Adding an Amp (1 Viewer)

[Corey_ Williams]

I am considering purchasing a Yamaha 5590. It has pre outs for the mains only. This is not a big issue for me. The receiver sounds good for home theater, but I want better sound for music. Can I add an amp to my my set up for for music and continue to run the receiver for home theater without any complicating hook ups?

 

[david stark]

yep, should be no problem. I have a denon 2802 reciever/amp, but still use my rega amp for music only.

what you do is take the pre outs from the AV amp for the front speakers and plug them into an aux input on your stereo amp. then when setting up the channel levels set the volume on your stereo amp to a known level and mark it. set up the channel levels as normal and whenever you listen to stuff through the AV amp set your stereo amp to this known level and just use the volume controls on the AV amp for volume.

 

[Corey_ Williams]

Thanks for the info David.

Where do I plug my main speakers? Do I plug them in the 5590 or do I plug them in the amp? I still need them for home theater.

What is a good price for a two channel amp? How makes good amps at a reasonable price? How muck better will my music sound?

 

[david stark]

You plug your main speakers into the stereo amp. When listening to music you just turn on the stereo amp and you don't need the yamaha AV amp at all. When listening to films (or anything through the AV amp) you turn on both amps and set the volume of the stereo amp to the known level you had it at during setup.

When it is set up like this when watching films you would effectively be using your stereo amp as a power amp for the main speakers with the yamaha AV amp acting as the pre amp. The only extra leads you need is one set of audio interconnects to link the pre outs for the front speakers from the yamaha to an input on the stereo amp.

As for a good price for a stereo amp I have no idea of what prices are like in the states. I have a rega brio (a uk make, don't think they are very common outside europe) stereo amp and it cost me under half of what the denon 2802 did and for music it is significantly better.

 

[Chu Gai]

before you go out and get that amp, you might want to ask yourself whether your front speakers are up to reproducing music to your satisfaction.

 

[Corey_ Williams]

David,

After looking at the back of the 5590, I noticed that it did not have main pre out labeled on the back. Instead, the pre outs were labled 2nd zone. There was not pre outs for center rear etc... Does the previous advise still apply? If not, I was also looking at the Kenwood 6070. It has pre out for each channel-front, rear, center,and sub.

Chu, I was under the assumption that separate were far superior for music.

 

[Chu Gai]

maybe yes...maybe no...but it's really all in the speakers and where you place them. good speakers will have far far more of an impact upon your music than what you're using to drive them.

 

[Sanjiva]

In this situation, how would the subwoofer behave? If one wants the subwoofer also to kick in for stereo music, do you need to do anything or the AV receiver would automatically send the low bass signal to sub and stereo to to the main speakers through the stereo amp.

 

[Corey_ Williams]

How good would a pioneer 45 be as a pre amp? I think I will be staying away from the 5590.