Upgrade my 49tx? (1 Viewer)

[Mike Peveler]

I purchased the 49Tx because I have an irregular shaped room and the MCACC feature did amazing things for the room that my 5800 couldn't do. If it were me I would save my money and think about a B&K or Parasound 5 or 7 channel amp. Then you would have a system the would rival even the ultra high end separates with many more usable features. Trust me on the amp upgrade it makes a fantastic processor almost perfect separates!

 

[BobRoulier]

Im with Mike, The 49tx is a terrific receiver but an even better pre pro. I added a parasound 2205 5 channel amp to mine and now I have separates with the latest processing and technology Howard will your dealer let you take home an amp to demo just hook it up to your 49tx and you'll see! honestly its quite an improvement I've seen you over at the flagship forum (goose) right? any ways docdvd and many others have stated the same thing buy adding an amp will do wonders! Imo giving up mcacc is a big mistake!
Hope this helps, Bob

 

[Howard_S]

I don't know much about amps. So say I do want to go the amp route. What would be my best option? Getting a full featured 7ch amp? or a great 2ch amp?

And more specifically recommendations on amps.

 

[Chu Gai]

I'd begin by arranging for an audition with a two channel amp and see what you think.

 

[Howard_S]

Once my sales guy gets back to me with the prices I'm gonna ask if I can audition the amps.

I've been reading up on the AVM20 a little bit and the upgradeability factor does make it attractive. A full 7.1 Anthem system (with a 2ch and a 5ch amp) is a bit more than what I want to pay but I like my things to last so upgradeability is always a factor for me.

 

[Chu Gai]

You know, it's only gonna last until they revamp the product line, then its back to 'there's a new kid in town'. yes, definitely arrange for an extended audition. i still think its the room where you ought to spend your efforts.

 

[Rich H]

Question about 49TX + heat:

When you add an external amp to the 49TX and use it as a processor/pre only, is it safe to assume the 49TX no longer runs very hot, as the amps are no longer active? Does it get about as warm as any other pre/pro under those conditions?

Thanks,

Rich.

 

[RajeeK]

Rich,

Sorry to hear about you getting scammed on your 49TX deal. If you do end up eventually getting it, I know you will love it. As far as heat goes, although I have a 200x5 Acurus amp, the 49TX does still get pretty warm. It doesnt' get as warm as before w/o the amp, but can still be hot to the touch.

 

[Mike Peveler]

Rich the 49TX still runs warm even with a 7 channel amp hooked up, but not near as hot as when using the internal amplification.

Howard as far as amplification goes I would recomend at a minimum a 3 channel amp, because in most surround formats 60% of the information is meant for the center channel. A two channel amp may help for music but for movies, it would mainly improve the score section which is generally taken care of by the front 2 channels. As far as amp brands go Parasound is very popular around here, I own the B&K Reference 7270 and have had my buddy's Parasound 2205AT in my system. Both amps sound great and make a huge difference over the internal amplification in the 49Tx

 

[Howard_S]

As far as amps go I was considering getting a 5ch amp and a 2ch amp as opposed to a 7ch amp.

I think I'm really gonna consider hard about adding some amps to my 49tx. I've heard good things about B&K's 7ch amp and a lot of ppl seem to like Rotel. Are they better than what Anthem has to offer? Again I don't know much about amps.

 

[Mike Peveler]

Howard, I owned one of the first generation Anthem MCA5's, about 3 or 4 years ago and at that time I was somewhat unimpressed by it's performance. From what I understand the more recent versions sound better.
As with any upgrade I recomend A home audition if your dealer will allow it. The equipment will perform differently in your room with your speakers, than it does in the dealers showroom.

 

[Howard_S]

Here's an update on my situation. What I'm looking for is improvement all around (aren't we all) 2ch music and HT performance are both important.

If I'm buying from scratch I would definitely go with an AVM20 and Anthem MCA20 and 50 combo.

But since I have the 49tx, I would lose a bit in terms of dollar value for the AVM20. I can probably get a decent deal on the MCA20 and 50 though. But would I get a better performance from trading in my 49tx? That's the main question.

I can still pair the 49tx with the Anthem amps and forget about the trade in. Or go with another brand such as Bryston or Bel Canto or B&K although I probably can't afford to fill out more than 3 channels with the Bel Canto and Bryston.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Why not just leave well enough alone and sit back and enjoy the 49TX for a while? It's a really good piece!

 

[Chu Gai]

Aye aye captain Phil...sage advice! I'd say if you're not going to tackle your room, consider new speakers, possibly from a different company.

 

[RajeeK]

Why not just leave well enough alone and sit back and enjoy the 49TX for a while? It's a really good piece!

Amen to that. I really don't think your going to gain a whole lot with the AVM vs the49. The bang for the buck ratio on that one is really really low to me. Try holding off for a year or so, maybe then some new stuff will be out worth the extra investment.

 

[Howard_S]

I'm trying to get some room treatment but I don't know where I can get some bass diffuser and sound absorber stuff over here. I can buy some from any HT store but I don't know of a store that specializes in room treatment over here. Mail ordering these stuff from US stores would cost me a fortune in shipping.

I do love my 49tx actually although I do find myself wanting more at least from 2ch music because of it.

 

[Chu Gai]

Didn't I send you a general overview on that Howard?

 

[David Berry]

Howard,
I have to agree to the posts here stating to try it out for at least a weekend before making a financial commitment. If you have a good relationship with your salesman, he/she will let you do this. My thought process on this is would you buy a car without even taking it out for a test drive? You might not like the separates route for whatever reason (the extra money being one main factor). As an example, what some people consider bright and fatiguing, in your room with your ears might be detailed sonic bliss.
Chu,
I completely agree with your post on July 19. It is very difficult to do, however, once you have your sights set on a new piece of equipment prior to fully thinking it out.
David

 

[Howard_S]

Ya I'm gonna try arranging for an inhouse audition although I would first have to charge the stuff to my credit card which is a bit of a hassle.

I'm gonna try getting at least a MCA20 in here. Hopefully I'll get a AVM20 in there as well. But I might just try the amps.

 

[Arthur S]

Howard
You seem to have decided to add an amp.
You are going to do this to improve the sound for 2 channel music listening. Amps do not all sound the same. The only way I found this out is by arranging to have three different amps in my house at the same time. This one had more punch, that one had richer bass, the other one had the most natural sound. In short, I don't know of any amp that is the best at everything. Even in the audiophile community, some like Mark Levinson, some like Classe, some like Theta Dreadnaught, some like Bryston 7B-ST, some like Balance Audio Technology (BAT), etc, etc.
Picking an amp without getting to do comparisons in your home with your speakers is a crap shoot, and an expensive one at that.
I guess my bottom line is, the Anthem may sound better in some ways, and the amps in your 49-TX might actually sound better in other ways.
PS I went with the most natural sounding, Nakamichi. Later, I added the one that had the most punch. I swapped them in and out many times and it was always a dilemma because I had to give something up with either choice. Luckily, I am using both for 6.1.
Artie