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55txi with external amps?

433 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by cpu8088, Jun 10, 2004

rtype

Discussion Starter · Jun 1, 2004

Searching the forum, I see quite a few of you who own the Pioneer Elite 55txi. Some of you also have a seperate amplifier. Would you guys mind coming forward and talking about which amp(s) you went with and what kind of differences it made vs. the internal 55txi amplifier?

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tubeguy44

· #2 · Jun 1, 2004

i use a carver professional ZR1000 digital amp to power my mains with my 55txi.... it puts out 225 watts per channel at 8 ohms compared to the 100 watts of the 55txi....

http://www.carverpro.com/2003/products/zramps.html

i actually had owned the carver pro amp before i got ther 55txi..... it provides a much higher level of detail in the music compared to the internal amps on the 55txi......

if i was using the 55txi just for home theater then the internal amps would probably be great.... but on complex orchestral passages i can really hear a difference between my ZR1000 and the internal amps..... as well if there are huge peaks in the signal.... the internal amps couldn't keep up with the 1812 overture on the cannon shots...

and just for reference.... i have a full klipsch surround system.... my mains are klipsch KLF-30's.... very efficient - 102 db @ 1watt @1meter....

right now i am trying to decide what other amp or amps that i want to purchase to power the rest of my channels.... (i am using the internal amps to run the center and surrounds).... van alstine, sunfire, and additional carver pro ZR amps are what i am considering.....

http://www.avahifi.com/root/equipmen...star_240_3.htm

http://www.sunfire.com/200FiveFrontPR.htm

cheers!

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MrMcGoo

· #3 · Jun 1, 2004

I went a different route than tubeguy. I run a B&K ST 2140 as an outboard amp. My objective was to try to match the sound of the Pioneer amps as closely as possible, but add more current capacity to drive seven speakers simultaneously. The outboard amp adds detail and dynamics to my system.

My Pioneer amp is the VSX49TXi and my speakers are Klipsch RF-7s rated at 102 db sensitivity.

Bill

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tubeguy44

· #4 · Jun 1, 2004

one thing to remember with the 55txi (or 49txi as well as the 59txi) is that the MCACC system will "correct" your speakers with its eq system.....

i took my carver pro ZR amp out of my system and ran the MCACC system and the result was a different equalization on the front speakers....but the sound was pretty close to the same as the carver pro ZR amp..... just not as much inner detail and not as much as top end in dynamics....

my goal is to use all outboard amps so i was not trying to match to the pioneer built-in amps.....

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Bghead8che

· #5 · Jun 1, 2004

Do you need an outboard amp? The amps in the Pioneer are no slouch.

What type of speakers do you own?

-Brian

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rtype

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 1, 2004

Brian

I don't own the 55txi, but it's something I'm considering in the future (or I may purchase the "next" Pioneer Elite model that replaces it). I'm actually thinking of a stopgap cheaper receiver and perhaps buying amps between now and the time I upgrade the receiver again. But my speakers are NHT VT-2s and VS-2s which are rather difficult to drive. Should I replace the NHTs, it will be with Martin Logans which are even more difficult to drive. The 55txi may well still be "enough to drive them", but the question of quality remains relevant.

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Popwell

· #7 · Jun 9, 2004

I am new to this forum and I hope this is the right place to ask a question.

I to am very interested using the elite 55 as a pre/pro and using an external amp to drive my speakers but would like advice on maybe a 59txi would do instead.

I have four Kef 104/2 for the fronts and rears and a kef 200 as the center. The Kefs are old but I like them and they are 4 ohm speakers.

Now for the question. Will the 59txi do a good job or should I look at the 55txi with a seperate amp?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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tubeguy44

· #8 · Jun 9, 2004

welcome to the forum!!

the 59txi will power your kefs very well......

if you are buying all new, then the 59txi will run about the same as a 55txi with a separate amp(s)..... and you do get more processing power with the 59txi......

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cpu8088

· #9 · Jun 10, 2004

59txi has 9 band equal while 55txi only has 5 band

with kef 104/2 i suggest better use some separate amp if you go for 55txi

am not so sure about 59txi as the 104/2 demand quite high current to sound good so perhaps a separate amp with 3 channels to drive the front and the 2 surrounds?

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