New amp needed

willhub

willhub

willhub

Caporegime
Joined
3 Jan 2006
Posts
25,166
Location
Chadderton, Oldham
I currently have a CEOL Picollo.

I am not immediately upgrading to 5.1, but I want the option on the amp to run 5.1 if needed.

Wharfedale 9.1 bookshelves
BK Monolith Plus subwoofer
Samsung NU7400 TV currently.

PC usage on the TV.

No other set top boxes.

So amp with good future proofness, crossover, possible mic for positioning speakers.

Budget 250 - 300.

Thanks.
 
I do like Yamaha myself, good solid reliable units. Not the most powerful though.

Probably want to ensure 4k hdmi support also check pc resolutions, if you are using it as pass through to high Res / high refresh monitor over hdmi it may not work (in which case use display port) bypassing amp.

All should have some sort of eq but tbh I hardly notice difference between on and pure direct on the Yamaha (quickest way to compare the two)
 
Check has enough hdmi inputs, coaxial, optical etc.

Also consider if you want to upgrade power later on as that lacks pre outs.

I have a Yamaha 671 and it's fine for my needs, as close monitor use, don't need to upgrade but for main system it wouldn't be enough.
 
pre outs?

So if I went to floorstands that amp may be no good in the future?

Think the port quantities are enough for me.
 
Pre outs allow you to upgrade from internal to external power amplifiers down the road.

If you decide to buy hard to drive and/inefficient speakers a mid range avr may not be suitable. Also if you like it loud.

Plus it's easier to damage speakers with not enough power, than too much. Also if you buy expensive speakers, treble drivers are expensive so may not want to damage them.

And the more speakers you connect the less power you have per speaker.

You may want to add a ATI 1803 later on to upgrade the three most important channels, that are the most demanding on a avr. Plus once you do that, the remaining channrls get more power.

Again you may not need to do it, but if you're into upgrading gear and getting better stuff, may be worthwhile.

I've gone seperates myself (Lexicon mc-8 and ATI 2003 plus ATI 2004) and it is vastly superior to any AVR. I can have it very loud and it doesn't sound strained at all, I am using 4 ohm speakers. I'm have 300x7 power RMS all channels driven. A £300 avr will probably be 45w per channel
 
I can use my ATI 2003 with those wharfedales it'll be fine.

Just means at whatever volume, until your voice coils fry, even at that point the failure will be the speakers, not the amplifier running into distortion.

Again you may not want or need power amps but if this is primary system, you want a high end setup in the future, have it loud, large room, you may look into it.

Only the higher end avrs have pre outs, probably about £800 or so.

Again just an idea, if I were to use my 671 in the main system it wouldn't have the grunt for 5 4 ohm speakers and at my spl level, in a big room.
 
willhub said:
pre outs?

So if I went to floorstands that amp may be no good in the future?

Think the port quantities are enough for me.
Click to expand...

Pre-outs is a feature you don't find on some £600 amps. You want to spend £200 - £300, you have to cut your cloth accordingly.

The 585 will have no trouble running floorstanders so long as you're sensible with the speaker choice and how you run them.

1) Most floorstanders are way more efficient than small bookshelf speakers. This helps you. Just make sure at the time to look at the impedance curves and phase relationship. This determines whether a speaker (any speaker, small or large) presents as an easy- or difficult load to the amp. Most of the mainstream speaker brands are okay in this respect, but buy with your eyes open

2) Go for 8 Ohm rather than 6 Ohm speakers if possible. The lower the Ohms then the more current the speaker drags from the amp, and that's the real drain on power

3) Run the floorstanders as small for movies (supplemented by the sub), and then full range in 2ch stereo mode (with the sub) or pure direct mode (2ch, full range, no sub). The amp will divert some power from the unused centre and surround channels, so you're going to be fine


Stop worrying about problems that cost way more than your budget to fix. Pre-outs is one. That, or revise your budget significantly.
 
Yes, I can just see someone deciding to spring £8,000 on a 7 channel power amp, plus pay for the electrical work to be done to install the dedicated 13 amp supply line, all to hang off the pre-outs a sub-£1000 AV receiver and driving some £600 floorstanders. That sounds completely reasonable.... absolutely.

Lol
 
On one of the RX-V585 reviews I have noticed "Sonic hardness undoes most of its good work "

Sounds like a deal breaker ?

Also does it do 4K 60 HDR 444 Over HDMi?
 
willhub said:
On one of the RX-V585 reviews I have noticed "Sonic hardness undoes most of its good work "

Sounds like a deal breaker ?
Click to expand...

Was this with your speakers in your room? No. So are you really going to let one isolated review rule out a product you haven't even heard for yourself? Sorry to be blunt,but you need to grow a pair; do you know what I mean?

Sonic perfection doesn't exist. Not at £300 nor at £3,000. There'll always be a something-better (at more money), and there'll always be a reviewer or someone just commenting who will be picky and find fault.

The only question that really matters is whether it meets your needs. The answer to that is to hear it for yourself.

There's nothing to say that you'll like the Yamaha. Maybe a Pioneer would give you more of the sound that floats your boat, or a Denon, or an Onkyo.

Personally I find Yamahas more musical, but I know other people who can't tell a difference or look for just more brightness and equate that to better. Each to their own.
 
I'm not been fussy I wasnt fully aware what it meant but since the review pointed it out as a problem I was a bit like oh no. Might try that amp still, 275 in richer sounds
 
Did you notice though the price they reviewed it at? £529. That would pitch it against some receivers in one of the most fiercely-competitive segments of the receiver market. The main one is the Sony STRDN1080 @ £429

Have you seen the Yamaha price now? It's £279. That changes things a lot. It also the first step up in the range to feature the twin ESS Sabre DACs that are fitted to the more-expensive Yamaha amps.
 
Onkyo TXNR686 , 326 and it seems much better rated and feature rich? What do you reckon to that one?
 
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willhub said:
Onkyo TXNR686 , 326 and it seems much better rated and feature rich? What do you reckon to that one?
Click to expand...

Not bad for music.

A couple of things you should look in to: Spotify doesn't work. (Not sure if it has been fixed.) The auto calibration feature - AccEq - sucks.

Older Onkyos had a tendency to run very hot, and over time that caused dry joints on the HDMI board and audio processing chip. You may need a lot of ventilation.
 
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