Receivers, amps & pre-amps?

[camper]

Thanks for the quick answers.

Couple follow ups....if the tower speakers are individually powered, does the benefit of the amp begin to fade? Also, what is the role of the pre-amp...does that take the place of a receiver if a seperate amp is used? Or, is a receiver still needed?

I'm getting the impression that you go with a receiver or you go with an amp & pre-amp...but I want to be positive that's right. I'm really liking the Denon AVP-A1HDCI but I don't want to overkill either.

Also, is it better to have a reciever & amp, or a pre-amp & amp?

Thanks guys.

camper

[Slec]

Originally Posted by camper

Couple follow ups....if the tower speakers are individually powered, does the benefit of the amp begin to fade? Also, what is the role of the pre-amp...does that take the place of a receiver if a seperate amp is used? Or, is a receiver still needed?

AVR's act as processors and preamps. You can also get dedicated pre/pros. In a dedicated (separate) pre/pro, all of the power goes to decoding, whereas in an AVR it goes to many different things (upscaling in the receiver, powering speakers, decoding the signal etc)

I'm getting the impression that you go with a receiver or you go with an amp & pre-amp...but I want to be positive that's right. I'm really liking the Denon AVP-A1HDCI but I don't want to overkill either.

You can also go AVR>amp. Which is best will depend on the quality of the gear you decide on. I'll let those more in the know comment on your particular choice. A high quality AVR might be a better option than a low quality separate pre/pro. Finding the right mix within your budget is part of the fun!

edit: and since your in the planning stages, make sure you have a dedicated circuit for your home theater

[kpkelley]

This analogy is a bit convoluted, but it's the best I could come up with.

You have three bikes, one is a mountain bike, one is a road bike, and one is an all-terrain bike. The mountain bike and road bike are specialized for their specific conditions, smooth road or rocky terrain. The all-terrain bike has shocks for off-roading, but they aren't as good the ones in the mountain bike. The road bike has specialized thin tires for less weight and more rpms, while the all-terrain bike has wheels that are average size, and the mountain bike has big wide tires with lots of ridges so they can maintain traction in muddy terrain.

Similarly a pre/pro and amp system specializes it's components with high quality parts to do their specific jobs as best as possible. The receiver needs to be all things for everybody, and so can do everything well, but nothing great. The dac's in the processor will be as good or better than most receivers and they will be more heavily shielded per channel so there is less ghosting and transferance. The amplifier will also be more heavily shielded than the receiver resulting in a tighter sound field.

Whether or not you get a receiver or a pre/pro comes down to the question of amplification. If you have seven speakers you could get a 5-channel amp and power the rears with the receiver, or a 7-channel amp to power them all, or a 5-channel amp and a 2-channel amp for more power to the front left and right speakers.

[camper]

The analogy definitely helps, thanks.

Next bit is to figure out an amp/pre-amp combo and that will defintiely take some reasearch. But at least I've got a tighter circle to research, so taht is a good thing

thanks again,

camper

[Intamin]

Camper, I think this thread should definitely be of use for you when deciding on pre/pros, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940065

Good luck with the amp decision. There are a lot of brands and a lot of high quality amps.

[petenad]

Don't forget to look North of the border as your dollar is worth more here now and there's alot of good companies
To add to MrKelly's list:
http://www.anthemav.com/NewSitev2.0/News2.html

[Big Daddy]

Advantages of Receivers

• A receiver consists of three or four components: preamp/processor (all the switching and processing are done there), Tuner (AM/FM radio), and an Amplifier.
• Receivers are convenient.
• Receivers are affordable.
• Receivers take less space

Disadvantages of Receivers

• In a receiver, the three components above share the same power supply, circuits, etc.
• Many compromises in the design of receivers.
• Receivers have less power than amplifiers (less than 150 watts).
• Receivers may not be able to drive high quality, large, and inefficient speakers.
• Most receivers may have difficulty driving 4 ohm speakers.
• Audio quality is not as good as separates.
• They have less headroom and may clip faster.
• May generate too much heat.

Advantages of Amplifiers

• Amplifiers have their own higher-quality power supply.
• Amps do not share their parts with any other components.
• Generally speaking, amplifiers have more wattage. Some can handle 500 watts or more.
• They have a lot more headroom.
• They can easily drive 4 ohm speakers.
• Audio quality is much better.
• Can mix and match with speakers and other components.
• You can brag more.

Disadvantage of Amplifiers

• They are less convenient.
• You normally need three components to do the job of one receiver.
• They can take more space.
• They are more expensive.
• Your electric bill may run higher.
• Setup can be more complex.

My Denon receiver is a high-end receiver. However, I only use the pre/pro portion of the receiver. I use separate amplifiers to drive all my speakers. Even my subwoofers are passive and are driven by separate amplifiers. I have done some testing with receivers versus amplifiers. The audio quality of the amplifiers is significantly better. They have never clipped, but I have blown a few speakers.

See Amplifier Manufacturers for a complete list of separate amps. It has a sticky under Pre/Pro Systems & Separates.