what is a nice amp to add to an Onkyo TX-SR707

wesouth

i have a Polk Audio Monitor 70 5.1 system that I will be using Onkyo TX-SR707Receiver with. It is 100 watts per channel and my goal is to get the best sound possible for music listening with the Polk Monitor Series speakers in a 5.1 configuration. I think I need to add an additional amp to get the proper clean wattage to my speakers. The polk Monitor 70s will hold up to 275 watts RMS. Can anyone tell me what would be the best amp to pair with the Onkyo TX-SR707 and this set up
Front: Monitor 70s
Center: CS2
Back: Monitor 70s
Sub: PSW505

Thanks for all expert help from this fine forum!
Any and all view are welcome

dpowell

I have an Adcom GFA7500 running my Polks and they sound great. The Adcom is 150wpc, drives the speakers with ease and for now is plenty of headroom for my listening levels. There are other brands out there as well but you should be able to pick up a nice 5 channel amp used here or audiogon or ebay pretty easily. Picking up one used allows you to try it out without too much concern for being able to resell it if you end up not liking the sound.

Welcome to the forum!

wutadumsn23

Lots of options to choose from here, look into Sunfire, Adcom, Emotiva just to name a few. Don't be fooled by an amps power output, 100W from an Adcom will sound much better than anything the Onkyo can throw at it. That is not a shot at Onkyo at all (I love Onkyo AVR's and run an 806 myself) It's just that the amps supply good, clean, unadulterated power. Also, on the other side of the coin, don't be afraid if the amp pushes 500W, you will blow a speaker by underpowering way before you blow one by overpowering it. My suggestion would be a good 3 or 5 channel amp to power atleast your front three, and let the 707 power the surrounds. Good luck and welcome to Club Polk.

dorokusai

I don't think you need an amplifier at all unless the Onkyo is not playing things loud enough for you. The Monitor 70 is 90db efficient.

cnh

I agree with Mark above...the M-series is very efficient and if you're mostly interested in HT....100 watts from the 707 is enough. But you also seem to be running 4 M70s?

The only difference I've really heard that mattered was in 2 channel. The M70s sounded better with a 200 Watt power amp than with a 110 watt/channel Denon alone. But that was for more 'detailed' music listening. It did not make as noticeable a difference for HT...You'd be better off buying a second PSW505 if you think things are not loud enough for HT and setting the other Polk speakers to small or less than 'full range'.

Room size is also a factor! A very Large room might need a power amp.

cnh

JohnLocke88

The problem with the whole, my Onkyo does 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, is that sure it does.... with only two channels driven. When you throw all those speakers into the mix (five total), you're pushing 40 watts max per channel. Read the back of your receiver, see where it says 240 watts max???

+1 on Adcom; I have the GFA-5500 for fronts and the GFA-7500 for the center and surrounds; (This isn't a shot either at Onkyo, I run the 705 as a pre/pro and love it.)

vc69

I have to chime in with this:

For HT specifically, my 606 (90wpc/2ch driven) drives my speakers (see sig) just fine at levels I listen to movies.

If you are happy with it, save your money for 2ch improvements.

If not your are not happy with volume you can achieve, amps are certainly the first place to improve. I like everything about my 606's processing. It sounds good. I do wish it had pre-outs but I am satisfied (for now) with volume I can achieve.

Nice little setup BTW. Welcome to Club Polk!

dpowell

vc69 wrote: »

I have to chime in with this:

For HT specifically, my 606 (90wpc/2ch driven) drives my speakers (see sig) just fine at levels I listen to movies.

When I ran my home theater with my old Sony 5.1 ES AVR, movies sounded 'just fine'. When I added the Adcom, they went from sounding 'just fine' to sounding AWESOME! No smack on the poster above but trust me, if you stick with just an AVR and continue reading threads on this forum, you will constantly wonder what your home theater would sound like with an external power amp. You won't know until you take the plunge....and once you do, you will become a believer in separates.:D

To mention a few benefits:
Effortless power where before you might find yourself turning up the volume knob on your AVR quite a bit to try and squeeze out some extra performance.
Expanded soundstage
Greater clarity and detail
An awesome looking piece of gear in your system

thuffman03

Since you did not mention how much money you can spend I would suggest a Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature 400~seven.

bigaudiofanatic

Adcom or outlaw, my neighbor just got a 2 channel 200 watt outlaw for his LSI 25's sounds awesome and have a onkyo receiver.

concealer404

Budget?

vc69

Yeah, an outboard amp would improve things. I am just not that critical with HT, nor do I listen to movies at very high volume so for me, the receiver is sufficient. That said, by all means add an amp if the receiver alone leaves you wanting more.:)