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Processor/Amp seperates newbie, opinions?

671 Views 14 Replies 10 Participants Last post by mpk1970, Aug 23, 2019

mach250

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2019

So I'm new to the separate processor and amp setup. Honestly, still unsure if I really need or want to go this route due to the extra expense. I've been doing research for a while now at work, shhhh, and have come up with this equipment. I currently have some 9-10 year old sony towers and leftover onkyo HTIB speakers so pretty much anything will be an upgrade and blow me away at this point. The room is about 250 sqft with an 8 ft ceiling

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1 - 15 of 15 Posts

lexiconthx

· #2 · Aug 21, 2019

Waiting to hear how stable the XMC-2 is... Been eyeballing it but concerned about bugs. It just came out this month so waiting for people to get them and comment on how stable it is. Also Dirac isn't ready for it.

Couple of Processors to look at, Marantz 8805, Marantz 7705, Anthem AVM60

You may want to look at outlaw amps as well. They make some nice stuff.

smithsabom

· #3 · Aug 21, 2019

start with the denon since it already has ample amplification. you my just find you won't need anything else. post on the speakers thread for more suggestions on speakers . staye you r budget, listening preferences at the start to make it easy for commentators. we could back track your budget based upon speakers listed...but stating the budget up front makes it a lot easier.

Mocs123

· #4 · Aug 21, 2019

It looks like you'll be doing a 7.2.4 system which any number of receivers can do the processing for, though some will need additional amplification for two of the channels. Separates are neat, but if budget is an issue, I would go with a receiver, especially since you are looking at Klipsch speakers which are quite efficient. I have a 7.4.4 system and an inexpensive receiver (Onkyo 830) doing the processing. I do have an external amp (Anthem PVA-7), but only because it was used in a previous system I had. It wouldn't be worth buying it new, in my opinion.

zorax2

· #5 · Aug 21, 2019

smithsabom said:
start with the denon since it already has ample amplification. you my just find you won't need anything else. post on the speakers thread for more suggestions on speakers . staye you r budget, listening preferences at the start to make it easy for commentators. we could back track your budget based upon speakers listed...but stating the budget up front makes it a lot easier.

Mocs123 said:
It looks like you'll be doing a 7.2.4 system which any number of receivers can do the processing for, though some will need additional amplification for two of the channels. Separates are neat, but if budget is an issue, I would go with a receiver, especially since you are looking at Klipsch speakers which are quite efficient. I have a 7.4.4 system and an inexpensive receiver (Onkyo 830) doing the processing. I do have an external amp (Anthem PVA-7), but only because it was used in a previous system I had. It wouldn't be worth buying it new, in my opinion.

I agree with these two posters. With your Klipsch speakers, you aren't going to need much amplification unless you listen very loud. I'd consider either the Denon X4xxx or X6xxx series to be good fits for you. You could likely go back as far as the X4400 or X6400 series to save money if you wanted.

If you want / need an amp - either get a cheap amp for your overheads or a decent, used higher power amp for your Left, Right and Center channel and use the AVR for everything else.

I don't think you'll benefit greatly by spending a lot more for an AVR or PrePro now. Room correction method (Audyssey, DIRAC, etc.) are the biggest differentiators in mid-range or higher AVRs at this point.

mach250

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 21, 2019

lexiconthx said:
Waiting to hear how stable the XMC-2 is... Been eyeballing it but concerned about bugs. It just came out this month so waiting for people to get them and comment on how stable it is. Also Dirac isn't ready for it.

Couple of Processors to look at, Marantz 8805, Marantz 7705, Anthem AVM60

You may want to look at outlaw amps as well. They make some nice stuff.

Appreciate the recommendations, the 7705 looks pretty decent and the MM8077 amp also looks good.

Mocs123 said:
It looks like you'll be doing a 7.2.4 system which any number of receivers can do the processing for, though some will need additional amplification for two of the channels. Separates are neat, but if budget is an issue, I would go with a receiver, especially since you are looking at Klipsch speakers which are quite efficient. I have a 7.4.4 system and an inexpensive receiver (Onkyo 830) doing the processing. I do have an external amp (Anthem PVA-7), but only because it was used in a previous system I had. It wouldn't be worth buying it new, in my opinion.

I'm leaning more towards that for now, was actually looking at the 4500 but it can't do 7.X.4 internally.

zorax2 said:
I agree with these two posters. With your Klipsch speakers, you aren't going to need much amplification unless you listen very loud. I'd consider either the Denon X4xxx or X6xxx series to be good fits for you. You could likely go back as far as the X4400 or X6400 series to save money if you wanted.

If you want / need an amp - either get a cheap amp for your overheads or a decent, used higher power amp for your Left, Right and Center channel and use the AVR for everything else.

I don't think you'll benefit greatly by spending a lot more for an AVR or PrePro now. Room correction method (Audyssey, DIRAC, etc.) are the biggest differentiators in mid-range or higher AVRs at this point.

Another thing I didn't think of is how efficient the speakers are.

nonametofame

· #7 · Aug 21, 2019

I agree with earlier posters in that you should start with an AVR first. The Klipsch are extremely efficient speakers, and if you decide you want more power for the front stage, LCR, you can opt for a 3 or 5 channel later on, and use your AVR to power your height speakers. Skip the XPA 11 if go the AVR route, since all but the front three are limited in power.
You can allocate your budget to add a 2nd Hsu VTF3 to smoothen out the bass in your room if you have multiple listening positions.

