PowerAmp vs Stereo Integrated amp

[Manish Sharma]

Hi folks,
I am new to home audio and just built my hifi a year ago. I am listening to music in 7.1 channel harman kardon av receiver AVR660…I am driving the front bookshelfs polk audio s20 with Marantz PM6007 using the pre out from AVR…Recently I planned to put my ceiling speakers to an external amp and brought home a second hand nakamichi IA-3…I cud listen the difference in the sound…My sound stage improved to a great extent and movies sounded much more cinematic…But when I used the same amp for front speakers I cud feel that despite of some detail the amp sounded distorted …But was much better than the original sound of AVR…I then plugged the ceiling speakers with the Marantz PM6007…And I was blown away with the difference of day and night…My ceiling speakers sounded like the bookshelfs and then I decided to assign different amp to all my channels to get the purest quality of sound.. My question is -
1. Should I get power amp like emotiva a5 for my extra 5 channels of centre, surround and rear surrounds?
2. To buy Marantz PM8006 for fronts, PM6007 for ceiling , PM5004(second hand) for rear surrounds?

Its costing me equally 1 lakh approx on both…but in power amp I wil get amp for my centre channel as well but its ok I can buy a budget monoblock amp later.

What is the difference between Power amp and stereo integrated amp?

 

[sunshine_vsk]

Hi folks,
I am new to home audio and just built my hifi a year ago. I am listening to music in 7.1 channel harman kardon av receiver AVR660…I am driving the front bookshelfs polk audio s20 with Marantz PM6007 using the pre out from AVR…Recently I planned to put my ceiling speakers to an external amp and brought home a second hand nakamichi IA-3…I cud listen the difference in the sound…My sound stage improved to a great extent and movies sounded much more cinematic…But when I used the same amp for front speakers I cud feel that despite of some detail the amp sounded distorted …But was much better than the original sound of AVR…I then plugged the ceiling speakers with the Marantz PM6007…And I was blown away with the difference of day and night…My ceiling speakers sounded like the bookshelfs and then I decided to assign different amp to all my channels to get the purest quality of sound.. My question is -
1. Should I get power amp like emotiva a5 for my extra 5 channels of centre, surround and rear surrounds?
2. To buy Marantz PM8006 for fronts, PM6007 for ceiling , PM5004(second hand) for rear surrounds?

Its costing me equally 1 lakh approx on both…but in power amp I wil get amp for my centre channel as well but its ok I can buy a budget monoblock amp later.

What is the difference between Power amp and stereo integrated amp?

can you share how you connected your Marantz 6007 to your LR, does it has HT Bypass mode ?.

 

[Manish Sharma]

can you share how you connected your Marantz 6007 to your LR, does it has HT Bypass mode ?.

My AV receiver already has pre out for all channels…I took pre out for front channels via RCA cable and hooked it into the CD input of PM6007 and connected the speakers to the amp instead of Receiver

 

[DB1989]

can you share how you connected your Marantz 6007 to your LR, does it has HT Bypass mode ?.

I am driving the front bookshelfs polk audio s20 with Marantz PM6007 using the pre out from AVR

Ht bypass mode not required though a convenient feature to have.

 

[sunshine_vsk]

Ht bypass mode not required though a convenient feature to have.

Ok, can you please provide more info. on this... I was assuming only stereo amp's with HTBypass option will disable it's internal EQ settings and will allow the LR volume to be controlled from AVR..

 

[DB1989]

Ok, can you please provide more info. on this... I was assuming only stereo amp's with HTBypass option will disable it's internal EQ settings and will allow the LR volume to be controlled from AVR..

After connecting the pre outs from the AVR to the aux-in of the integrated amp, Set your volume to the twelve o clock position on the integrated amplifier when switching to the AVR and (a) either let auto EQ do it's thing, or (b) set the front LR volume to match the surrounds manually on the AVR.

 

[ajuvignesh]

After connecting the pre outs from the AVR to the aux-in of the integrated amp, Set your volume to the twelve o clock position on the integrated amplifier when switching to the AVR and (a) either let auto EQ do it's thing, or (b) set the front LR volume to match the surrounds manually on the AVR.

But doesn't the sound pass through two preamps, one in AVR and the other in the integrated amp? If the preamp inside the integrated is passive, I don't think it is an issue.

 

[sunshine_vsk]

After connecting the pre outs from the AVR to the aux-in of the integrated amp, Set your volume to the twelve o clock position on the integrated amplifier when switching to the AVR and (a) either let auto EQ do it's thing, or (b) set the front LR volume to match the surrounds manually on the AVR.

