Time to make a decision - P2 ...in over my head! (1 Viewer)

[BrianRM]

At first I was trying to decide between a Denon 3803 and Pioneer 45tx. And then yesterday I did something that is completely foreign to me...bid on a used amp on ebay. I now own a Carver AV-705x THX 5 channel amplifier which is shipping to me today. I am definitely in over my head and need your help.

1. Do I still buy a receiver or are there pre/pro's out there that are just as good for the same or less money?

2. How many and what king of cables will I need if I start out at 5.1? (I currently own one pair of audio interconnects)

3. How do I test out the amp when it arrives to make sure everything is functioning properly?

4. How do I explain to my wife that we still need another component to make everything run!?!?!?!?

Thank you in advance for any advice you are able to provide to get me back on track.

 

[george king]

Well, you could get a receiver for a preamp, but what is the point? Normally, people have a receiver and then add the amp. You need to order a preamp and you need to decide how much you want to spend.
Outlaw 950 - $899
Rotel 1066 - $1500 list
Adcom 860 - onecall will sell it for $1500 starting in Nov. This is a new preamp, so no telling how it will sound. However, it supposedly has 2 sets of 5.1 inputs.
From there you jump to the Anthem AVM 20 for $3500 list (this is with the upgrade) or the new B&K Ref 50 which I think is #3k list.
You will need 5 RCA cables to hook the preamp to the amp.
Hook everything up and play a movie or the test tones on the preamp.
Good luck explaining to the wife. If you succeed, let me know how you did it.

 

[AustinKW]

Brian,

Good for you - the biggest knock on receivers is their less than stellar amplifier performance. With an outboard 5-ch amp, you've taken care of this problem right from the start.

As to your questions:

1. Get the Denon 3802/1082 receiver and run the preouts for L,C,R,and Surround A to your amp. Use the Surround Back amps in the receiver to power your 6.1/7.1 setup or to power a second room. There are NO pre/pros that can compare to the Denon's front end either in quality or breadth of functions at the same price point.

The closest pre/pro price-wise is the Outlaw 950 and this unit is damaged goods - not so much from a technical perspective but from a perceptual one. It was overhyped and its release delayed for more than a year. Then, when it was finally released, it had such serious performance issues that a halt in production was necessitated. To this day, the unit's performance is suspect in several areas - noise floor, two-channel music, bass management and user interface. The whole 950 episode has left a bad taste in many, many people's mouths so I would predict a very iffy resale prospect for this unit. The Denon will sell in a heartbeat anytime within the next year to eighteen months. It's a perfect mid-entry level box which has a wide target market. It also works nicely as the heart of a second (or bedroom) system.

2. As far as cabling, you will require 5 RCA interconnects. You already have a pair so you really only need 3 more but mixing and matching interconnects will always have you thinking "Those fronts sound a little funny - I wonder if it's that old/cheap/different pair of interconnects". Save yourself sleepless nights and pointless posts and get a new set of 5 interconnects. Don't waste a ton of money on them. Get some nice AR brand cables at around $10 each. You will, of course, require speaker cable to either 5 or 7 speakers. Hop on down to Home Depot and snag a reel or two of 12 or 14 ga "zip cord".

3. You can sometimes run a source directly into the amplifier inputs to check them. Check source output specs and make sure you have volume control on the source or you might find yourself with little pieces of speaker drivers (or ear drums) raining down on you. Alternatively, borrow a buddy's receiver and wire it up temporarily for checkout. If there is a problem with the amp, contact the maker. Most have programs where, for a reasonable fee, they will bring the amp up to spec and even replace older components with the latest and greatest. See also whether you can get warranty coverage through the manufacturer.

4. You're on your own here, chum.

 

[Harold A]

Brian,

I own that Amp already, you will love it. It is a great piece of equipment.

I am in the process of upgrading my system and am going to buy the 45TX. Everyone that owns one loves it. THe auto calibration is a great feature. I would use the Carver to run the front 3 speakers and let the 45TX amps handle the rest. The Carver has power steering so it can send the unused channels power to the channles that need it. You can also use it to bi-amp the main speakers and run the center. The options will be a lot greater if you use the amp with a recevier.

I was consdiering getting just a preamp but I would then still need to pick up an extra 2 channels of amp somwhere.

I am leaning towards the Pioneer of the Denon for the THX certification and the autosetup

 

[MikeRP]

Brian:
I'm going to be buying some similiar type of amp to use with my Pioneer 45 TX. I think the 45 has great processing.
I guess it depends on how much money you have to spend. I was limited by WAF.
I haven't told her about the additional amp yet either. But, you have a bigger problem. That Carver won't make much sound by itself!
Good Luck!
Mike

 

[BrianRM]

Thanks for all of the advice.

I think I will go the Receiver route seeing that the market for street price

 

[MikeRP]

Brian:

Want to sell that Rotel?

Mike

 

[BrianRM]

Mike:

I was just thinking today about what to do with the Rotel. I will let you know once I have made a decision.

The model is RA971
I still have the original packaging, manual and warranty which is good through 07/07/2003.

 

[MikeRP]

Thanks Brian.
My e-mail is [email protected]
Let me know!
Mike

 

[JimC_A]

Video switching on the 1300 is 60 mhz. I have it and love it.