hi this is my first post here. i am a bit of noob with home a/v. i have ordered a denon 3805 and i have a pair of 4ohm stereo speakers and 60hm centre/surrounds. i am thinking of running a power amp for the stereo speakers to give them more grunt and run the other three speakers from the denon. my questions are: will i get an improvement in stereo music and if so will i also get an improvement from the other channels for 5.1 as the denon is not working as hard? the amp i am thinking about is the nad c272 for AUD$799. i know with hi-fi the law of diminishing returns comes into play but with the current setup, considering that i am on a tight budget, does anyone think that this power amp would be a worthwhile ivestment? i have read articles that state the difference when adding a power amp can be as significant as going from mono to stereo. that's a big statement but as i am in no position to audition any equipment, i was hoping that someone could give me some advice. it would be invaluable to me. thanks tom
well first off... driving 4 ohm speakers with a denon doesn't sound like the best idea in the world.
i own a fairly comperable onkyo reciever that practically has a skull and crossbones in it's owner's manual regarding four ohm loads. i've never seen a power rating for denon into 4 ohm loads either.
before you start cranking, read your owner's manual to see what it says about 4 ohm loads. MOST japanese recievers don't have the high current capability that 4 ohm loads require.
when i first heard magnepan speakers, i liked them so much that i decided that i wanted to get a pair, but they're 4 ohm loads too.
after alot of research and wandering, i started hearing about panasonic recievers (rated into 6 ohms), and then people that were using them happily with maggies.
i went out and bought an SA-XR55 (100wpc X 7 class-d) reciever and it was amazing how great it sounds. at only $240 delivered, it spanks the crap out of my onkyo top to bottom.
the bass is deeper and tighter
the treble is faster and more detailed with ALOT less grain
it can do a huge wide soundstage that can extend beyond my front speakers
it can make tiny little speakers more dynamic and hit harder (jump factor i believe it's called)
but most of all, the unit has an amazing midrange that makes vocals come alive.
i've heard rumors of people trading $1000 denons and other costly gear for panasonics. from the huge improvement it made in my system, i can believe it.
my speakers have now bridged 1/2 of the gap to the sound of the maggies that i wanted. my superzeros sound so much more detailed, relaxed and natural now that i no longer want the maggies that i originally bought the panasonic for to begin with! it's that good.
now, i'll spend the money intended for speakers on a behringer DEQ2496 digital room correction unit and a monarchy DIP 2496 upsampler/jitter reducer instead to elevate my system another notch or two.
pretty much EVERY review i've read for class D amps has been favorable. research these amps halcro bel canto nuforce hypex (diy) sonic impact class t ($30!!!) Impact Audio Toccata Industry: TacT Millennium Bel Canto Design: Tripath Jeff Rowland PS Audio: HCA 2 eVo DIYCable: Exodus Flying Mole: Mole DAD-M100
along with reviews (and forum threads) for any panasonic reciever that starts with the letters "SA-XR"
at the moment, panny's are still in the hi-fi underground, but those of us who own them are trying to spread the word.
panny's have been described as sounding between solid state and tubes. as liquid as the midrange is and how sweet it makes female vocals sound, there might be something to that claim.
It's true the Denons don't particularly like driving 4-ohm loads whereas the NADs are very tolerant of difficult loads. The NAD would bring a great deal of grunt and transparency to the party.