Equipment

- Denon AVR 4500 - (buy the Audyssey App for better room correction)

- Emotiva/Monolith/Outlaw 5 Channel
- 2nd Hsu VTF 3 or upgrade to VTF 15H Mk2

lexiconthx

· #8 · Aug 21, 2019

My 2 cents is it comes down to your budget. First off I will say the Denon 4500 is a excellent choice for a AVR. If you go the AVR route also look at Marantz they are made by the same company and in my opinion are more musical then the Denon Counter part. I would however go separates if your budget allows and especially if you listen at higher volumes. Even with the efficient speakers more power and more headroom make for better sound. Also you can invest in great amps and if they change technology you can just replace the processor. The Marantz 7705 is a nice preamp especially for the money. I have a 7702mk2 (older version) and it still sounds really good. Waiting to see if the Emotiva XMC-2 is stable to do my next upgrade. I have had AVR's as well in the past and they were also really nice. I do think separates sound better though.

smithsabom

· #9 · Aug 21, 2019

mach250 said:
I'm leaning more towards that for now, was actually looking at the 4500 but it can't do 7.X.4 internally.

e.

it can PROCESS 7.2.4, but only has inboard amplification for 7.2.2. however a cheap 2 channel amp is still cheaper than the 6xxx... and for the atmos you don't need much amplification. I used an audio source AD1002 with zero issues, even at loud volumes.

erick granato

· #10 · Aug 21, 2019

My $.02, for what it's worth. A lot of really good suggestions here, really can't go wrong with any of them. I would look at the Anthem MRX receivers, a little pricey, but arguably, sound quality for both 2 channel and home theatre that rival separates.

mach250

Discussion Starter · #11 · Aug 22, 2019 (Edited)

nonametofame said:
I agree with earlier posters in that you should start with an AVR first. The Klipsch are extremely efficient speakers, and if you decide you want more power for the front stage, LCR, you can opt for a 3 or 5 channel later on, and use your AVR to power your height speakers. Skip the XPA 11 if go the AVR route, since all but the front three are limited in power.
You can allocate your budget to add a 2nd Hsu VTF3 to smoothen out the bass in your room if you have multiple listening positions.

Equipment

- Denon AVR 4500 - (buy the Audyssey App for better room correction)

- Emotiva/Monolith/Outlaw 5 Channel
- 2nd Hsu VTF 3 or upgrade to VTF 15H Mk2

I might even be better off just getting the 4400, only difference I can see is no 4K upscaling in the 4500 which I'm not really concerned with since my Epson 6050 does this just fine internally. Getting it paired with an Audiosource AMP100VS would give me the 7.2.4 I'm trying to create.

Updated plan for now

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Leeliemix

· #12 · Aug 22, 2019

Not trying to derail any plans but make sure you have heard klipsch speakers for more then a few minutes before you buy. They can be a bit much for some although the newer models are a lot «kinder» then they were some years ago. If you already know them and like them its all good.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

bear123

· #13 · Aug 22, 2019 (Edited)

Also, be aware that Klipsch's deceptive advertising practice is working as intended, as evidence by multiple replies in this thread stating that Klipsch speakers are *extremely* efficient. They aren't. They are slightly above average, they just lie about their sensitivity in order to gain that reputation. Subtract at least 6 dB from whatever Klipsch advertises on their sensitivity. This puts them similar to, or maybe a couple dB ahead, of most other low efficiency speakers.

Having said that, Klipsch are still probably good speakers for the money even using honest rather than falsely inflated specs. And for your small room, I agree they are likely to be plenty capable with AVR power. Just don't think you are actually getting 95+ dB sensitive speakers. This is a huge lie as every 3 dB requires double the power, or half the power depending which direction you are going. So a 6 dB lie is a big deal, and incredibly deceptive advertising compared to basically all other reputable manufacturers.

The Hsu VTF3.5 subs are a fantastic option. No better bang for the buck available retail or ID.

From the Audioholics review of the RP-8000F:

"I measured its sensitivity as 92.1 dB for 2.83v at 1 meter. That isn’t bad; it’s better than most speakers in this type and price class. However, it is significantly below what Klipsch specifies for it which is 98 dB for 2.83v at 1 meter. That is quadruple the sensitivity that I measured."

Again, 92 dB sensitivity from a reasonably priced tower speaker is pretty good, especially for the price. No reason to lie imo. Although Klipsch obviously gains MANY more sales than they lose from this deception, I personally would never give a dime of my money to such a company. Ask almost anyone, and they will swear Klipsch have incredibly high sensitivity. Sadly, they don't.

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nonametofame

· #14 · Aug 23, 2019

mach250 said:
I might even be better off just getting the 4400, only difference I can see is no 4K upscaling in the 4500 which I'm not really concerned with since my Epson 6050 does this just fine internally. Getting it paired with an Audiosource AMP100VS would give me the 7.2.4 I'm trying to create.

Updated plan for now

You might even get away with using the Denon 4300. I was using this unit for about 3 years, and recently sold it for about $400. It's a year older than the 4400, and might be close in specs, but I know for sure it's missing Auro 3D (you have to pay extra for it).

Good luck with your setup. Post pics when it's all in.

mpk1970

· #15 · Aug 23, 2019

I'd get a $500 or so AVR
Follow that up with $600 Outlaw 5000 amp- 5 channels pretty good amp
Have had it for a couple years now, very good value

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