4 Channel Amp

[Hank_Marvin]

I'm after a good quality 4 channel amp that will be fed by a raspberry pi / hifiberry dac running squeezeplay.

It's for a kitchen/diner, 4m X 7m'ish.

Now I was going to just get a 2 channel amp to feed two speakers in a central position but wasn't sure if two speakers over kitchen, and two speakers over seating/dining area would be better.

Mainly because when I'm in the seating area relaxing, drinking, enjoying music I want a good stereo effect, but I guess I could have this with just two speakers, just position them near the seating area.


So really, good 2 channel and 4 channel options would be great. Although I was quite set on the hifiberry amp if I just went two channels.


Thanks

 

[Hank_Marvin]

Only ones I've seen really are car amps, most of them are 4 channel but i'm not too familiar with car amps.

Just I want something of reasonable quality and even though cheap the hifiberry amp is meant to be rather good.

Money would depend on how many speakers I was buying really. But a hifiberry amp is about £80 all in, but probably no more than £200, should be plenty.

But maybe with my room I won't even need four speakers....I know my AV amp and MS Mezzo 2's would be fine in there but ceiling speakers I'm not sure.

 

[Hank_Marvin]

I did see that but wasn't sure it was quite what I wanted but I guess it would work, I was more thinking about something hidden away in the loft (hifiberry amp) but this could work.

Speaker A, B, A+B Selector

Does A+B mean it would power both sets at once? Less power I guess though.

 

[Hank_Marvin]

Thanks very much dude.

I think I'll get one for the bathroom, I have a monitor audio c165-t2 lined up for in there.

But for the kitchen diner I think the pioneer looks great, possibly a little big but can hide it somewhere handy I'm sure.

 

[Hank_Marvin]

Any thoughts on speaker placement, 2 or 4? I would like a good sound at the small seating area.

I think two might be enough, would allow me to use B speakers for some patio sound.......

 

[Hank_Marvin]

Yes another single stereo speaker like I have could work for kitchen area.

I guess though, the one disadvantage to daisy chaining 2 or 4 speakers in zone A is they will always be on, I couldn't just have kitchen or just seating but I don't actually think that would be a problem in my setup as the area isn't huge.


What sort of speakers are they that can handle being daisy chained? I didn't see any mention or it on richersounds. I'd want them to be fairly well matched, looks and soundwise, so when I make treble and bass adjustments they sound similar, just I know the MA 165-t2 I have needs the treble decreased and the bass increased, I think its the double tweeters? Thought it was faulty when I first tested it but sounded fine after adjustment.


I quite like the look of the Yamaha rn-301 or Yamaha as501, bit more money than the a20.......


Thanks very much for your help again Lucid.

 

[Hank_Marvin]

Hmmmm, got any links?

 

[Hank_Marvin]

Sorry yeah I was just using my bathroom speaker as an example of being top end heavy so would need something similar otherwise if mono speakers where bottom end heavy then it would be hard to balance the sound.

I do think I'd like to go down the 2 x mono and 1 x stereo path, think that would be a nice setup.

I'm sure I'll get a sound i'm happy with just like im happy with my main speakers in livingroom and the ceiling speaker I have sounded fine when tested sitting on a shelf.


I was thinking about some vintage look speakers though, would suit the room well but think I'll stick to ceiling ones. Aiming to spend about £4-500 on the two or three speakers.

I might even forget the outside zone to spare the neighbours and I quite fancy a 80's boombox modded to work into my squeeze system.


And I do like the look of those two Yamaha's, probably go for the as501 as I will have the network player part on my raspberry pi, i'd even be tempted to hook up my mezzo 2's to it, would be a lot better than my onkyo 606 i'm sure .


Thanks a lot