Amp questions

flyfisher

So far i have a Pioneer vsx 21txh,center-CS10,fronts-tsi100's and some surrounds-infinity 2000.1 reference(i totally had these in storage and forgot about them)and borrowing a sub from my brother until i get one.

When playing movies its all good but it seems i am missing that umph,a little extra would be nice.

Earlier I was watching the box and the dialog i couldn't hear that well,had it turned up to 18.but when music plays and something suspenseful happens,everything else is fine.I mean i cant expect to much from the speakers i have right?

My soon to be speakers should be here next week.
Fronts:RTi8
Center:CSi5
Surrounds:FXi A6

Now when these come in, should i notice better better dialog and overall sound?The reason i am asking is because i was looking into amps if i want some more power.Will they make a significant difference?

Also should i wait till my new speakers come in then go from there or am i jumping the gun early.The most use of my AVR is for movies with a lillte music use here and there.Another question is if i decide to buy an amp in the future,should i look into multichannel amps like a 3channel for the fronts since those are the most important in home theater(someone correct me if i am wrong)

I am somewhat new to this so any advice would be nice.
Anthony

cstmar01

did you run the MCACC on your pio if it has that feature? I'm not really sure what "18" is regarding the level on your Pio however on mine the SC-05 that is the loudest it will go, and I've never gotten close to turning it up like that. There is also a dialoge function that will sometimes boost the dialoge or switch it between the front 3 speakers rather than just the center.
If you have to turn it up all the day with your system it seems like there is something wrong.
With amps they do help to add extra headroom, but normally they are not going to increase your volume. They are there to provide more power in dynamic swings in movies and music. I personally noticed a difference when I added a 3 channel amp to my set up I had. Vocals were clearer, things were more dramatic, ect. I would say with amps if you would like some wait till you get the new speakers and assess then what your needs are. If you feel that you want to try one, pick up one and give them a listen. If your looking for a 3 channel I would check out the Adcom 5503 which can be had for around 500-600, the Emotiva XPA-3, and the Parasound model I forgot. These will help. There is also Rotel ect. The adcom and parasound and rotel I would say pick up used. You can check out Audiogon for them. Emos I would say check out their forum in the forsale threads for people selling them as they come up pretty easily.
You can also easily run your surrounds and rears off the AVR if you would get a 3 channel. But also it will work just fine for a 5 channel. Its more of what you think you want and need, and go from there.

cfrizz

Great advice above. All I will add is all of your speakers will benefit from more power including the rears.

Also if you decide on an amp get one that has 200wpc @ 8ohms. This is enough power to ensure that your current speakers & any speakers you get in the future will operate to their full potential.

Enjoy your new gear!

Sherardp

You have to run MCACC in order to get the most out of that Pioneer. From there make your speaker adjustments manually then run MCACC again keeping those speaker settings. Afterward you can use a SPL meter to get a tad more out of the calibration.

As for your amp, just go all out and purchase a 5 or 7 channel amp since most will be in the same price range anyway. I would suggest used from Audiogon, and I would suggest Sunfire, Outlaw Audio, Rotel, W4S, D-sonic, Parasound, Adcom, to name a few off the top of my nugget.

flyfisher

Thanks guys.As for the volume as cstmar01 was asking,was at -18db. Should I run auto or full auto at 1st and then do manual afterward?

Plus like i said earlier,everything seemed fine sound wise,it was just the dialog was low.I will play more with the setting later today.

Also for brands of amps.i have seen brands you all have suggested.Is Acurus a dependable brand?

Sherardp

Run full auto calibration 1st, then do manual afterward. After you make changes in the manual speaker settings, run MCACC again keeping the changes you made manually. I did a quick search on the forum, but here is a very helpful link I use myself in my HT

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1112470

flyfisher

Sherardp wrote: »

Run full auto calibration 1st, then do manual afterward. After you make changes in the manual speaker settings, run MCACC again keeping the changes you made manually. I did a quick search on the forum, but here is a very helpful link I use myself in my HT

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1112470

Thanks.Hopefully this will help.

Anthony

mufsoman

Anthony, I would wait until you get the new speakers befoer spending money on an amp. I've run the Rti8's & csi A6 with a Pio VSX 94, SC05 and SC07 and had no problems with dialog. Your VSX-21 is no slouch and the 8"s are easy to drive. Wait and give it try. I totally agree with the comments above about running the Pioneer MCACC. That's critical. My opinion is to wait with the amp and try the set up as is first.