AVR, Preamp, Amp questions

mark090852

I'm new to HT and audio and have learned so much from so many here on this forum. More questions are coming to mind....

I currently have Monitor 50s and a CS1 for the front stage. RC65i in wall speakers for the surrounds. An SVS PC-Ultra sub is preordered. My receiver is a Sony STR-DG800.

Eventually I want to upgrade the fronts to maybe RTi10s. I understand that they will require better amplification than my Sony AVR can provide so I've been reading postings here to learn more about other options.

My receiver does not have pre-outs, except for the sub. I guess there is no way to use it with two Outlaw 2200 monoblocks? Are there lower priced AVRs with pre-outs? Also, how is the volume controlled with separate amps? Will the AVR volume control the signal into the amps and subsequently the volume of the front speakers as well as the surrounds or do the amps have their own volume control?

If I went with a preamp I would need five separate amps or a 5 channel amp wouldn't I? I would think the cost would be prohibitive for me to do it that way. When the time comes I do plan on buying used as much as possible but I still want to keep the cost down as much as I can.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Mark

JimBRICK

the best thing in my opinion is to forget about rti and make the jump to LSI. I wasnt happy when I went from monitor series to rti series. Save yourself some money and time. you can get a preowned lsi system for cheaper than a new rti system. there is a pair of LSI25's in the fm for 1000 bucks! Same with the power factor. Watch the FM and audiogon and you can get a good set of seperates for between 1000-1500 bucks. JMO you'll be happier. stick to the good names. NAD, outlaw, rotel, adcom ETC. good luck with the hunt

If you dont want to go that expensive you can get a powerful NAD or outlaw avr for awesome prices everyday on audiogon. I have the t743 and its rated 50wpc and it blows away the yamaha I had that was rated 130 wpc. My avr has preouts as well so when I make my jump to LSI I use my avr for the preamp and I just have to get the 5 channel power amp and I'm styling and I paid less than 500 buck for it

dudeinaroom

Yes the AVR will control the volume of the amp. If you want a cheaper price AVR try a Denon on e-bay, you can get a refurb pretty cheap. Last year I bought an Adcom amp for $300 here on the FM(HTrookie) and this year I bought a Denon AVR 785s for $229 shipped from 4delectronics on e-bay, It was a buy it now refurb. I've also heard Dakmart is a good place to pick up a Denon, they also have an e-bay store. You could also look at Harman Kardon's web site as they have refurbs on their site as well as an e-bay store. you could also go with a Marantz. I actually would rather have a Marantz over my Denon, but it was all about the price for me.

Good luck and happy hunting,
dude

engtaz

mark090852 wrote: »

If I went with a preamp I would need five separate amps or a 5 channel amp wouldn't I? I would think the cost would be prohibitive for me to do it that way. When the time comes I do plan on buying used as much as possible but I still want to keep the cost down as much as I can.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Mark

Not necessarily, In HT, the three front speakers need the power. You just tune it to balance it out with a sound meter. The 3 front speaker are you main speakers in HT. You do need a pre with the Outlaws. I suggest 3 Outlaws. I for each front speaker. LSi require a lot more power then the RTi's.

mark090852

engtaz wrote: »

Not necessarily, In HT, the three front speakers need the power. You just tune it to balance it out with a sound meter. The 3 front speaker are you main speakers in HT. You do need a pre with the Outlaws. I suggest 3 Outlaws. I for each front speaker. LSi require a lot more power then the RTi's.

But if I used a preamp and 3 Outlaws for the fronts, I wouldn't have any way to power the surrounds, or are you saying use a preamp and Outlaws for the fronts and keep the Sony AVR to power the surrounds?

ViperZ

You will need AVR with pre-amp outs, and you are right, AVR's power is usually not enough to power up RTi's.

Ern Dog

I started in a similar situation as you with Monitor 70's and an entry level Onkyo avr w/no pre-outs. The Rti10's were a substantial improvement over the 70's. The Rti's are so much more detailed and brighter than Monitors. I paired it with a warm sounding B&K amp and a tube pre-amp to balance out the sound.

I'd suggest starting out with a used/refurb 5.1 HK avr with pre-outs, then add a 2 channel amp (when money permits) to power the fronts and the avr will power the center and rears.

engtaz

mark090852 wrote: »

But if I used a preamp and 3 Outlaws for the fronts, I wouldn't have any way to power the surrounds, or are you saying use a preamp and Outlaws for the fronts and keep the Sony AVR to power the surrounds?

You will need another AVR with pre amp outs and the AVR's own power will run the other speakers.

cfrizz

I think we are mix & matching terms here!

If you get a receiver (AVR) with preouts you can get 1-7 amplifiers to power your speakers or any combination thereof. Monoblock, 2 channel, 3 channel, 5channel, 7 channel. Any channel that doesn't have an amp on it will be powered by the receiver.

If you get a preamp/preprocessor, you will HAVE to get separate amplification for all channels. Preamps come in 2 varieties. 2 channel processors or multichannel A/V processors. But they do not have amps inside.

So first decide if you want a receiver/AVR or a Prepro.