Any good recommendations for and affordable receiver/amp to drive SDA-CRS speakers?

dengood1

I purchased these speakers recently from a friend (original owner) and would like to have recommendations on an affordable, decent quality receiver/amplifier to drive them with so I can hear their true capabilities. I currently have a Yamaha RSV-663 and and Onkyo HT-RC160. I also need a blade/blade interconnect if anyone can help. Thanks for any advice or information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. These SDA-CRS's are the ones with the SL1000 tweeters.

http://www.gimpod.com/SDAs/SDA-CRS-SL1000.jpg

soundfreak1

I have a blade / blade cable i dont need if you want pm me if you want it. As far as "affordable" Amp what budget are you trting to hit?

Mystery

I used to power the CRS+ with Onkyo HDMI TX-SR-505 and now with Marantz SR-5500.
Works great.

dengood1

soundfreak1 wrote: »

I have a blade / blade cable i dont need if you want pm me if you want it. As far as "affordable" Amp what budget are you trting to hit?

To be honest, I've been out of the loop in audio equipment for quite a while now and don't know the latest and greatest, cleanest stuff out now. I'd like to keep it around $500, but will listen to what folks have to offer for advice. I just know I'm not getting everything out of these with the current equipment I have.

dengood1

soundfreak1 wrote: »

I have a blade / blade cable i dont need if you want pm me if you want it. As far as "affordable" Amp what budget are you trting to hit?

The system won't let me PM you due to post count. Could you please send me an email at dengood1@tampabay.rr.com regarding the cable? I certainly appreciate it.

dengood1

Mystery wrote: »

I used to power the CRS+ with Onkyo HDMI TX-SR-505 and now with Marantz SR-5500.
Works great.

Hmmm, so both of the receivers I have will efficiently drive these? It looks like the ones I own are rated at little more power than yours. Thanks for the info!

Schurkey

dengood1 wrote: »

It looks like the ones I own are rated at little more power than yours.

It's the four-ohm load rating that will be important here.

Doesn't matter what the eight-ohm rating is, if the receiver can't throw current into four ohms.

dengood1

Schurkey wrote: »

It's the four-o Doesn't matter what the eight-ohm rating is, if the receiver can't throw current into four ohms.[/QUOTE hm load rating that will be important here.

Looks like I need to do some research here. I know nothing about this stuff. Aren't the speakers and the receiver 8 ohms? Explain? Sorry, this is somewhat Greek to me. Thanks.

PolkieMan

The speaker are 4 ohms. The receiver must be able to handle a 4 ohm speaker.
It may handle a 4-16 ohm speaker just fine if it is a good amp.
Think of it this way 0 ohms is a dead short between both wires, a lot of load because current flows easily and it produces a lot of heat for the "current" driver (the amp) .
The lower the ohms is the more load it puts on the amplifier thus more heat.
Looking at your spec.
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v663_black__u/?mode=model
You are ok
http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=HT-RC160&class=Receiver&p=s
You are not ok it is only rated down to 6 ohm, it can get hot, thermal switch off, not good

dengood1 wrote: »

Schurkey wrote: »

It's the four-o Doesn't matter what the eight-ohm rating is, if the receiver can't throw current into four ohms.[/QUOTE hm load rating that will be important here.

Looks like I need to do some research here. I know nothing about this stuff. Aren't the speakers and the receiver 8 ohms? Explain? Sorry, this is somewhat Greek to me. Thanks.

dengood1

PolkieMan wrote: »

The speaker are 4 ohms. The receiver must be able to handle a 4 ohm speaker.
It may handle a 4-16 ohm speaker just fine if it is a good amp.
Think of it this way 0 ohms is a dead short between both wires, a lot of load because current flows easily and it produces a lot of heat for the "current" driver (the amp) .
The lower the ohms is the more load it puts on the amplifier thus more heat.
Looking at your spec.
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v663_black__u/?mode=model
You are ok
http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=HT-RC160&class=Receiver&p=s
You are not ok it is only rated down to 6 ohm, it can get hot, thermal switch off, not good

Excellent, thanks for the info! Thanks PolkieMan, looks like the Yamaha is the one to go with then. Do you think this amp good enough to get the sound out of these SDA's that they are capable of though? Any recommendation on a better amp around $500-$600 that would be a noticeable upgrade? Thanks!

Schurkey

dengood1 wrote: »

Excellent, thanks for the info! Thanks PolkieMan, looks like the Yamaha is the one to go with then. Do you think this amp good enough to get the sound out of these SDA's that they are capable of though? Any recommendation on a better amp around $500-$600 that would be a noticeable upgrade? Thanks!

