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Finally, for stereo sound the AV receiver will not be used at all and can be switched off, which can save electricity. Many classic integrated amplifiers also featured good phono stages, for use with a turntable. Few AV receivers include this feature, and those that do, merely provide a basic implementation. Connecting It All Up There are two ways to connect your integrated amp to your surround setup.
The speakers and both amps are plugged into the switch box, which can then manually be switched either way. Care must be taken that the switch box at no point, mid-switching, forms a connection between the speaker terminals of both amps. Conversely some amplifiers without protection circuits, can potentially be damaged when powered up with no load present on the speaker terminals.
Thus, with this setup it is always best to turn off both amps prior to switching.
Using Integrated Amp as a Power Amp The second method, effectively uses the integrated amp as though it is a power amp, for surround sound material, similar to the setup described in the last article in this series. While for stereo sources, the integrated amp is used in isolation. To do this, you should connect all surround and digital sources to the AV receiver, and all analogue stereo sources to the integrated amp.
When using an analogue stereo source, you only need to turn on the integrated amp and select the appropriate input only right hand side of diagram above is used. When listening to surround sources, you turn on both amps, on the integrated amp select the input connected to the AV receivers pre-outs and then adjust its volume accordingly. This input will bypass the integrated amplifiers volume control, effectively using the amp as a power amp only.
All other stereo inputs will continue to use the stereo amps volume as normal. This is a great feature, as it saves having to adjust the volume on the integrated amp whenever we wish to listen surround sources. The integrated amp is now applying little volume attenuation, so is acting like a dedicated power amp. However almost any point on the volume control will suffice.
Some people apply stickers to mark the point. So long as you consistently return to the same volume, that the AV receiver was calibrated against, the levels will be correct. Separate Pre-Amplifier As mentioned above, a stereo integrated amplifier is essentially a stereo pre and power amp in one box. If desired, the setup described here could be implemented using a separate pre and power amp.
Exactly the same advice and setup is applicable to a separate pre-amp. Conclusion Adding a stereo integrated amplifier to your setup is a straight forward addition, that can yield some big improvements in stereo performance. However looking only at amps with unity gain, may limit your choice too much. All the amps below, can be switched into unity gain mode, to act like a power amp. Excluded from this list are amps the merely have an external loop at the rear connecting pre and power amp sections e.
Although these amps can act as a power amplifier, cables need unplugging and swapping to switch between normal stereo mode and power amp mode, making them impractical for this use. Not sure whether unity gain is available on ATC, can you advise how to connect. HI would it be possible to use two integrated amps to drive a surround setup? But I would like to order two pairs of XTZ speakers with a center and a small sub. But amplifiers are just too expensive if you want a good one. I guess you need some sort of dolby decoder to split the surround source first. Two integrated amps could be used, but only for stereo analogue sources or as power amps.
Non HDMI receivers go very cheap these days. This will get started and can be upgraded later. Just get one 5. Hi — thanks for the great article.
The jobs of receivers and amplifiers overlap, as receivers are essentially tuners with amplifiers built-in. An audio-visual receiver can function as an audio. Sir, I have a home theatre set up with marantz ud player as source, a pioneer vsx AVR and a speaker system with Boston A
Which speaker switch should I buy? I plan to add a phono and CD player to the system. Is there a way to connect this conglomeration into a functional home theater setup with analog stereo capability? I also have a home theater computer that could be worked in if needed. Ok here it goes I have a Onkyo txnrreciever it is 5. Amps Have a Surround Processor Mode.
Using the integrated amplifier as power amplifier description was quite self explanatory wow thanks for writing such a wonderful article. Keep up the good work and keep writing!
My question is thus: As I purchased a maranrtz pm integrated amp for dedicated stereo music I need an advice in the way of its incorporation in to the present set up so that I could use the arrangement for either movies or stereo music on demand. I recommended Polk brand to him when he was still talking about the Klipsch HTIAB speakers, as a quality but not overly expensive brand, with the proviso that I had limited experience with speakers. Any thoughts on what the actual switch between the two amps can look like? That just seems like too much work and I would rather save the extra 2 dollars or so for a drink after I finish setting up my Home Theater. I know the basics of how wire a 5. The Alpha has two sets of speaker outputs, not used the other outputs as they are something to do with headphone only or headphone and speakers.
Considering that most people watch and listen to music in the same room i am suprised and frustrated by the lack of articles dealing with the topic of combining music and AV equipment. The advise seems to be to keep the speakers within the same brand to ensure a good tonal match. But if your main focus is music over AV then adding surround speaker kit to match good floorstanders will end up eating a lot of a budget.
How should one go about building an AV system off a music base? The AV experience was brilliant, but music was a bit disappointing, lacking depth on the lower notes. The proof is clearly in the listening, but is there a good rule of thumb in terms of how much to spend proportionaly on the front speakers vs surrounds, AV and poweramp?
I have a question: You need an AV receiver with pre-outs for the front stereo channels. The pre-outs will have an analogue line level signal after the digital stream has been decoded, processed and after volume attenuated. My question concerns the subwoofer. I own a satelite speaker system with a subwoofer.
My satelites go down to 80 Hz, so for good stereo I need the sub. Is an external power amp my only option to improve stereosound? And is the difference in quality substantial or marginal? My requirements are subtly different. It has all six pre-outs. I also loaned her my Tannoy mx powered sub bought new with the amp circa However with such small fronts I must use the Sub for all sources. I then control inputs and volume via the Yamaha remote.
I never touch the Alpha amp, it now only has the two analog cables Linn into it. The sub cross-over is at 90 Hz the Yamaha is preset to 90 Hz. These mixed and matched approaches may not be the most elegant, but can sound surprisingly good. First tip, can your sub be driving from a high level input, direct from the speaker terminals of the Alpha? Many subs can have both high and low levels inputs. Now, going back to digital surround sources, your sub will be driven both by the front channels and the sub pre-out.
My Tannoy MX-Sub 10 has two input options. That is the only connection used for now. Today's receivers are jam-packed with features, but the one thing they lack is power. Some can barely manage a third of their claimed wattage. Right now, your watt per channel receiver might be pumping out only 30 something watts. People ask me about this stuff all the time--"Steve, Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony and Yamaha receivers all boast up to the nanosecond surround processing modes, connectivity options up the whazoo, and fancy shamncy remotes--so what exactly would a brawny multichannel amplifier get me?
Separate power amplifiers have room for all of that good stuff.
It's actually a lot more powerful than just double your average watt per channel receiver; the XPA amplifier can deliver up to watts to each of its five channels with four-ohm speaker loads. You'll look far and wide to find a receiver that can drive low-impedance speakers like a separate power amp can. And it'll cost a whole lot more than the Emotiva XPA will. If so kindly mention the name and model.