Thanks, but won't the Bass & Treble settings in the IA change the sound signature coming from AVR Pre-out's ?.

 

[Manish Sharma]

I just checked with mine…Even if I get pre out signal from the receiver the Tonal Treble & Bass is still effecting the signal…Then I took like out signal at the same time and they are working too simultaneously at the same time…Pre out of every channel & also the line out both working at the same time…Ideally if we r getting pre out then the line out signal should not work…Now I am
Confused as well

 

[DB1989]

Thanks, but won't the Bass & Treble settings in the IA change the sound signature coming from AVR Pre-out's ?.

But doesn't the sound pass through two preamps, one in AVR and the other in the integrated amp? If the preamp inside the integrated is passive, I don't think it is an issue.

Yes, it'll travel through the preamp circuit as well. However, To what extent it'll colour the sound is amp specific.

I have tried 5 different amps with my AVR (Marantz SR6013) so far - the Marantz PM6006, Cambridge Audio CXA81, SMSL DA9, Crown XLS1502 and Willsenton R8 tube integrated.

Now one would think that since the XLS1502 and SMSL DA9 are power amps and the Willsenton R8 Tube Amp has a Bypass Mode that they'd sound the most neutral/uncoloured while pairing with the AVR, right?

Nope! Nada! that's definitely not the case.

It is the PM6006 which has the best synergy with the AVR notwithstanding lack of a By-Pass mode (i switch on PureDirect to defeat tone controls) because of the house Marantz sound signature they share.

This is because Power Amps/power amp section in stereo amps too have their own Sonic signature and would lend itself to the sound playing back through the speakers.

 

[Amarendra]

Hi folks,
I am new to home audio and just built my hifi a year ago. I am listening to music in 7.1 channel harman kardon av receiver AVR660…I am driving the front bookshelfs polk audio s20 with Marantz PM6007 using the pre out from AVR…Recently I planned to put my ceiling speakers to an external amp and brought home a second hand nakamichi IA-3…I cud listen the difference in the sound…My sound stage improved to a great extent and movies sounded much more cinematic…But when I used the same amp for front speakers I cud feel that despite of some detail the amp sounded distorted …But was much better than the original sound of AVR…I then plugged the ceiling speakers with the Marantz PM6007…And I was blown away with the difference of day and night…My ceiling speakers sounded like the bookshelfs and then I decided to assign different amp to all my channels to get the purest quality of sound.. My question is -
1. Should I get power amp like emotiva a5 for my extra 5 channels of centre, surround and rear surrounds?
2. To buy Marantz PM8006 for fronts, PM6007 for ceiling , PM5004(second hand) for rear surrounds?

Its costing me equally 1 lakh approx on both…but in power amp I wil get amp for my centre channel as well but its ok I can buy a budget monoblock amp later.

What is the difference between Power amp and stereo integrated amp?

It will help if you first check if the AVR is underpowered or you dont like its sound signature. If its the former, addition of power amps will help. If its the latter, consider selling the AVR, spending a bit more and buying something more recent such as a Denon 3700 etc.

 

[spirovious]

It is the PM6006 which has the best synergy with the AVR notwithstanding lack of a By-Pass

When using PM6006 with SR6013, how do you manage volume level? I mean when AVRs volume is raised with remote, then PM6006 will also respond.Yes keeping some obstruction in front of 6006 IR receiver should do the job though.

 

[Manish Sharma]

It will help if you first check if the AVR is underpowered or you dont like its sound signature. If its the former, addition of power amps will help. If its the latter, consider selling the AVR, spending a bit more and buying something more recent such as a Denon 3700 etc.

I am having another setup with pioneer LX-87 with Qacoustics 3050i 5.1 surround…the Receiver is 9.2 channel delivering 220watt to all 9 channels…To me it sounds more detailed and soothing…This setup is in living room but since I watch movies mostly in my bed room so was trying to add a bit more sound detail by having some additional amplifier through pre outs…U have mentioned to buy Denon 3700x …is it because of the more number of channels or tonal quality or output wattage?? I am more prone to audio listening only and giving pure 24bit/96khz to my receiver through LDAC tied up wth an LDAC receiver as a pre amp … You have recommeded the latest avr because of superior DAC?

 

[DB1989]

When using PM6006 with SR6013, how do you manage volume level? I mean when AVRs volume is raised with remote, then PM6006 will also respond.Yes keeping some obstruction in front of 6006 IR receiver should do the job though.

