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Receivers with no built in amplifiers... (1 Viewer)

ArthurJ

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Jan 29, 2003
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Are there any receivers out there that just have pre-outs for amps instead of building the amp inside..the reason im asking is allot of guys get out-board amps anyways and your paying for that extra power yet your not useing it. Im thinking of doing this too and im just curious whats out there. Thanks.
 

Nick V

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May 7, 2002
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You won't be able to find one for the same price as your typical A/V receiver. They are usually tailored to the higher end customers.

The Most affordable ones off the top of my head are the:

Outlaw 950

Rotel RSP-1066

Adcom units are also sold at fairly reasonable prices.
 

Kevin C Brown

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You could also go with a prior generation model, but wouldn't have the latest and greatest, but would be cheaper.

Sony TA-E9000ES
Marantz AV9000

etc.
 

DanaA

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The Rotel doesn't have a tuner, while I think the Outlaw does, if you're interested in listening to radio through your system.
 

Yogi

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Yeah there are receivers that are just like you describe. They are called preprocessors and are beyond the range of most budget receivers.
 

ArthurJ

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Jan 29, 2003
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thanks guys, thats weird that there more money, i mean, why doesnt harman kardon make something with all the features of the 525 or 7200 without the built in amp, it would be cheaper...?
 

Rich Wenzel

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Aug 9, 2002
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well, out board amps tend to be higher quality than the amps built in a low to mid end receiver. They are also not that cheap. I think the cheapest 5 channels amps go for around 500+, and most are 1000+. So if someone is spending that much on the amplification, companies must thing that these people will want more than a cheap pre/pro and tend to make their pre/pros with higher quality material.

Also, if you have separates, you need more room and you spend more on cables. This tends to be for the more serious enthusiast.

Rich
 

Jack Briggs

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Arthur: FYI, but separate preamplifiers and power amplifiers have been around for far longer than receivers (which first started appearing in the 1950s). Tuners were always separate too. If you want the absolute pinnacle of performance, separates are the way to go. JB
 

Lewis Besze

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thanks guys, thats weird that there more money, i mean, why doesnt harman kardon make something with all the features of the 525 or 7200 without the built in amp, it would be cheaper...?
I agree,but the marketing people believe,that similar products[feature wise] would hurt each other's sale.
I personally don't see any reason why not buy a receiver and use it as a pre/pro.
The funny thing is most receiver lately being considered solely on features and not amplifier specs[notice I said most].
 

HowardGjr

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Mar 14, 2002
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Lewis,

In theory, a pre/pro performance will be better because it is not subject to noise from the amplifiers and tuner. Of course some pre/pro's include a tuner.

Practically, in many systems, this noise will not be an issue. For example, a number of people have opted to use the less expensive Rotel RSX-1055 Receiver as a pre/processor in place of the RSP-1066 Pre/Pro and have noted no real differences between the two devices.

It is my understanding that feature-wise (other than the speaker amplification and the tuner) the RSX-1055 is a "clone" of the RSP-1066. The Receiver retails for about $1300 USD, the pre/pro is about $1500 USD.


Take care.
Howard
 

Craig Robertson

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May 12, 1999
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Yeah in theory.
My Outlaw 950 has more noise,then my previous Denon Avr 3801.
I paid roughly the same amount for both.
you need to compare similar circuits. in theory that noisy 950 would be even noisier with an amp and tuner in the same chassis, while that quiet 3801 would be even quieter.
 

Bill Polley

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Apr 18, 2002
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Lewis, do you have the upgraded 950...the one that they started shipping after Dec. 17? If not, and you have hiss, call the Outlaws and get it exchanged. My new "blue dot" as it is called, is dead quiet at all levels.
 

Russell _T

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Aug 26, 2001
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Lewis,
Bill is right. The noise issue on the 950 has been long resolved. My "no dot" version is also dead quiet on both analog and digital sources. I would contact the Outlaws for the corrected version.
 

Lewis Besze

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I'm on my second 950 [red dot],and it's far from resolved!
However the hiss is low enough not to be noticed from more then a few feet away.
you need to compare similar circuits. in theory that noisy 950 would be even noisier with an amp and tuner in the same chassis, while that quiet 3801 would be even quieter.
You're right about the circuit,but that's not what we talking about here.
General concensus about separates is that,it's quiter in theory,however it's not always true,for whatever reason.
 

Jim Prillaman

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Feb 12, 2002
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I'm on my second 950 [red dot],and it's far from resolved!
If you are still having noise problems with your red dot, you may need to check with Outlaw about exchanging for a blue dot (which began shipping in mid-December, as Bill mentioned). It has been a successful fix for the high-efficiency speaker users who were most often reporting problems with the 950, so it will likely help with your system too.
 

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