amplifer-free reciever?

darkgrey3k · 11-11-2007, 07:46 PM

hi everyone. I dont know if anyone makes anything like this or not but I want to put together a system with basically an amplifer-less reciever, using seperate amplifiers from preamp signals. Is there anything out there like that? If it is less expensive, is there any amplified recievers that have preamp outs for every channel?

thanks
-steve

Chris Maynard · 11-11-2007, 09:47 PM

Welcome to the forum!!!!

What you are describing is basically a Pre-Pro with a radio tuner.

Look at Outlaw audio for an affordable separate.

Jack Gilvey · 11-11-2007, 10:35 PM

The Yamaha 661 is a great HDMI receiver that has 7.1 pre-outs.

Alon Goldberg · 11-12-2007, 12:37 AM

As described above, a receiver typically consists of a surround processor, pre-amp, poweramp, radio tuner, and often a phono stage. It is possible to purchase all of these components separately. Based on your description, you're looking for a pre-pro (consisting of pre-amp + processor) along with a poweramp. Some brands that you may want to consider that sell reasonably priced separates:

Outlaw Audio
Emotiva
Cambridge Audio
NAD
Rotel
Arcam

Another option altogether would be to purchase a receiver with pre-outs so that you can connect a separate poweramp instead of using the receiver's amplifier section.

King Ghidora · 11-12-2007, 12:59 AM

Has Harmon Kardon completely stopped making separates? I had good luck with mine until the center channel section died on me. I had it several years without any problems and to be honest I think it gave me better quality audio than my current Denon receiver with pre-amp outs setup.

BTW pre-amps generally come in two categories. One comes with a tuner and one doesn't. You have to buy a separate tuner for the latter. Most people prefer the former in recent years but I still own a pre-amp without a tuner. FWIW we used to call them "heads" because they mimic what a head does in most guitar amp setups among other things.

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Dave Moritz · 11-12-2007, 08:41 AM

Welcome Darkgrey,

Depends on what you where planning on spending. I would say over half of the receivers today have preamp outputs for 5,6 and 7 channels. Even my 10 year old Yamaha RX-V995 has 5.1 preouts on it. McIntosh has a preamp/tuner that I beleive is around $7k(MX-136), it however does not have Dolby True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio. Or you could go with a Pioneer Elite Receiver between $1,300 - $1,600 or a Denon from $1,100 to $2,700. It all depends on what features you are looking for and the performance level you would like to have.

King Ghidora · 11-12-2007, 09:24 AM

You can buy a Denon with pre outs for as little as $250. It won't have any HDMI connections and it will be refurbished but DAK sells them on eBay and they are an authorized dealer of Denon. The AVR-787 / 1907 is the lowest models that have pre-outs. It includes support for the major sound formats. They are being sold that cheap because they are models from last year and they don't have HDMI connections. But for the cheapest route to get pre-outs this is probably it.

You can find an example of one on this web page. The Buy It Now price is $252.

IMO Denon doesn't make any junk. They may not be the best Denon has to offer but it will still be good.

bdinnocenzo · 11-14-2007, 09:15 AM

Hello all! I'm a newbie to this forum and to HT as well. In the old days I use to consider myself an audiophile...but 3 kids and 18 years later I'm just now getting into a position to be able to afford them new fangled home theater fixin's...

I'm in the market for an entire home theater to put into a new family room being built. The room is 24 feet wide by 36 feet long. A wall unit on one end with a gas fire place in the center is the focal point of the room. If I've done my homework correctly I can put an LCD (probably) or plasma TV above the fireplace. My space and budget allow for something around a 60 to 65 inch TV. I've decide on the speaker placements -- in-wall for the front 3 as well as the surround and rear channels. From what I've read a room this size would benefit from a 7.1 sound system.

Now for my dilemma, and the reason I'm posting this question here...

If I had it my way, the TV itself would have pre-pro outputs for the 7.1 channels of sound and I could feed those into my Crestron unit and use some of my 24 channels of amplifiers (2 Big Band 1265's) that I used for my whole house audio system in my last house. I will probably tap off 2 or 3 sets of those channels for sound to my master bedroom, kitchen and maybe outside, but I've realized that I don't use the audio in the other rooms of the house.

Given that I have yet to find a TV that has pre-pro outputs (and I can't figure out why) then I guess my next best solution would be to find a pre-pro A/V receiver. Am I way out in left field or am I getting close to what I should be doing?

Garrett Lundy · 11-14-2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdinnocenzo

Given that I have yet to find a TV that has pre-pro outputs (and I can't figure out why)

That would be incredibly useful for an incredibly small number of potential customers. It would cut down on remotes, but the added costs would not be bared by Joe Consumer.

Quote:

then I guess my next best solution would be to find a pre-pro A/V receiver. Am I way out in left field or am I getting close to what I should be doing?

You got it big guy.