How to best utilize my NHT 2.5i system (1 Viewer)

[midnight_2]

Hi there,

I am a total home audio noob, and here is my situation. I would appreciate any input or advice.

I purchased the following like 5-7 years ago:

NHT 2.5i (main speakers)
NHT SW2Si (10" subwoofer)
NHT SA-2 (subwoofer amp)
Denon receiver. Forgot mondel #, but it was a mid range one at ~$800.

Now i have the speakers powered by the Denon and the sub powered by the SA-2. I recently read that the 2.5is need good clean power, and i assume that my Denon would not be considered good clean power. Is this accurate?

Would i notice a big difference if i got a real amp to power the speakers? They are bi-amplification capable, so would adding say another SA-2 for the subwoofers of the main speakers(while keeping the Denon powering the mid and tweeters) help? I am going to assume that yes there would be SOME benefit, but just not sure how much(or if it would be worthwhile to put money into it at this point).

I am at the point now where if i have to spend more money to get more out of my system i can, but i have no idea where to start to figure that out.

I know price is always a consideration, so i am thinking that i can spend up to $1k on adding to this system, ie another SA-2 amp, a seperate 'main' amp, etc.

Also, is the age of the speakers something to consider here? Do speakers wear down after a point? I would say that they have been used on average for maybe an hour a week for their lifetime. So is it even worth it to try to get the most out of them if they might be wearing out?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[JohnRice]

The Denon receiver should be just fine for powering the speakers, but before asking, you might just take 10 seconds, look at the front of the receiver, and let us know what it is.

You will typically get far more reward by investing more in the speakers themselves than bi-amping, plus it's not the best idea to mix amps when bi-amping. It needs to be two identical amps.

An external, more powerful amp might be a benefit, but it really depends on how hard you drive the system, but I still think that money would be better spent on better speakers. Not everyone will agree.

 

[jeffask]

throw it in the garbage

 

[midnight_2]

The model is Denon - AVR2700.

 

[Dingiswayo]

Yes, my garbage!

I don't know your speakers specifically (although, as I understand it, NHT makes good speakers) but from what I've read and heard speakers age fine if they're in a decent environment and not driven hard. Phillip Hamm (moderator emeritus) has had his for 10 years according to his posts and has no desire to get rid of them.

So the question is, do you like your speakers? The nice thing, if you decide to buy new speakers, is that if you haven't driven your speakers and your children haven't jammed toys in the tweeters and whatnot, that you can probably get at least half of what you paid back out of them on eBay, craigslist, audiogon or even here. Sometimes more. Then you can add that to your $1k and do pretty well.

 

[mackie]

Do what John said.

Under typical situations, a speaker only use a few watts. A speaker with a 85db sensitivity rating will play 85db on 1 watt which is pretty loud. However, if your speakers have a low impedance and low sensitivity then it's reasonable to consider an external amp. Most modern receivers have capable power supplies, but it never hurts to have more power. Problem is with a decent receiver and typical 8ohm, 85 db sensitive speakers an external amp isn't really needed.

The one benefit you would get with upgrading your receiver would be to have HDMI connectivity and the newer audio formats. Denon, Yamaha, and Onkyo have really good receivers in your price range.