Better receiver? No. Nothing springs to mind except older equipment that was able to supply a 4-ohm load better than the majority of modern offerings. Mine went goofy twenty years ago. My SDA 1Bs were powered for many years with an ancient JVC receiver; there's several like it on eBay right now--but they're old enough that they'll almost certainly need service before they'd meet "as new" specifications. Seems like modern receivers have gone downhill in that they are current-limited more than the older stuff. A result of the same cost-cutting that sent production to the Most Reprehensible Country on Earth (Communist China).

Better separate amplifier? Sure. Buy a QUALITY used amp from a reputable American, or North American/Free World company. My personal favorite has been Aragon, and for that money you'd get a 2004 Mk II and money left over. It's a top-notch product. Acurus would be another fine choice. Many people on this forum are fond of Carver amplifiers, and others like Adcom. B&K and Bryston are excellent, as is Hafler, Soundcraftsmen, Parasound, and a few others; all of which sold product that was superior to the Asian mass-market stuff.

There are other brand names, but you'd be unlikely to find them at your price point. Krell, Mark Levinson, Proceed, Jeff Roland, Spectral, etc.

As a general caution, not every amplifier from the companies I've listed are common-ground; and plenty of these products are going to be old enough that they should be serviced before use (specifically, new capacitors installed) which adds to the cost.

PolkieMan

I don't have a separate amp I am using a Onkyo TX NR-808.
I know at least in my mind that a separate amp would probably
be better especially at higher volumes.
I have a 1990 Carver TFM-25 that is put up for now as having just
one item to turn on is so convenient and because of the Carvers
20+ age I really think the receiver sounds better.
If I was going to buy one it would be new as just like we need
to upgrade / refresh our crossovers would not an older amp need to be refreshed?
What would I buy? Probably a Emotiva XPA-2 I believe that a lot of the
prices on better items in audio is because of the channels that you sometimes
have to go through. I think in the past I paid too much for things (Carver $800)
because I went to one of those showrooms, the store, the saleman, the manager.

dengood1 wrote: »

Excellent, thanks for the info! Thanks PolkieMan, looks like the Yamaha is the one to go with then. Do you think this amp good enough to get the sound out of these SDA's that they are capable of though? Any recommendation on a better amp around $500-$600 that would be a noticeable upgrade? Thanks!

dengood1

thank you Schurkey, good info and definitely some names I remember from back in the day in my high school years going to high end audio stores:) Krell is always one that stuck in my head as I remember their quality was always off the charts back then. I wouldn't even know where to go here in central Florida to sample or audition some equipment(high end audio stores). Back then we had Sound Advice in the Tampa area that always had good stuff. Like I said, it's been a LONG time since looking at this stuff. My current receiver(s) were quick purchases without a ton of looking around. I picked up the Yamaha on Craigslist for $50 in like new condition. It will be a while until I purchase a higher end unit, and for now I'll use the Yamaha and put the Onkyo up for sale(bad HDMI board anyhow). Thanks again guys!

Schurkey

PolkieMan wrote: »

I have a 1990 Carver TFM-25 that is put up for now as having just
one item to turn on is so convenient and because of the Carvers
20+ age I really think the receiver sounds better.
If I was going to buy one it would be new as just like we need
to upgrade / refresh our crossovers would not an older amp need to be refreshed?
What would I buy? Probably a Emotiva XPA-2 I believe that a lot of the
prices on better items in audio is because of the channels that you sometimes
have to go through. I think in the past I paid too much for things (Carver $800)
because I went to one of those showrooms, the store, the saleman, the manager.

I was about to tell you to send the Carver to Rita's...and then I tried to verify the web address and discovered that Rita's Carver repair is CLOSED.

DEEP BUMMER.
http://www.ritasvintageaudio.net/

Carver Audio Repair seems to still be in business. Get that Carver refreshed.
http://www.carveraudiorepair.com/

Emotiva = Communist Chinese substitute for a real amp. I'd rather have a used quality amp than a brand-new Emotiva.

EndersShadow

There is a Carver Repair shop that was opened by Bill from Sunfire. I forget the info for it, but I know someone else has it on this site.

Another place to send it is Rolland, or Vintage Hi-Fi which is where I sent my M1.0t and should have it back this week hopefully.

PolkieMan

Thanks for the interest in helping me upgrade/update the Carver guys.
EndersShadow let us know if your happy with your update from Vintage Hi-Fi.
Maybe I need to do something before all the guys close up and retire. :cheesygrin:

Emotiva = Communist Chinese substitute for a real amp.
The ways things are going at my job I may be working for them soon we have two manufacturing plants there now.

EndersShadow wrote: »

There is a Carver Repair shop that was opened by Bill from Sunfire. I forget the info for it, but I know someone else has it on this site.

Another place to send it is Rolland, or Vintage Hi-Fi which is where I sent my M1.0t and should have it back this week hopefully.