True. Which is why i use the Marantz Remote App. And though not necessary and quite unintentional at that, I do have a large obstruction in front of my AVR so using the remote was out of the question in any case (AV rack vented from all sides).

I am having another setup with pioneer LX-87 with Qacoustics 3050i 5.1 surround…the Receiver is 9.2 channel delivering 220watt to all 9 channels…

Whoa! Hold on to your horses big boy . 220W with only one channel driven or all channels being played simultaneously?

I just checked with mine…Even if I get pre out signal from the receiver the Tonal Treble & Bass is still effecting the signal…Then I took like out signal at the same time and they are working too simultaneously at the same time…Pre out of every channel & also the line out both working at the same time…Ideally if we r getting pre out then the line out signal should not work…Now I am
Confused as well

From your pioneer lx-87 manual. Its a useful guide unless its nicely settled in a bin

To hear sound only from the pre-outs, switch the speaker terminals to SP: OFF (page 79) or simply disconnect
any speakers that are connected directly to the receiver.
It is also possible to hear sound only from the pre-outs by switching the AMP setting to OFF and setting the
pre-amp mode to turn the power amplifiers for all channels off (see Setting the Audio options on page 75)

http://www.pioneerhongkong.com.hk/file/product556-250-download.pdf

- just in case i'm accurate on the bin part

 

[DB1989]

When using PM6006 with SR6013, how do you manage volume level? I mean when AVRs volume is raised with remote, then PM6006 will also respond.Yes keeping some obstruction in front of 6006 IR receiver should do the job though.

Forgot to mention - as HDMI CEC control is enabled, i can also control it through my TV remote, volume, config menu et al.

 

[Phani24]

I had norge concerto gold 1000 which is 92w and 92Rms for 8 ohms. I had marantz sr 5015 Av receiver and I tried to use it as poweramp for my front L and R ,Klipsch 620f towers. But not worked out. Request help on this

 

[Manish Sharma]

I had norge concerto gold 1000 which is 92w and 92Rms for 8 ohms. I had marantz sr 5015 Av receiver and I tried to use it as poweramp for my front L and R ,Klipsch 620f towers. But not worked out. Request help on

I had norge concerto gold 1000 which is 92w and 92Rms for 8 ohms. I had marantz sr 5015 Av receiver and I tried to use it as poweramp for my front L and R ,Klipsch 620f towers. But not worked out. Request help on this

Just take two RCA cables and attach them to the pre out of Front Right & Left channel of your AVR…Attach the other ends to your Norge amp CD In or Aux In LR channels…Your AVR will automatically pre out the signal to the external amp or you can also assign amp in the settings(Turn off the Front Channel amps). Now adjust the volume knob according to the surround speakers output level since they are already running through AVR line out…In most lf the cases the volume knob is positioned at 3:15pm of the external amp…Enjoy and lemme knw the sound difference with the added external amp

 

[Phani24]

Just take two RCA cables and attach them to the pre out of Front Right & Left channel of your AVR…Attach the other ends to your Norge amp CD In or Aux In LR channels…Your AVR will automatically pre out the signal to the external amp or you can also assign amp in the settings(Turn off the Front Channel amps). Now adjust the volume knob according to the surround speakers output level since they are already running through AVR line out…In most lf the cases the volume knob is positioned at 3:15pm of the external amp…Enjoy and lemme knw the sound difference with the added external amp

Thanks. I will try it. Please help how to assign amp in settings. I tried by connecting Land R of avr to norge. But not worked. I think I missed some thing on settings

 

[Manish Sharma]

Thanks. I will try it. Please help how to assign amp in settings. I tried by connecting Land R of avr to norge. But not worked. I think I missed some thing on settings

Just make sure you are taking the signal out of your preamp section of your AVR…I dont knw much about marantz AVR..But some features are common in all AVR’s …U must read manual…it helps …Its interesting knowing your intrument and u can play with settings

 

[nirvanaaaah]

I had norge concerto gold 1000 which is 92w and 92Rms for 8 ohms. I had marantz sr 5015 Av receiver and I tried to use it as poweramp for my front L and R ,Klipsch 620f towers. But not worked out. Request help on this

@Phani24 Hi, I am planning to set a very similar setup. I have a Marantz 5015 with Focal Chora 826 fronts and center, planning to buy Norge amp to drive the fronts, wanted to know if you have set it up and how is it sounding for you?