Amplifier for Onkyo TX-NR818

[RomanBlade86]

Hi, I am thinking about buying an amplifier for the Onkyo TX-NR818 that I am planning on purchasing? Is it best to not mix brands when it comes to a receiver and amplifier, or it really doesn't matter? What would be a good amplifier to get the best out of the Onkyo TX-NR818?

[Nick The Slick]

Mixing brands doesn't matter at all. I have a Yamaha receiver and a Crown XLS 1500 pro amplifier for my L and R fronts, and a Dayton Audio APA150 for my center channel. There's no wrong or right here and it comes down to preference and budget really. If you're fairly new at this, the Emotiva amplifiers would be a great place to start looking. A lot of people will have brands they're loyal to and will most likely suggest them, and then a lot of people will simply just suggest something that will be great within your budget. In the end it comes down to what you end up liking and what you're willing to spend.

[RomanBlade86]

Originally Posted by Nick The Slick

Mixing brands doesn't matter at all. I have a Yamaha receiver and a Crown XLS 1500 pro amplifier for my L and R fronts, and a Dayton Audio APA150 for my center channel. There's no wrong or right here and it comes down to preference and budget really. If you're fairly new at this, the Emotiva amplifiers would be a great place to start looking. A lot of people will have brands they're loyal to and will most likely suggest them, and then a lot of people will simply just suggest something that will be great within your budget. In the end it comes down to what you end up liking and what you're willing to spend.

I plan on buying a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 685 speakers, so does that mean I only need a 2-channel amplifier? I see there are 2, 3, 5 and 7 channel amplifiers.

[Nick The Slick]

If those two speakers are the only ones you plan on running, then yes all you need is a 2 channel. Technically you don't need an amplifier at all seeing how the 818 is a receiver, and all receivers have amplifiers built in, but if you're set on getting an external amplifier then yes a 2 channel is all you need for just 2 speakers. If you plan on adding other speakers for surround sound later down the road though you might want to get an amp with more channels to plan ahead (or you can mix and match, i.e. get a 2 channel for the front 2, then a 3 channel for the center and rear 2, or 5 mono blocks for each speaker, or 2 mono blocks for the front two and a 3 channel for the center and rears, etc. etc.)

[RomanBlade86]

Originally Posted by Nick The Slick

If those two speakers are the only ones you plan on running, then yes all you need is a 2 channel. Technically you don't need an amplifier at all seeing how the 818 is a receiver, and all receivers have amplifiers built in, but if you're set on getting an external amplifier then yes a 2 channel is all you need for just 2 speakers. If you plan on adding other speakers for surround sound later down the road though you might want to get an amp with more channels to plan ahead (or you can mix and match, i.e. get a 2 channel for the front 2, then a 3 channel for the center and rear 2, or 5 mono blocks for each speaker, or 2 mono blocks for the front two and a 3 channel for the center and rears, etc. etc.)

What exactly will the amplifier do? Will it actually improve the sound quality, or does it simply give the sound more power and volume? I see there are different watts in the amplifiers such as 125 W X 2 and 150W X 2. When it comes down to it, what does it all mean? the UPA-200 | 125W x 2 is $349 and the XPA-200 | 150w x 2 is $499. Knowing that my receiver will be the Onkyo 818 and a pair of B&W 685 speakers, which is the best option? Will the more expensive option be better in my case, and why?

Is the Onkyo 818 overkill for only a pair of B&W 685 speakers and SVS PB-1000 subwoofer, or is the extra power worth it? Also, would an amplifier be overkill for this setup for a small bedroom?

[Nick The Slick]

Some of this stuff is debatable and I'm probably not the best person to answer these questions, but I will do my best to answer what I can. In my experience, having an external amplifier can have all of the benefits you listed.

The 818 is an awesome receiver from what I've read, so an external amp may not improve sound quality, but what it will do is give you more headroom. This means you will be able to crank the volume louder before hitting distortion. For example if I power my speakers with just my receiver, I hit distortion with most music around -25 or -20db. With my external amp however, I can crank it right on up to about -10 or sometimes even single digits before distortion is noticeable. Another benefit to having an external amplifier is that it gets you closer to having each component doing only 1 job. You have you source sending the original signal, your receiver processing the signal and sending it to it's proper place, your amplifier boosting the signal to drive the speakers, and your speakers reproducing the recording. So instead of having your receiver do both the job of processing the signal and amplifying it using the same power supply (i.e. things are fighting for resources), you take a bit of the stress off it.

