I currently use a modest 90 watt/channel 7.1 receiver (see signature below). I have read that my Polk RTi12 towers (stereo) really sing with amplifier power MUCH higher than what I am feeding it. My question is this: Will using a professional live-sound amplifier make a considerable upgrade in sound output? I realize that 250 watts vs. 90 watts is a much bigger power increase, but does it translate to higher fidelity given my equipment?
I have noticed that live sound amplifiers don't have to be super expensive. I saw amps from Gem Sound, Gemini, behringer, etc. in the 200-250 watt/channel @8 ohm, range. Another concern is the amplifier's fan noise, how loud is it? How to connect it? I plan on using the receiver's on-board amps for the rest of the speakers in my 7.1 system. I notice that these amplifiers use xlr inputs and 1/4" plugs. I also notice that these amplifiers have individual L/R gain controls... how to calibrate? My receiver does not have any analog pre-outs, so ultimately will any of this be possible? Without some kind of signal converter?
I currently use a modest 90 watt/channel 7.1 receiver (see signature below). I have read that my Polk RTi12 towers (stereo) really sing with amplifier power MUCH higher than what I am feeding it. My question is this: Will using a professional live-sound amplifier make a considerable upgrade in sound output? I realize that 250 watts vs. 90 watts is a much bigger power increase, but does it translate to higher fidelity given my equipment?
I have noticed that live sound amplifiers don't have to be super expensive. I saw amps from Gem Sound, Gemini, behringer, etc. in the 200-250 watt/channel @8 ohm, range. Another concern is the amplifier's fan noise, how loud is it? How to connect it? I plan on using the receiver's on-board amps for the rest of the speakers in my 7.1 system. I notice that these amplifiers use xlr inputs and 1/4" plugs. I also notice that these amplifiers have individual L/R gain controls... how to calibrate? My receiver does not have any analog pre-outs, so ultimately will any of this be possible? Without some kind of signal converter?
Thanks!
No it won't be possible until you get a receiver or processor with audio pre-outs. You'd have no way of connecting the amps to the processor otherwise. But for info on amps, check Big Daddy's thread.
I currently use a modest 90 watt/channel 7.1 receiver (see signature below). I have read that my Polk RTi12 towers (stereo) really sing with amplifier power MUCH higher than what I am feeding it. My question is this: Will using a professional live-sound amplifier make a considerable upgrade in sound output? I realize that 250 watts vs. 90 watts is a much bigger power increase, but does it translate to higher fidelity given my equipment?
I have noticed that live sound amplifiers don't have to be super expensive. I saw amps from Gem Sound, Gemini, behringer, etc. in the 200-250 watt/channel @8 ohm, range. Another concern is the amplifier's fan noise, how loud is it? How to connect it? I plan on using the receiver's on-board amps for the rest of the speakers in my 7.1 system. I notice that these amplifiers use xlr inputs and 1/4" plugs. I also notice that these amplifiers have individual L/R gain controls... how to calibrate? My receiver does not have any analog pre-outs, so ultimately will any of this be possible? Without some kind of signal converter?
Thanks!
My understanding is that without pre-outs, the answer is no. Sorry. A lot of us on this site have been there with a receiver and have learned the hard way. An amplifier is a wise investment and there is benefit to using one, but your first step will be to acquire a receiver that can be paired with one. Yamaha makes some very affordable receivers and their entry level models that feature pre-outs tend to be far cheaper than comparable models from other manufacturers.
Thanks guys... I was afraid of this but I guess that's what happens when you go cheap. My sound system sounds great, but I'd like to get full-performance out of my polk towers without having to use my sub.
Thanks guys... I was afraid of this but I guess that's what happens when you go cheap. My sound system sounds great, but I'd like to get full-performance out of my polk towers without having to use my sub.
Wait a second - are you talking about for 2-channel music or for blus? Why would you want to have your fronts provide the bass instead of a dedicated sub? I don't think you'd be happy with the results, and Big Daddy would certainly agree
Wait a second - are you talking about for 2-channel music or for blus? Why would you want to have your fronts provide the bass instead of a dedicated sub? I don't think you'd be happy with the results, and Big Daddy would certainly agree
I listen to 2.0 ONLY for music and there is no need for a sub. An exception can be made for pipe-organ...other than that....
