Additional amp for Pioneer SC-LX86 (1 Viewer)

[Headspun]

I have used a Pioneer SC-LX86 with Monitor Audio speakers quite happily for a few years now in a 5.1 + zone2 configuration.

However I have now reached the age where music is more important than video and I recently purchased a NAD M32 amp which I have connected directly to my MA GX300's. I am very pleased with this buy, but it does mean that my surround sound setup is now redundant.

Of course I would happy to have both and am wondering if there is some way that I can configure the settings on the Pioneer to allow the Front signal only, to pass through to the external amp? The manual for the SC-LX86 has lots of pages in it, but all are pretty useless to an old fella like me.

I'd appreciate any advice and my thanks for allowing a newbie to post on your forums

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

The Pioneer has pre-amp outputs for the front channels. Just connect them to one of the NAD’s line inputs. Of course, this makes the NAD’s internal pre-amp redundant, so you need to make sure it’s tone controls are set for flat, with bass management bypassed.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[JohnRice]

The best solution would be to use a power amp, not an integrated amp, to power the front. Using an integrated amp just adds extra circuitry and complexity that will only make it more difficult to operate, but will also degrade the sound, at least to some degree. Those two components are just not designed to be used together, and that NAD is an awfully expensive piece of equipment to use in a compromising way.

 

[Headspun]

The Pioneer has pre-amp outputs for the front channels. Just connect them to one of the NAD’s line inputs. Of course, this makes the NAD’s internal pre-amp redundant, so you need to make sure it’s tone controls are set for flat, with bass management bypassed.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Thanks, I had already made the connection as you suggested, but with no joy. I presume that there is some way of instructing the Pioneer to send the signal for the front speakers to the Pre-Outs, I just can't find it in the manual

 

[Headspun]

The best solution would be to use a power amp, not an integrated amp, to power the front. Using an integrated amp just adds extra circuitry and complexity that will only make it more difficult to operate, but will also degrade the sound, at least to some degree. Those two components are just not designed to be used together, and that NAD is an awfully expensive piece of equipment to use in a compromising way.

Thanks, I appreciate that this is not the best use of the NAD. However 95% of my the time is spent listening to music from my Oppo or inbuilt Blusound player. I'm just wondering if I can still watch the occasional movie/box set in surround sound, I don't really want two amplifiers connected to my MA's

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I presume that there is some way of instructing the Pioneer to send the signal for the front speakers to the Pre-Outs, I just can't find it in the manual

The pre-out jacks on all AVRs have a signal all the time, there is no setting to turn them on. Just connect them to the NAD as I described in Post #2 and it will work.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Headspun]

The pre-out jacks on all AVRs have a signal all the time, there is no setting to turn them on. Just connect them to the NAD as I described in Post #2 and it will work.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Thanks for your patience Wayne. I had already connected the two amps as described in post 2 without any joy. In order to rule out the cables, I unplugged the cables from my Oppo and switched them to the pre-outs (Front), on the Pioneer. However I still had no joy.

Out of curiosity, I turned the volume on the NAD up towards maximum and succeeded in achieving a faint sound output (same result with both cables). It wasn't distorted but it was far to low to be of any use.

So the NAD line input works perfectly with the Oppo but not the Pioneer, very frustrating

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Keep in mind that the level of the Pioneer's main pre-outs is determined by the main volume control setting. Don't know which model you have, but Monitor Audio speakers can be fairly efficient, which would mean your volume control would normally be set lower than if you had more inefficient speakers.

What you might try doing is go into the Pioneer's menu and reduce the trim level of the center, main front and rear speakers - in other words, all of them. This will force a higher volume setting on the Pioneer volume, which will get a stronger signal going to the NAD. Don't forget that the NAD also has a volume control that can boost the incoming signal further.

Push come to shove, there are level boosting devices you could get that could be inserted between the Pioneer and NAD.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt