Yamaha vs. Adcom (1 Viewer)

[Mark Russ]

I have an old Yamaha 2092 receiver that I'm using in the bedroom system. I also have an even older Adcom 535 power amp that I'm not currently using. That amp was very conservativly rated at 60 watts per channel, but I understand was really pushing more like 80, with more dynamic headroom on top of that. If I were to run the Yamaha 2092's main left/right preouts to that Adcom amp to power the main left and right front channel speakers (Polk RT1000i), would that be an upgrade over the Yamaha receiver's internal main left/right power amps rated at 100 watts per channel for those 2 channels (especially since it wouldn't cost anything extra to do it)? Opinions please, and thanks in advance!

 

[RobertSchaez]

Even though that was a pretty decent receiver in its day, I would expect that going to a dedicated amp would be an improvement. Not sure how much, but as you said, the only cost to give it a try is a couple pair of jumpers.

 

[Marc H]

I'd say it's worth doing. I think you will hear an improvement.

 

[Mark Russ]

Thanks for the replys guys. I think I'm going to give it a shot. I've got absolutely nothing to lose from trying it.
Robert, you are right about the 2092 being a good receiver in it's day. At the time I got it in late '97 or early '98, it was Yamaha's flagship receiver then, and second in their entire product inventory next to only the top of the line integrated amp (DSP A1 I think it was, or something like that). As much as I payed for it then, and no more than I could get for it now if I sold it, I'm keeping it! Besides, it's only in the bedroom system now anyway, so it's basically nothing more than just a back up, and it's more then adequate for that since it's not really used every night or anything like that.
Originally, I had a Denon 3802 I picked up last summer from 6th Ave. for $700 for the living room system, but I'm going to sell it because now I have a Harman Kardon 8000 I very recently picked up from one call when they had that $1200 deal on it. I figure I could get a lot more of my money back out of selling the Denon 3802 than I could the Yamaha.
Besides, even though the Yamaha doesn't have any 6.1 processing capability, or even 5.1 DTS for that matter, (but no big deal to me since the Sony 7000 DVD player I originally bought with it back then doesn't do DTS either) it does do Yamaha's DSP modes. Church, disco, stadium, etc. are all fairly lame (IMHO), but I do like the rock club and jazz club modes with it for music somewhat. I also really like the movie theater modes it overlays on top of dolby digital 5.1 soundtracks a lot. IMHO, they are better than regular plain old dolby digital 5.1
The 2092 also has a connection for an additional pair of front "effects" speakers that you put on the front wall spaced further apart, behind, and above your main left/right front channel speakers. I'm using a pair of Polk RT15i for that purpose. However, the receiver's built in amps for those 2 front effects speakers are only rated for 25 watts per channel, and only @ 1 khz at that (not 20 - 20 khz). That got me thinking: if I do use the little baby Adcom 535 for my main front left/right speakers, I could reconfigure the Yamaha receiver's built in front left/right main channel amps to power the front effects speakers instead at 100 watts per channel (full bandwidth rated at that). So that leads up to my next question, which is would that be any additional benefit as well, or would it be best to leave the front effects channels as they are with their paltry amps they are currently set up with?