As for which is better, I can't really answer that. Better in this hobby can sometimes be subjective and get a little muddy, especially when you're comparing 2 good quality products. I've never personally owned an Emotiva product so I can't comment on any of them, but they get rave reviews and there are members here that would swear by them, and they would be the ones to ask questions about the Emotiva amps specifically. From what I've read though I don't think you could go wrong with any of them honestly.

Now for your last question, yes and no. I currently have my setup in a small bedroom (living with my parents which is changing here in a few weeks ) and having that much juice is really just unnecessary. But for those days when no one's around and you just feel like cranking it up, it's very nice having that power on tap to fill the entire house with clean music. I don't know what your listening habits are or how loud you like things, but I would be willing to bet the 818 alone without an external amp would honestly be enough. If you're only going to be using 2 channels, the 818 can easily do the 135 watts/channel it states and that's plenty. The choice is up to you whether you want to spend the money to have the extra power on tap or if you plan on moving the setup to a larger room down the road then it's nice to plan ahead and get the amp now (like I have done).

If you still have more questions about amps in general, this would be a great thread to give a read through: A Guide to Amplifiers. There are tons of sticky threads packed full of info around in the Audio section that would probably be of some benefit for you. The majority of them (including the one I linked you) are written by Big Daddy and are totally confusing and most likely have to be read 2 or 3 times, but it's worth it to be able to make an informed and knowledgeable decision.

[RomanBlade86]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Yeah, I suppose with the Onkyo 818 receiver it will provide more than enough power into a small bedroom...for now. The receiver is 40lbs so you know there's plenty of power under that hood! I don't plan on watching movies and playing video games at a high volume so I suppose an amplifier will not be required for my setup. Who knows, that can all change. I'll also talk to an audiophile relative of mine and see what he has to say about this matter. He drops money on all this stuff like you wouldn't believe.

Originally Posted by Nick The Slick

Some of this stuff is debatable and I'm probably not the best person to answer these questions, but I will do my best to answer what I can. In my experience, having an external amplifier can have all of the benefits you listed.

The 818 is an awesome receiver from what I've read, so an external amp may not improve sound quality, but what it will do is give you more headroom. This means you will be able to crank the volume louder before hitting distortion. For example if I power my speakers with just my receiver, I hit distortion with most music around -25 or -20db. With my external amp however, I can crank it right on up to about -10 or sometimes even single digits before distortion is noticeable. Another benefit to having an external amplifier is that it gets you closer to having each component doing only 1 job. You have you source sending the original signal, your receiver processing the signal and sending it to it's proper place, your amplifier boosting the signal to drive the speakers, and your speakers reproducing the recording. So instead of having your receiver do both the job of processing the signal and amplifying it using the same power supply (i.e. things are fighting for resources), you take a bit of the stress off it.

As for which is better, I can't really answer that. Better in this hobby can sometimes be subjective and get a little muddy, especially when you're comparing 2 good quality products. I've never personally owned an Emotiva product so I can't comment on any of them, but they get rave reviews and there are members here that would swear by them, and they would be the ones to ask questions about the Emotiva amps specifically. From what I've read though I don't think you could go wrong with any of them honestly.

Now for your last question, yes and no. I currently have my setup in a small bedroom (living with my parents which is changing here in a few weeks ) and having that much juice is really just unnecessary. But for those days when no one's around and you just feel like cranking it up, it's very nice having that power on tap to fill the entire house with clean music. I don't know what your listening habits are or how loud you like things, but I would be willing to bet the 818 alone without an external amp would honestly be enough. If you're only going to be using 2 channels, the 818 can easily do the 135 watts/channel it states and that's plenty. The choice is up to you whether you want to spend the money to have the extra power on tap or if you plan on moving the setup to a larger room down the road then it's nice to plan ahead and get the amp now (like I have done).

If you still have more questions about amps in general, this would be a great thread to give a read through: A Guide to Amplifiers. There are tons of sticky threads packed full of info around in the Audio section that would probably be of some benefit for you. The majority of them (including the one I linked you) are written by Big Daddy and are totally confusing and most likely have to be read 2 or 3 times, but it's worth it to be able to make an informed and knowledgeable decision.