I listen to 2.0 ONLY for music and there is no need for a sub. An exception can be made for pipe-organ...other than that....
John
Me too John, which is why I asked if he meant in 2-channel music or in blu applications. What I meant was for movies, you wouldn't want your fronts to replace a subwoofer. For 2-channel music, it is subjective to the ears of the listener. You and I prefer to listen to our music in Pure Direct. Others prefer to have a sub mixed in.
I listen to 2.0 ONLY for music and there is no need for a sub. An exception can be made for pipe-organ...other than that....
John
Quote:
Originally Posted by progers13
Me too John, which is why I asked if he meant in 2-channel music or in blu applications. What I meant was for movies, you wouldn't want your fronts to replace a subwoofer. For 2-channel music, it is subjective to the ears of the listener. You and I prefer to listen to our music in Pure Direct. Others prefer to have a sub mixed in.
is it possible that when he made this statement "I have read that my Polk RTi12 towers (stereo)" that he was in fact stating that he has two of the RTi12 speakers? He does start out the initial post and the first line of it stating that he has a 7.1 system so I think of his 7 channels he was talking about getting external amp power for his RTi12 which I will gather are being used as front L&R's and he wanted to do 2 channel music with them as he stated directly that he would use the receiver to power the other 5 channels but an external amp for the front 2. he either wants to do stereo only at times with the front 2 and wants more juice for the volume and will probably set them to full range/large in 2 channel to really take advantage of them and for that he does want to use a good amp for those RTi12's. I had RTi10's and I do think they need more power if you want to take advantage of them, they can perform if given the headroom of a good sized amp, of course this also depends on what they are crossed over at and other things to include room size etc. of course he does need a receiver or pre-amp with pre-outs to accomplish any of this.
I kinda think you were both hitting on it. I'm just throwing a little extra sauce on the goose! what do you guys think? OP is this what you were asking?
Last edited by solarrdadd; 10-04-2010 at 09:36 PM.
is it possible that when he made this statement "I have read that my Polk RTi12 towers (stereo)" that he was in fact stating that he has two of the RTi12 speakers? He does start out the initial post and the first line of it stating that he has a 7.1 system so I think of his 7 channels he was talking about getting external amp power for his RTi12 which I will gather are being used as front L&R's and he wanted to do 2 channel music with them as he stated directly that he would use the receiver to power the other 5 channels but an external amp for the front 2. he either wants to do stereo only at times with the front 2 and wants more juice for the volume and will probably set them to full range/large in 2 channel to really take advantage of them and for that he does want to use a good amp for those RTi12's. I had RTi10's and I do think they need more power if you want to take advantage of them, they can perform if given the headroom of a good sized amp, of course this also depends on what they are crossed over at and other things to include room size etc. of course he does need a receiver or pre-amp with pre-outs to accomplish any of this.
I kinda think you were both hitting on it. I'm just throwing a little extra sauce on the goose! what do you guys think? OP is this what you were asking?
For most audiophiles, the two mortal sins of playing two-channel music are:
Bass management and using a subwoofer.
Equalization.
Regrettably, I have to disagree with both of them.
By using a subwoofer for stereo music, you are not committing a mortal sin. You are just separating the source of lower frequencies for better overall frequency response. There is nothing unholly about this. Lower frequencies and small rooms don't get along. You are just applying basic science because small home theater rooms force us to do it.
Furthermore, if you are using Pure Direct and that mode bypasses bass management and all equalization, you are just fooling yourself if you think you are getting superior sound and better frequency response. We do not live in an anechoic chamber and our speakers do not perform they way they were designed by the manufacturers. It is also impossible to hear the sound in our rooms the way the sound engineers recorded them. If you look at the frequency response of your speakers in your room, you will probably cry. This has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the speakers, amplifiers, processors, or the type of music. Equalization is a must, not because we like it, but rather because we are forced to do it.
