Help the newbie...receivers ,eq, amps (1 Viewer)

[Shawn.G]

I am getting 2 new polk mains and i have a rca 500 watt, 5 channel receiver that I got last year. I use it for 95%music and 5% movies or less. I also have the 4 bookshelfs and 1 center that came with the receiver and a sub that sux too. The system stinks. I am upgrading gradually. I really dont have the money to upgrade the receiver, unless I can get a good receiver(onkyo?) for around 250 used. The polks will make a nice upgrade. Should I wait and be able to spend more money on a receiver or get a eq or amp now? If so, which? What significance does an amp or eq really make? What are their main roles in 2 channel audio and/or HT? Iuse mine for 2 channel. Thanks a lot.

 

[Geoff L]

Hi Shawn

Well first off do you have preouts on your receiver?

If not, useing your receiver as a preamp with external amplifacation is out...

Do you have a tape monitor loop on the RCA receiver?

An eq can help, but also can create other problems. A decent one, with very low noise, high SNR and 10-band per side min, 15 to 30 bands is better and a full frequency parametric is best, but these don't come cheap.

I doubt the RCA Receiver has preouts on all channels let alone the main channels (front r&l), but an equalizer could be put in line if you have a tape loop monitor.

I would suggest waiting till you get your new speakers and see just how big a difference they make for your 2-channel sound, and then go from their.

You never want to buy to turn around and rebuy, if you follow me!

Regards
Geoff

 

[Shawn.G]

OK, I have no preouts or a tape moniter out. Waht is another way to hook up the equalizer?

 

[Geoff L]

Well if your hell bent to put an eq in line, the only other way is in between a source componet. DVD or CD.

Instead of feeding the ANALOG signal RED & WHITE RCA composite cable from the CD or DVD payer into the Receiver, you would feed it into the "line in on the eq" and then "the line out of the eq" to the CD or DVD line in on the Receiver. This will only work with Right and Left ANALOG RCA 2-channel stuff. It will only eq the source it's hooked to, (ie-CD or DVD) and you can apply only Stereo, DSP 2-channel modes, or use DPL and DPLII.

~{But again it will only eq the source it is hooked to}~! It will not eq anything else period.....

Also if looking at useing an older eq you might have trouble handeling the line level voltage of newer cds and players. So if looking to pick up a cheap used eq, you might want to look for one wth an antenuator control. Some CD and DVD players have an output volume control and this will help also.

This is not the recomended way of doing things, but will work.

Someone may have another idea but this is all I can think of at the moment...

Regards
Geoff