Advice on Pre Power Amps with Klipsch RP -8000F

Vivek Batra said:
@Enkay78 thanks for your you tube link to the hq quality track. It was amazing listening to that one and other similar hq tracks from phone to AVR via Bluetooth which is not great for connection though. But I am very happy with the Sound quality. Also I pointed the speakers straight not toed in. Now the sound stage is exactly in the center, feels like sound is coming from the amp itself.

Spotify was never so satisfying and rich in acoustics though I am using premium account at 50Mbps speed. I think I should improve my source and may be shorten the speaker wires or better replace them with pure copper ones.

Most importantly, buy a CD player or TT, that would be another discussion.
Click to expand...


The source is also one major factor for SQ.

Btw don’t forget to change the setting in Spotify (premium only) to VERY HIGH quality streaming. Same with Amazon music.

I would suggest a good DAC. I am currently experimenting with budget Chinese DACs. Few mentions - SMSL, GUSTARD, SABAJ, TOPPING . I am into Topping now.


I sometimes go through this site for reviews https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...gital-audio-dacs-streamers-servers-players.8/

You can also check out Whathifi, audioholics, stereophile etc.


You can search YouTube music ‘ hi res music’ ‘audiophile songs’ ‘24bit music’ etc. Get a premium subscription. You may find very good HD music. Just search around.
 
The cable debate will continue on....but I simply use amazon basics 12gauge...with Sewell banana plugs.

You tinker with EQ settings in the AVR...you may be surprised how it can change the sound. Audyssey may not be the end all be all.....like I said earlier I use pure direct when I play hi res songs....to me it gives better musicality. Just be careful how much you ramp up the volume. I love dialing up way high....the music just fills the room WITHOUT fatigue/excessive brightness.
 
Enkay78 said:
The source is also one major factor for SQ.

Btw don’t forget to change the setting in Spotify (premium only) to VERY HIGH quality streaming. Same with Amazon music.

I would suggest a good DAC. I am currently experimenting with budget Chinese DACs. Few mentions - SMSL, GUSTARD, SABAJ, TOPPING . I am into Topping now.


I sometimes go through this site for reviews https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...gital-audio-dacs-streamers-servers-players.8/

You can also check out Whathifi, audioholics, stereophile etc.


You can search YouTube music ‘ hi res music’ ‘audiophile songs’ ‘24bit music’ etc. Get a premium subscription. You may find very good HD music. Just search around.
Click to expand...
I kind of under estimated you tube but eventually it scores over Spotify premium. Earlier I used to play via HDMI from laptop from SoundCloud/Wynk/Gaana etc.

For the sake of convince, I switched to Spotify connect, no need to boot the laptop. But I see the potential of hq music files. No doubt an external dac would be an added advantage but I guess then wired is the way forward?
 
I was searching upon adding a Dac with an AVR. Nobody seems to be in favor of this. Reason being the AVR's DAC will always be in use even if we use analogue inputs of the AVR from DAC. I guess there is no way to bypass the internal Dac of an AVR even in Direct/Pure Direct Modes which are purely analogue and by pass Audyssey and other corrections on the signal. For me its still a topic of more research.

All inputs on this are welcome.

Thanks.
 
Vivek Batra said:
I was searching upon adding a Dac with an AVR. Nobody seems to be in favor of this. Reason being the AVR's DAC will always be in use even if we use analogue inputs of the AVR from DAC. I guess there is no way to bypass the internal Dac of an AVR even in Direct/Pure Direct Modes which are purely analogue and by pass Audyssey and other corrections on the signal. For me its still a topic of more research.

All inputs on this are welcome.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Do you mean to say that if we use RCA connection from external CD player/DAC to your AVR, it does an A/D inside then does a D/A using internal DAC?
 
sandeepss said:
Do you mean to say that if we use RCA connection from external CD player/DAC to your AVR, it does an A/D inside then does a D/A using internal DAC?
Click to expand...
Yes, if you intend to use sound effects like Dolby Prologic etc. I think A/D is active even in regular "Stereo" mode.
Only in "Direct" mode the processing circuit is bypassed on AVR.
From my experience, "Direct" or "Pure Direct" on my Marantz AVR sounds lifeless. Don't know why.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
raghupb said:
Yes, if you intend to use sound effects like Dolby Prologic etc. I think A/D is active even in regular "Stereo" mode.
Only in "Direct" mode the processing circuit is bypassed on AVR.
From my experience, "Direct" or "Pure Direct" on my Marantz AVR sounds lifeless. Don't know why.

Cheers,
Raghu
Click to expand...
Same with me. That's why I can't turn off Audyssey.
 
Vivek Batra said:
Here is from where I got to know about AV receiver digitizing all analogue signals and then using internal dac to re convert. Read the second last comment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/8m7318
Click to expand...
Ok.
Vivek Batra said:
Here is from where I got to know about AV receiver digitizing all analogue signals and then using internal dac to re convert. Read the second last comment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/8m7318
Click to expand...
The DAC in your AVR looks good. Only way AVR can ruin the presentation would be the software processing for digitising
 
Vivek Batra said:
Thats an issue with me. I even posted in HFV to know if there is anyone from Chandigarh? No one shouted
Click to expand...
That’s unfortunate. Try bumping the thread on Saturday and Sunday morning. Your post is more likely to grab more eyeballs then :)
 
raghupb said:
From my experience, "Direct" or "Pure Direct" on my Marantz AVR sounds lifeless.
Click to expand...
With KEFQ300 and 500 on Marantz IA, it used to sound lifeless on "sourcedirect", I used to keep "Loudness" switch engaged always. When I connected it to Wharfedale diamond 225, it sounds full and beautiful, 'loudness' is never engaged. I guess the speakers are to blame here, must be lean sounding.
 
Stereo Music and AVR just don't go well together. Yes an AVR will convert all Incoming analog signals to Digital apply any DSP if enabled if not, will pass it on and convert back to Analog before passing on to the amps. It's these conversions that make the difference in sound quality when compared to a Stereo Amp where no such conversions happen. Hence, a stereo amp sounds more open.

I have been trying to Spotify on Amazon Firestick and sounds quite good.

MaSh
 
sandeepss said:
With KEFQ300 and 500 on Marantz IA, it used to sound lifeless on "sourcedirect", I used to keep "Loudness" switch engaged always. When I connected it to Wharfedale diamond 225, it sounds full and beautiful, 'loudness' is never engaged. I guess the speakers are to blame here, must be lean sounding.
Click to expand...
Source direct on Marantz IA is not bad, though I rarely engage it these days.
I am a fan of tone controls; old school boy.
On AVR I found "Direct" mode just lifeless. It was never about the speakers.
B&W and KEFs are not lean by any stretch of imagination.
Cheers,
Raghu
 
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