In my two-channel room, I listen to stereo music with two front speakers and a 12" subwoofer. In my HT room, I listen to stereo music in 2.8 mode (2 front speakers and 8 subwoofers). I don't believe stereo gods think I am or blasphemy. If you think your front speakers will give better bass response than strategically positioned subwoofers, think again.
I hate to repeat myself, but I have to because nobody likes to read and I have to force it down your throats. This a copy of post #235 in A Guide Bass Management thread.
Quote:
It is generally accepted among professional poker players that you do not play and bet with the cards that you have, but rather you play and bet against the other players. As far as bass management and setting the crossovers are concerned, it is pretty much the same. The room perhaps plays a bigger role than your speakers in determining how the bass should be played in your room.
There are normally several reasons why bass management should be performed and send the low frequency waves to the subwoofer. The reasons are as follows:
Even if you are using tower speakers with good low frequency extension, they will not have as much box volume as a dedicated subwoofer and as a result, they will not necessarily go down to the lowest frequencies as linearly and free of compression as your subwoofer.
In most cases, the quality and the low frequency extension of subwoofer drivers is better than the woofers inside the majority of speakers. Therefore, it makes sense for better and more capable driver to generate the more difficult bass frequencies.
By blocking the lower frequency waves from the regular speakers, you will indirectly protect them from any possibility of distortion or damage damage to their drivers.
You have flexibility in placing your subwoofer(s). As far as the front, center, and the surround speakers are concerned, you normally have very little flexibility in positioning them properly.
If the subwoofer and the front speakers play the same bass frequencies, there will be a possibility of phase cancellation of certain bass frequencies. Subwoofers have phase control and flexibility in placement. Speakers don't.
As most subwoofers are powered and have their own dedicated amplifiers, by redirecting the relatively power-hungry lower frequencies from the speakers, you will free up the receiver/amplifier from powering these frequencies and as a result it will have better dynamics, greater headroom, and less distortion.
Audio calibration programs such as the Audyssey MultEQ apply more filters to subwoofers and you will get much better bass performance. The MultEQ subwoofer filters have 8x higher resolution than the filters for the other speakers.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there are solid scientific reasons why it is best to separate the low frequency drivers from the rest of the speaker drivers and place them in a more appropriate location to avoid the problems associated with standing waves and room modes. It highly recommended that you read and review A Guide to Subwoofers (Part II): Standing Waves & Room Modes.
Small Versus Large:
If you have a capable subwoofer or multiple subwoofers in the room, all your speakers become SMALL by default. This rule applies to multi-channel speaker systems as well as stereo speakers. The reasons have absolutely nothing to do with the physical size of your speakers or the low frequency extension of your front or surround speakers. It has everything to do with the source of bass waves in the room and their interaction with the room boundaries. In most cases, you do not have that much flexibility with the placement of the front or surround speakers. However, a subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere out of the way for the most optimum bass response.
The most important research about speakers and subwoofers have been done by Dr. Floyd Toole and his associates (Sean Olive, Allan Devantier, Todd Welti, etc.) at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and at Harman International. They did multiple studies in anechoic chambers and real rooms to study the behavior of low frequency waves. They also ran many simulation models. One of the most important things that they found was that when all your speakers are running full-range in the room, you will experience a huge difference in the level of bass that is generated by each speaker. It is best to quote Dr. Toole from one of his scientific articles.
When a full-range signal is panned to each of the loudspeakers in turn, and measurements are made at the listening position, we find hugely different bass responses for each of the loudspeakers. The differences are as large as 40dB in this room, and the biggest ones are all at low frequencies. The reason, the woofers each have very different acoustical “coupling” to the room resonances because they are in different locations. This will be different for every different room. Again, referring back to the “circle of confusion” the bass that was heard in the control room will not be the same as that heard at home. It cannot be.
BassManagement.jpg We have five very different bass sounds, one for each channel!
Attempting to improve the situation by panning the bass to pairs of loudspeakers changes things, but does not remove the problem. Anybody think that an “ideal” room can help this? An anechoic room would, but none of us would wish to live in one.
