[Newbie01]

To say I a newb would be an understatment.


I recently purchased an Onkyo 818 and using it to power my Phil 2's and 170 SE Ascends. The Phil's feel like they need more power... I don't hear them open up till I hit 20 on my Onkyo.


They are 4 ohm rated... So can I use the Crown XLS 1500 as a Amp for my L/R and set then run it through the Onkyo for sound?


Would I benefit from this? Can I bi-amp then? I have heard various things about bi-amping...some say it does nothing.


Finally...is there something better out there in this price range?


Thanks all!

 

[JHAz]

assuming you ran the autosetup on your Onkyo, then the number you'e seeing is probably -20, which is 20 dB less than "reference." If you install a different amp and rerun the autocalibration, the sound level should be EXACTLY the same at -20 as it is with the internal amps. If you haven't run the autosetup, I recommend it. Great way to get everything at the right level and delays so that everything hits the main listening position at the right time.


FWIW, 20 dB below reference means your amps are outputting 1/100 (ie 1%) of the power they would output at reference. Every 3 dB is half or double power, every 10 dB is ten times power, and 1 dB is around 25% power. Takes some getting used to the newfangled volume control display . . .