looking for the "safety" of having plenty of power at my disposal so when i feel like turning it up loud i don't have to worry about clipping. I'm not planning on buying for a few months, as i've been browsing amps i was just kinda thinking if i should go 7channel and if bi-amping would help or be of any benifit. Was just kinda thinking if i had the extra 2 channels why not. My other thought would be that when I get a new place either run the rear's off the reciever directly or buy a better 2channel amp for the fronts, so 7ch isn't a requirement. Again was just kinda thinking well for same $ i may be able to put the second 2 channels to some use. I am not "sold" on anything yet and just want to narrow my search. I know i need to test at home, but the NAD dealer doesn't carry Rotel and vice versa so I have to figure out how to "test" both and then tell the other guy sorry I don't want it. |