bennefits of having a designated amp vs same power output receiver??

Dropthebeat

so I found a nad amp that outputs 90 watts per channel bridged with a total of 3 possible channels. Now my question is , if my receiver already outputs that same amount per channel into 5.1 am I going to see any benefit in having this nad amp? ??

Dropthebeat

sorry about all the newb questions , im still trying to learn as much as possible through advice from others so that I can avoid as many mistakes as possible.

skrol

I'll share my 2 channel personal experience. I have a Denon DRA-835R from 1991 rated 100W into 8 ohms and plenty of current drive to run 4 ohms all day. Most receivers don't have this kind of current capacity, especially home theater receivers. I also have a Parasound HCA-800II, also from 1991, with the same power and high current capacity. Both drive my LSi15's very well but the Parasound is more refined with a wider, more transparent sound stage.

Many receivers are rated for 4 ohms by the spec sheet but this usually means that they won't flame up with such low loads. It doesn't mean that they will drive 4 ohms well. Even if you are driving 8 ohms, you will benefit from higher current capability and the usually better quality of components of a dedicated amp. You will especially notice it in the tighter, more controlled and powerful bass.

My Denon receiver is a beast and sounds very nice and I had wondered for quite a while if a dedicated amp would be better. The Parasound prove to be an improvement. If you get a good quality amp, it will sound better.

What receiver are you running?

Stan

Dropthebeat

skrol wrote: »

I'll share my 2 channel personal experience. I have a Denon DRA-835R from 1991 rated 100W into 8 ohms and plenty of current drive to run 4 ohms all day. Most receivers don't have this kind of current capacity, especially home theater receivers. I also have a Parasound HCA-800II, also from 1991, with the same power and high current capacity. Both drive my LSi15's very well but the Parasound is more refined with a wider, more transparent sound stage.

Many receivers are rated for 4 ohms by the spec sheet but this usually means that they won't flame up with such low loads. It doesn't mean that they will drive 4 ohms well. Even if you are driving 8 ohms, you will benefit from higher current capability and the usually better quality of components of a dedicated amp. You will especially notice it in the tighter, more controlled and powerful bass.

My Denon receiver is a beast and sounds very nice and I had wondered for quite a while if a dedicated amp would be better. The Parasound prove to be an improvement. If you get a good quality amp, it will sound better.

What receiver are you running?

Stan

Im currently running a jvc rx400 70watts minimum whatever minimum means it does a good job and sounds great but I also have a nad 2600a that I cant use due to the lack of pre amp outputs on my receiver. I have used the amp with a 3.5mm conversion cable and it sounds good but I feel it could sound much better.

Dropthebeat

oh and im powering two polk rta15tl I did parallel wire them to the 11tl speakers I have for a while didn't notice any change in the receiver not being able to power them. it does have a 4ohm feature though.

F1nut

Bridged amps tend to not sound as good and most are not capable of driving less than 8 ohm loads. What speakers do you have?

Anyway, a dedicated power amp will outperform an AVR by virtue of having a beefier power supply. In addition, your AVR is most likely rated for 90wpc with only 2 channels driven. The more channels used, the less wpc it will be able to supply. Depending on the AVR, running 5 channels could drop the wpc rating to less than 50.

F1nut

Im currently running a jvc rx400 70watts

I was typing while you posted this. So, it's 70 not 90 and it's a JVC......you'll be lucky if you're getting 30wpc, all channels driven.

does have a 4ohm feature though.

All that does is limit current, so the AVR doesn't cook itself.

cnh

So do you have TWO NAD amps: One that is a three channel and the MORE powerful 2600 power envelope which should be 150 watts x 2 @ 8 ohms and lots MORE into 4 ohms? If so, get a a pre-amp and set up a nice two channel system!

Jesse is right, don't run the amp in the "bridged" mode.

cnh

Dropthebeat

I have the nad2600a and nad 906 ... I just can use them yet for the lack of pre outs from my receiver

Dropthebeat

What kind of pre amp would be ideal for my setup ?

Dropthebeat

So much to learn ... Any books out there I could read on audio systems ? I'm also really big on diy repairs and mods . So if you guys could recommend any books for me to read id appreciate it

polkfarmboy

We cannot tell you whats good for you but we can say what might be bad. There is books that will tell you how to never enjoy music again so don't go reading them with a budget less than 80k

Dropthebeat

I'm looking for something more along the lines of books that will help me with understanding how components work .

polkfarmboy

Well do not go reading anything about the critique of components. There is guys like Face on this forum and another member who could build aworld class buffalo dac from a sardine can who will no doubt chime in and give youpointers on learing how to build your own speakers or dacs and preamps.

badchad

I think I'm in the clear minority here, but I found the addition of an amp to have a pretty subtle effect. It wasn't as drastic of a difference as I expected but it was noticeable. However, I use my rig almost exclusively for home theater so I probably don't push my speakers too hard.

There are definitely times I'm glad I have a dedicated amp though. For example, I watched "Jobs" last night, and was really pushing it for a lot of the movie. I was probably running 70-75% the whole time (maybe the movie was mastered at a lower output or something, I'm not sure). I'd speculate an amp is more important for music, but overall, it'll benefit all around.