And this is why bass management and subwoofers make sense. Now we can place the woofers where they perform optimally for a specific room with a specific listening position. We can place the satellites (a term that seems inappropriate for some of the large capable loudspeakers that we use in the high-passed channels) where they need to be for directional and imaging effects. In other words, we design the low-frequency portion of the system separately because rooms force us to do so. This is the only way that we can get good bass in any room, and have any hope of having similarly good bass in different rooms. Remember about preserving the art?
Why Don’t People Like to Set Their Speakers to Small?
People have a psychological difficulty with the word SMALL. They have spent good money on their front speakers and get insulted when the AVR sets them to SMALL. Remember that this is not a personal insult against you or your speakers. Small does not refer to any part of your anatomy. My Definitive Technology front speakers have 15" built-in subwoofers with built-in 300 watt amplifiers. Their low frequency extension is around 15Hz. When I set the front speakers to SMALL and let the 4 external subwoofers handle the lower frequencies, the quality of the sound (both 2-channel music and multi-channel movies) improves significantly.
It is helpful to redefine the words SMALL and LARGE to:
LARGE = No Bass Management
SMALL = Speakers are Bass Managed
Many audiophiles and worshipers of two-channel music are dead set against subwoofers. To them, the idea of 2.1 system is analogous to blasphemy. Perhaps, they should open their minds a little and realize that we are just replacing and separating the low frequency generators out of the speakers and positioning them in a more appropriate location because the room modes force us to do this.
Double Bass
As I explained in post #1 of this thread, using Double Bass (Onkyo) or LFE+Main (Denon) or Both (Yamaha) is not a good idea.
Is there a Standard Low Pass Cutoff Frequency such as 80Hz?
An extensive survey conducted in Europe showed that 80Hz is the best choice for receivers with fixed-frequency filters. The mean frequency that the vast majority of humans began to distinguish the subwoofer directionality was 185 Hz, and 80 Hz was the minimum frequency below which no one heard directionality. See the exercises below.
There really isn't a standard low pass cutoff frequency that applies to all situations. The THX suggestion to use 80Hz applies only to THX Certified Speakers. These speakers are required to have low frequency extension down to 80Hz. It is not a blind recommendation that applies to all speakers. It doesn't make much sense to set the HPF to 80Hz, for example, if the other speakers are small satellites and their frequency response do not go below 100Hz. Even though bass frequencies above 100Hz may become directional, a higher high pass filter such as 120Hz may be required.
Furthermore, look at the following table and check the wavelengths of the bass frequencies. You will notice that below 80Hz to 120Hz, these long wavelengths can create havoc in a small home theater room. I don't believe any one of you has an HT room as large as a movie theater. As long as you are a normal human being and live in a normal house, you should let the lower frequencies below 80Hz to 120Hz be handled by strategically placed subwoofers in the room. If you don't listen to me, I shall strike you with the 14ft wavelength of the 80Hz frequency.
As far as subwoofers are concerned, most of them cannot handle the frequencies above 120Hz to 150Hz and tend to distort. They are not suitable for higher crossover filter points. It is important that we block these higher frequencies away from the subwoofers. In addition, some people complain and believe that they can localize 100 Hz. It is possible that the crossover filters in their surround processor or receiver are not fast enough in their transition. Although 100Hz is very difficult to localize, the frequencies above that are easier to localize. Keep in mind that the slope of the crossover filter is the real issue. There is no doubt that 400Hz and 800Hz can easily be localized. See how these two frequencies are attenuated by a 12dB filter when the crossover is set at 100Hz and 50Hz.
Example 1. Set the LPF to 100Hz. Assume the slope is -12dB.
If you compare the results of Example 1 with the results of Example 2, you will notice that if the crossover filter slope is 12dB, the 50Hz crossover setting is more effective than 100Hz in blocking the higher frequencies from the subwoofer. It will make the location of the subwoofer more invisible.
Now, let’s redo the above examples by setting the crossover filter’s slope to 24dB.
Example 3. Set the LPF to 100Hz, Assume the slope is -24dB.
As you can easily see, a subwoofer with a 12 dB/octave crossover filter is not suitable for a higher crossover frequency. Fortunately, most modern high end AVR receivers and processors have low pass filters with fourth order (24dB) slope. The high pass filters generally have second order (12dB) slope. Let's see what happens when you set the HPF of the front or center to 80Hz or 100Hz.
