to do or not to do, that is the question

marcpam

I recently bought some rti12, csi5, and surround. I am looking at purchasing the denon 5803a. I would be using a 5.1 surround setup. Could i use the unused two remaining channels and add them to the front floor speakers. I would therefore have 2 channels running each floor speaker. These rti12's are power hungry, and i am wondering if this would be ok for the speakers. Also, is there any disadvantage to doing this?

Thanks

RSTERN

Don't think that will work, because the output of the 2 unused channels will not be the same as the main channels when watching movies.

Rob

gatemplin

That Denon is a beast. If it doesn't have enough juice for you add a power amp. If you are inquiring about using the channel B connections it probably will not allow you with 5.1, if you mean the rear surround channels than that wouldn't work either.

Dennis Gardner

I don't know about the 5803 but some receivers actually have assignable amps for surrounds that do allow biamping of the fronts. I am not up on which do have this option though.

Dennis

Ceruleance

I think it will work.

there may or may not be a problem with the sound because there might be some delay, so I would check it out at the Denon dealer and see if it works.

the way to do it would be: (all this assuming that you cannot do it automatically with the denon (check the owners manual))

set the receiver to run 5.1 with the back channels running a Zone 2 or Zone B. Run a pair of RCAs from the front L&R preouts to another input on the denon. Then select that input for zone two, and hook the corresponding speaker outs up to your RTi12's. Make sure to take off the gold binding post straps on the 12's. (sorry to patronize you but you never know...)

NOW, the bigger question is whether or not you should do this. and in my very highly regarded opinion :rolleyes: you should not. I can understand if you were trying to make the most out of a receiver you already had, but this is a jury-rigged situation and if you have the opportunity to buy new gear you should look for a better solution. The 3805 and an outboard 2 channel amp would probably cost about the same and give you better performance, not to mention you would still have the additional 6th and 7th channels for if you ever go 7.1 (and you should its great). All this advice is of course based on the fact that you would have to jury-rig it. The 5803 has one very expansive list of features I can imagine so it may very well be that there is an option built in to biamp your fronts. The best way to know would be to either consult your dealer, or look at the owner's manual which denon has online.

amulford

Marcpam, I personally would not do it. I don't know if you have ever heard 7.1, but if you do you'd understand.

If you want to bi amp your mains, get an amp and use the pre outs. With the Denons, the amplifier's output is just diverted to the "B" output and you wind up with less to both.

LuSh

If you can't power any polk speaker with a Denon 5803 then you have some serious issues.

The only speakers that come to my mind that could make the Denon tap out are the Totem Mani 2's, Totem Hawks and ProAc responses. Those speakers are rarely used with Home theatre receivers.

The polk are an efficient speaker for the most part, even the LSi's are efficient in comparison with alot of speakers out there. People see 4ohms and they get scared.

Always remember that wattage outside of comparing internal lines within a designated speaker manufacture means NOTHING. For the most part the spec sheets used in most of the consumer based electronics are horrilbly outdated and focus on specs that use to be problems some 20years ago. Things like total Harmonic distortion, wattage and to an extent current (some companies use higher current specs then their powersupply's can provide!) are all for the most part useless spec's that have been used for the last 20 years to help market products and showcase perfect spec sheets to problems that existed 20years ago but have long been fixed for the most part.

Use them as a rough guide at best, but they are not the bible of a speaker and/or amps performance. They are a rough guide. The Denon 5803 should be more then capable with those suggested speakers.