AVR for Stereo music playback?

What is it you are trying to achieve?

You can use an avr to play music of course, but depending on how serious you are about your music, the general concensus is that a 2 channel hifi amplifier will do a better job.

I have a decent avr but having listened to some hifi amps I decided I wanted to go that way. I currently have pre-outs from my avr that connect my hifi amp. This way my hifi amp drives my front speakers when watching tv/films, but it's also connected to my music server (via a DAC) for when I want to listen to to music. This way I didn't need to buy two sets of speakers.
 
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My AVR has no pre-outs unfortunaltely.

However, my speakers are bi-wireable.. Could I connect one pair to the AVR, another to HIFI amp?
 
If you want to spend money then get a hifi amp, modern avrs are pretty good imo but the arguement will go on for ever.
 
Gimpymoo said:
My AVR has no pre-outs unfortunaltely.

However, my speakers are bi-wireable.. Could I connect one pair to the AVR, another to HIFI amp?
Click to expand...

No, but you could use a switch box, that what switching the inputs to the speakers. Putting an extra link in the chain however could introduce noise etc. I couldn't tell but there you go.

With regards to the benefit, it's all down to what you can personally perceive sound wise. Best option is to use your current avr and see how you go. If you feel 'something' is missing musically, go demo some hifi amps when lockdown lifts.
 
/\/\/\ Just a suggestion. TBH I wouldn't buy an Arcam AVR either, given their track record of reliability & firmware bugs. I have been tempted in the past though.
 
I was looking at the AVR250. Looks a nice bit of kit but as you say, they don't have best track record with complex AV processors.

Most AV amps I have listened to have been pretty woeful for pure music listening.

I had an old Roksan Kandy L3, went the av route as I was watching more films than music. I had a few AV amps from the like of Yamaha, Onkyo (all in the 1-2k price range) and they all sounded terrible compared to the Roksan. In the end I picked up a Arcam AVR280 and that was at least something I could live with from a music point of view. It was pretty good with films as well.

Ive gone full circle and I'm back to stereo (well 2.1). Arcam SA20 amp. Its a great sounding amp but I was looking the AVR250 for the HDMI in and the Dirac room correction. Cant find anything on how it compares to the SA20 though, and listening to them at the moment isn't going to happen so ill more than likely stick with what I have. Although it does look like a nice bit of kit and its a bargain at the min :p.
 
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