Example 4. Set the HPF filter to 80Hz. Assume the crossover slope is -12dB.
80Hz: -0dB
40Hz: -12dB
20Hz: -24dB
Example 5. Set the HPF filter to 100Hz. Assume the crossover slope is -12dB.
100Hz: -0dB
50Hz: -12dB
25Hz: -24dB
As you can see, even if the crossover is set to 100Hz, the lower frequencies are not completely cut off from the front sound stage.
In most cases, it is best to set all speakers to SMALL and set their crossovers to the same point. If the crossover values are not the same, there may be some phase issues when the processor has to add different frequencies and sum them with the LFE channel before it sends them all to the subwoofer.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
In a small home theater room, it makes sense to separate the low frequency drivers (subwoofers) from the main speakers and place them in a more appropriate and optimal position. This has absolutely nothing to do with the quality, design, or low frequency extension of the main speakers. The main reason is because the room forces us to do this and not because the speakers are deficient.
The low frequency sound waves have very large wavelengths. These waves will interact with the room boundaries and create standing waves and room modes. As a result, bass will become very uneven across the room. These modes occur in all small rooms and for all speakers/subwoofers and depend on the dimensions of the room and not the quality or design of the speakers/subwoofers.
The location of the bass generator and the location of the listener determine whether certain low frequencies are energized or cancelled. If your chair or sofa happens to be located in one of the troughs of the standing waves, you are not going to hear much deep bass. But if you get up and walk a few feet back, or to the left, or to the right, chances are you will hit one of the peaks and the bass will be very strong, perhaps too much of a good thing.
Standing waves in small rooms is a problem associated with low frequency waves and not high frequencies. All small rooms are subject to standing waves. It is a well-known fact that cubic rooms are the worst as far as bass performance is concerned. First of all, such a room will have a very high ceiling and will be impractical. Secondly, even if we make the ceiling height half of the other two dimensions, the room resonant frequencies will all line up together like Pawns on a chessboard with big gaps between them. As a result, some frequencies will be overly accentuated, and others not adequately represented. A room is normally better if its resonant frequencies are more uniformly distributed.
Standing waves occur even in non-rectangular rooms. However, their location becomes unpredictable and difficult to calculate. The advantage of a rectangular room is that you can easily calculate the location of the room modes. This is what Dr. Toole has to say about non-rectangular rooms:
The most appropriate solution to even out the bass performance across the room is to place 2 or 4 subwoofers in the room and set the other speakers to small with appropriate crossover frequencies. Some bass equalization is generally required. However, remember that an equalizer will solve some problems, primarily those related to peaks. A null is an entirely different situation and no amount of boost can fill a room-induced null. Think of it as a water drain. No amount of water can fill a drain.
If you own one or more capable subwoofers, all the other speakers in the room become small by default. Again, this is not because your main speakers are deficient. As I said before, the room is the real culprit.
Depending on the capabilities of your speakers and their location in the room, a crossover frequency between 60Hz to 120Hz is appropriate for the vast majority of people.
In large halls, such as movie theaters, large auditoriums, large indoor stadiums, or outdoors, we don’t generally worry about low frequency standing waves.
Room treatment is effective to control the higher frequencies. However, they are generally very ineffective for frequencies below 100Hz. Although an anechoic chamber has better acoustics than even a well-treated room, manufacturers and researchers tend to go outdoors to perform tests on very low and deep frequencies.
The laws of physics do not stop working in your room because you feel a certain way or believe your speakers/subwoofers are designed a certain way or they are too good and too expensive to be subject to the effects of room modes.
Tower speakers made sense in the past in the era of stereo. However, they have become almost obsolete because of three reasons:
The availability of advanced receivers/processors and their sophisticated calibration programs and crossover settings.
The availability of very good powered subwoofers with excellent low frequency extension at very reasonable prices.
The increase in the level of knowledge and availability of information as far as wave interaction, room modes, and bass performance are concerned.
