Wanting Pro-Logic 2

I had been looking at the Tag AV32r to replace my Pre/Dac and my old Yamaha Processor. But I ain't got a 3 Channel Power Amp.

So I was wondering If I got an AV Amplifier could use that a Processor. Configering it the same way as I do now. Processor running the Rears and Centre only and my Power amp running my main L/R. My yammy is just Pro-logic and I want at least PL2.

I don't want to use the AV Amp as my main power source. I want use my Belcanto power Amp (2 Channel).

Hope this makes sense.

 

Mark,

you can certainly do it, just route the pre outs to the BC.

One thing. I have yet to hear an integrated AV amp that really has the capabilities of seperates. Having said that, I use a Rotel 1055 as it's good enough for me and sounds very inviting on music.

If you go pre power, check out the Myriad 3 channel SH as it isnt bad. Also, as alternatives to the Tag, there are numerous Meridian 568's and Lex MC1's around on the used market.

 

mark,
as a stop gat you may want to see if your yam has a 6 channel inout and an external decoder / main in switch (my yam dsp e-800 does and that's about 3 years old). if you do you can configure your yamaha to pass the signal from the tag straight through to the power amp section in the yam.
that way you can power whichever speakers you want from whichever power amp you want and save up for a decent matching 3 or 5 channel power amp.
cheers


julian

 

Julian - err, how do you do that with the E800? I have the SACD/DVA-A outs wired (properly - after last night!!) into the 6ch input on mine, but I've never seen anything in the instructions that mentions how to bypass the volume to get straight to the power amps?

The reason mine was wired up wrong is I still don't have any DVD-A or SACD discs - I'll get one of each one day but right now I can't be bothered...

The E800 is a fine processor/amp though - Gladiator Superbit was an awesome experience last night - very involving in DTS...

Mark - why not just buy 3 cheapo monoblocks - it is only AV after all? What about 3 Rotels 2nd hand?

 

domfjbrown:

Mark - why not just buy 3 cheapo monoblocks - it is only AV after all? What about 3 Rotels 2nd hand?

Hadn't thought of that.

Not going to bother with a AV Amp.
Looking for a 3 Channel Power Amp S/H or New about £250.

Or even the Mono's.

Any Ideas.

 

i may be misreading what it says (at the bottome of page e-9) but it looks like you can bypass the volume control by setting it to external decoder? if not then you could just set the volume to a known level and fiddle with the individual gain levels for the e800 and the output levels of the 'tag' much as you'd do with a preamp or integrated without a unity gain setting.
no it';s not optimal but then again any mix of stereo and a/v is going to involve a compromise unless you have a large amount of dosh to spend.

cheers


julian

 

Seems you have two choices:

1. Get a fine processor such as the Tag AV32R (try to get the 192kHz DAC model and 5.1 bypass) or Myryad MDP500 G6 - and add a 3 channel power amp. You could use something like the 6 (x 60 watt) channel Rotel RMB1066 (£595) and bridge each pair giving you 3 x 150 watts. Cheaper options (power amp wise) would be to get a couple of, say, 2nd hand Arcam stereo power amps (8P's?) and bridge one for the centre speaker or bi-amp it - or even seek out a second hand Arcam 85P/3 (3 channel power amp).

2. Simply replace your Yamaha processor with an AV amp that offers pro logic II but use just 3 of it's 5 power amp channels i.e. use it just as you use your Yamaha. This would then give you PLII without interfering with the stereo side. Just make sure it's got pre-outs so that you can take a left/right pre out feeds into your hifi pre-amp (and 5.1 inputs for DVD-A/SACD).

Matt.

 

I've not read all the manual, but you might be right. Mine's set up so the 6ch input can be selected from the front, but I know you can select analog/digital inputs for the same source (eg DVD) independently, so you're probably right

 

I have seen this on lots of HiFi web sites, what do you think?

TEAC Legacy A-L700P 3-Channel Power Amplifier .

Not the last word in hifi, I know, but it's only running the Back and centre.
But would it be ok?

Cheers.

 

I think that if you're going to go for something like the AV32R then it would be unwise to compromise on the power amp front, especially if you are looking to get in DVD-A/SACD. I really would suggest that the Rotel power amp I mentioned would be the minimum you would want quality and power wise.

The TEAC is cheap but it's going to be way out of it's league on the end of a Tag/Myryad/Meridian processor and it's also only got 30 watts per channel. Basically, you'd have a front soundstage with the left/right speakers getting top quality Belcanto amplification and then the centre speaker (the most important speaker in AV don't forget) being driven by a cheap, underpowered amp. Not good.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that you'd be better off going for a cheaper processor (Cyrus AV8, Rotel RSP1066) and spending more on a decent 3 channel power amp.

I would say either just get a newer AV amp with pro logic II and keep your current pre amp/DAC or get a top notch processor but, if you go for the latter option, don't skimp on your power amps - ideally you should be trying to give equal power/quality certainly to the centre speaker and something decent for the rears too - a Belcanto EVO6 would be just the ticket!

Matt.

 

I Agree it isn't the best thing to use.

I am not going to go through every thing I have seen.
These Marantz MA6100 Mono Power Amp, looked pretty good.
What do you think? Could I use them to drive each speaker separately?

Or how about the Teac for the rears, and the marantz for the Centre? Or that getting silly?

 

mark,
if you are going the expensive processor route then i would use what you already have in some way until you've saved enough to buy at least another b/c for the center channel (by far the most important in a multichannel system) and perhaps something lesser for the rears.
if the kit you have won't stretch to providing an additional 3 channels then look for the cheapest solution as a stopgap and save like mad for another b/c for the center at least.
or remortgage / sell a kidney and chop the evo 2 in for an evo 6.

cheers

julian

 

Jules - I think it's a matter for (pretty heated ) debate whether the centre channel is the most important. I would certainly not recommend an entire BelCanto for the centre unless money was really not a problem.

For home cinema, sure, the centre is very important (apparently something like 70% of the soundtrack is on the centre ) and it does help with locking the dialog to the screen for off centre viewers. However there are quite a number of people who ditch the centre channel alltogether and make do with a "phantom" centre created by the fronts. If you have a good processor and high quality fronts this is certainly an option. I'm seriously considering this route myself.

For multichannel music I would say that you can certainly (some would say should) dispense with the centre channel. In any case, the 2 fronts and 2 rears are by far the most important and should ideally be identical.

Michael.

 

Just to add, I'm in a similar position to Mark:

I've got a cheap Marantz SR4200 AV amp which is driving my cheap rears and centre (Tannoy mx2s and mxC) with front pre-outs going into my main system.

What I would like to do is get a decent processor (eg Rotel RSP-1066) and 3 channel power amp (eg Rotel RMB-1066 - 6 channels bridged) and then some decent rears (Dynaudio 52s) and a decent centre (Dynaudio something).

That's all a long way off. A slightly cheaper (and by all accounts not significantly worse) option would be to get the Rotel RSX-1055 receiver instead of the proc/power and use it in the same way I currently use the Marantz.

Michael.

 

Mark - did I hear that you got hold of a Rotel RB976? If so then that's just the ticket - I was going to mention the 976 but I didn't think you would be able to find one as it's been discontinued/

As I'm sure you know, it's a 6X60 watt amp but, again, you can bridge each pair of channels so go ahead and do this and get that extra power.

Matt.

 

Yes Matt F, I have got the Rotel. When it arrives that is.
I am Useing a pair of Boston VRS Micro's for my rear speakers. Have you heard of them?