[jasallen]

I have what I'm certain is a painfully stupid question. Apparently, though, its so basic nobody is bothering to print the answer


I am building an HTPC, and have included the top-end audigy2 soundcard. I want this to replace my existing HTIB but I have a problem: I can't find any appropriate powered speakers or amp to use besided Creative's own offering.


what I want is a decent set of 5.1 - 7.1 speakers and/or amp for same appropriate for a medium size room HT (about 100W / channel I figure)


What I can find:

a) Thousands of receivers with built-in amps just like my current setup, but most won't act "just as amps" and let an off-board pre-amp (like my audigy 'puter) do the processing.


b) Low output speakers for arraying around one person in front of computer monitor


c) Really high-end amps that I simply can't afford.


Basically I just want the amps that come in all those receivers WITHOUT the receiver!


Price range: not really sure but definitely entry level say

 

[hdkhang]

Almost all current Amps (aside from ultra cheapies) have the capability of acting as a pre-amp/power-amp combo. Essentially you just plug the cables into the multichannel inputs of the receiver and your audigy will do the processing. The amp only has to concentrate on getting the signal to the speakers. There are speaker packs out there well under $500 that could get you started (just don't expect amazing sound, unless you haven't heard better). You can get a decent entry level receiver nowadays for under $300 (for 5.1 at least) easily, e.g. Yamaha, Pioneer, Sony, Onkyo etc. These are the more common ones and as such are easier to get a lower price on them, especially since you intend on doing the processing in the audigy card you can probably pick up last years model for even less.


2 Points to consider... firstly the quality of the processing will now depend on the decoder used. The only decent decoder out there (and I mean everything else is a total waste of time) is that of the newly released TheaterTek2.0 advanced audio option (at this point in time nobody has confirmed whether the advanced audio option is simply the new nvidia dd/dts/pl2 decoder or if it is internal to TT2.0).


If you happen to come across a multichannel Power-amp in your price range (fat chance of that happening) you will still probably be better off going the Receiver route, simply because your audigy will only output at line level and not +4dBu which is usually required to achieve reference volume levels). The lack of volume will not be compensated to a large enough degree by the improvement in going with a higher quality amp section (especially given your budget on speakers and especially with a sound card like the audigy...)


My advice, pick up a receiver which sounds the best and has the best amplifier section (ignore things such as fancy DSPs and number of formats decodable since you will be doing this via the audigy) at this price point you will unlikely find automatic speaker setup such as the YPAO of the yamahas and similarly for the Pioneers. If you can't tell the difference between two receivers go with the cheaper one, and spend that saved money to upgrade your speaker choice, in this price range the speaker choice will impact sound quality a lot more.


Hope this helps... anything I missed?


Cheers...

Duy-Khang Hoang

 

[jasallen]

helps tremendously, Thanks! I have had some trouble finding a receiver with multi-channel inputs (mine for one, doesn't have them) but I will focus my search on those, thanks!

 

[Borg]

Jasallen,

I have the audigy 2 zs. IMO The LFE analog out on the audigy is substandard. If you are going to go the receiver route I would use the SPDIF - assuming you are doing this for movies and not games. Game surround will require the use of the analog. I have an H/K receiver I like that I use for my HT and it has the multi inputs that I use for games, then I switch to digital input (coax from audigy to h/k) for movies and better LFE sound.

 

[PAP]

Are you saying if you want surround sound on playing games you can't use the spdif output? That was the only output I planned on going to my Lexicon processor.

 

[Borg]

PAP,

EAX processing is done within the audigy and sent via analog. I sure wish the audigy could encode that into dolby digital and send that via spdif but it can't. Now you can get dolby pro logic thru the spdif, but I doubt that's what you want for games that feature EAX.

 

[jasallen]

thanks for the clarification I was wondering the same thing, and you're right Borg, EAX is definitely a good reason.