Instead of wasting too much money on big tower speakers, it makes more sense for the vast majority of home theater users to spend their money on mid-sized front speakers that have excellent mid-range and high frequency performance and spend the additional funds that they will save on 2 or 4 quality subwoofers. In the majority of cases, the bass will be more even across the room and superior to the bass generated by tower speakers only.
is it possible that when he made this statement "I have read that my Polk RTi12 towers (stereo)" that he was in fact stating that he has two of the RTi12 speakers? He does start out the initial post and the first line of it stating that he has a 7.1 system so I think of his 7 channels he was talking about getting external amp power for his RTi12 which I will gather are being used as front L&R's and he wanted to do 2 channel music with them as he stated directly that he would use the receiver to power the other 5 channels but an external amp for the front 2. he either wants to do stereo only at times with the front 2 and wants more juice for the volume and will probably set them to full range/large in 2 channel to really take advantage of them and for that he does want to use a good amp for those RTi12's. I had RTi10's and I do think they need more power if you want to take advantage of them, they can perform if given the headroom of a good sized amp, of course this also depends on what they are crossed over at and other things to include room size etc. of course he does need a receiver or pre-amp with pre-outs to accomplish any of this.
I kinda think you were both hitting on it. I'm just throwing a little extra sauce on the goose! what do you guys think? OP is this what you were asking?
Yes solardad, most of my sound system use is for music For music I don't like using my sub because, well in all honesty, it's too powerful and drowns out the punchiness of my rti12's (personal taste).
I just think that the Rti's would benefit from the power that's recommended that I feed them.
Yes solardad, most of my sound system use is for music For music I don't like using my sub because, well in all honesty, it's too powerful and drowns out the punchiness of my rti12's (personal taste).
I just think that the Rti's would benefit from the power that's recommended that I feed them.
sorry for the confusion.
no problem, your cool. if you want to use your speakers for music with no sub it won't hurt them and it's no problem; the 12's can go plenty low for music in 2 channel. I know because like i said, up until about 4 months ago I owned the RTi10's (and the CSi5 see how small your world just got!) and they were great with my Onkyo 805 receiver powering them, but, when i put the external XPA-5 amp to them i stood up and took notice when the volume was slightly "cranked". it was a difference noticable to me with both music and movies. as for your sub, you might even try turning the volume down a little on the sub so that it dosen't so overpower the speakers and sound so different. even now with my new speakers, sometimes when listening to 2 channel music i turn off the sub in my pre-amp so that all frequences go to the front 2 speakers (full) and sometimes I do leave the sub in there for 2.1 as it really depends on my mood; sometimes i want the sub to do the work, sometimes i want the speaker to do the work--it also depends on what my cats have to say on the matter!
of course that is just my personal experience with the RTi line and external amplification. mind you and everyone else, i'm not trying to convince you/him that sub-less is the way to go for 2 channel, it has been expressed by others more technically knowledgeable than myself why you should and of coures i respect that and have no doubt as to the validaty of the statements. i do think you should try it both ways and see which one works best for you. Adding external amplification to your system say with XPA-3 (hitting all of your fronts cause they are all power hungry) will imo, do wonders for your audio experience! I will never do without my external amps for my system!
best of luck, keep us posted.
Last edited by solarrdadd; 10-05-2010 at 05:13 PM.
Reason: added some thoughts.
For most audiophiles, the two mortal sins of playing two-channel music are:
Bass management and using a subwoofer.
Equalization.
Regrettably, I have to disagree with both of them.
By using a subwoofer for stereo music, you are not committing a mortal sin. You are just separating the source of lower frequencies for better overall frequency response. There is nothing unholly about this. Lower frequencies and small rooms don't get along. You are just applying basic science because small home theater rooms force us to do it.
Furthermore, if you are using Pure Direct and that mode bypasses bass management and all equalization, you are just fooling yourself if you think you are getting superior sound and better frequency response. We do not live in an anechoic chamber and our speakers do not perform they way they were designed by the manufacturers. It is also impossible to hear the sound in our rooms the way the sound engineers recorded them. If you look at the frequency response of your speakers in your room, you will probably cry. This has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the speakers, amplifiers, processors, or the type of music. Equalization is a must, not because we like it, but rather because we are forced to do it.
In my two-channel room, I listen to stereo music with two front speakers and a 12" subwoofer. In my HT room, I listen to stereo music in 2.8 mode (2 front speakers and 8 subwoofers). I don't believe stereo gods think I am or blasphemy. If you think your front speakers will give better bass response than strategically positioned subwoofers, think again.
I hate to repeat myself, but I have to because nobody likes to read and I have to force it down your throats. This a copy of post #235 in A Guide Bass Management thread.
I completely with BIG that room acoustics among other uncontrollable (for the most part) environmental factors play the biggest role in sound quality. In my experience, given the same equipment but in different rooms, I have gotten dramatically different sound output out of my sound system. And no matter how much i tweaked the bass management, speaker placement, sub or no sub, etc I just couldn't get my old apartment to sound as good as the living room my system sits it now!
I thought I remember seeing a thread where a signal converter somehow modified the RCA signal that went from an receiver with pre-outs to an external professional power amp. Is this true or was I just imagining such a post? I believe it was one of the posts on Big Daddy's Behringer Amplifier post.
I thought I remember seeing a thread where a signal converter somehow modified the RCA signal that went from an receiver with pre-outs to an external professional power amp. Is this true or was I just imagining such a post? I believe it was one of the posts on Big Daddy's Behringer Amplifier post.
converted it to what end? there usually isn't anything between the pre-out and the amp other than an interconnecting cable. can you elaborate just a bit more on the highlighted portion. nothing went between my 805 receiver's pre-outs and my XPA-5 amp and the same is true now that i use the 5507 pre-amp and the XPA-5 amp, nothing but interconnect cables.
I thought I remember seeing a thread where a signal converter somehow modified the RCA signal that went from an receiver with pre-outs to an external professional power amp. Is this true or was I just imagining such a post? I believe it was one of the posts on Big Daddy's Behringer Amplifier post.
i get the feeling you are refering to a converter used when going from XLR to RCA type interconnects as a form of compensation, could that be what you are referring to when you say "signal converter"? cause if it is, for the most part you would not have to worry about that if you simply went RCA to RCA for your interconnects with RCA at the pre-out end and RCA at the amp end. again, if that is what you are talking about, if not i really need you to tell us what you are talking about.
Last edited by solarrdadd; 10-05-2010 at 07:36 PM.
i get the feeling you are refering to a converter used when going from XLR to RCA type interconnects as a form of compensation, could that be what you are referring to when you say "signal converter"? cause if it is, for the most part you would not have to worry about that if you simply went RCA to RCA for your interconnects with RCA at the pre-out end and RCA at the amp end. again, if that is what you are talking about, if not i really need you to tell us what you are talking about.
I would be more than happy to elaborate on my question, except for the fact that I don't know exactly what the device did. I am trying to get back to it but I don't remember where in the forums page I saw it.
From what I remember it was a signal converter, could have been an RCA/XLR converter. I vaguely remember that the device in question compensated for a 4 db drop (or some other kind of signal loss) in signal strength that was inherent in going from analog preouts on receiver to XLR inputs on the external amp.
I hope this makes sense... I was also thinking that the ZONE 2 preouts on my receiver could act as the output to the power amp so that I can toggle between receiver power and amplifier power to switch between movies and music.
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Professional amplifier for home?
Sorry. A lot of us on this site have been there with a receiver and have learned the hard way. An amplifier is a wise investment and there is benefit to using one, but your first step will be to acquire a receiver that can be paired with one. Yamaha makes some very affordable receivers and their entry level models that feature pre-outs tend to be far cheaper than comparable models from other manufacturers.
What I meant was for movies, you wouldn't want your fronts to replace a subwoofer. For 2-channel music, it is subjective to the ears of the listener. You and I prefer to listen to our music in Pure Direct. Others prefer to have a sub mixed in.
If you think your front speakers will give better bass response than strategically positioned subwoofers, think again. 
nothing went between my 805 receiver's pre-outs and my XPA-5 amp and the same is true now that i use the 5507 pre-amp and the XPA-5 amp, nothing but interconnect cables.
Linear Mode
