Noob, need help please


Hi there,

I have a pair of Klipsch RP-8000F floorstanding speakers. 
I am a little unclear about what I need to complete my setup. 
I want to use these as home theatre speakers when watching off Netflix or Satellite TV, and also as music speakers when playing off Spotify through the TV. 

Do I need a pre-amp and an amp, or just an amp? What does a receiver do?
Do I need a separate DAC too or an amp with built in DAC?

I am a newbie to all of this so willing to learn, please forgive my lack of knowledge.

My budget is max 1k but then I don’t really know what I need to bring out the best in these speakers. When watching movies I like a little warmth but also like some detail. When listening to music I like a lot of bass. 
I need channels to add in a sub (I have Klipsch R-12SW) and a center speaker (yet to buy but probably will get the Klipsch RP-504C) at a later stage. 
If you need more information please let me know. 
Many thanks in advance!
laher

Showing 5 responses by laher

Thanks. Having just an AV receiver is enough to power these speakers and the sub?

I’ve heard Denon, Marantz, Onkyo are good brands. 
Can you suggest a few models as I wouldn’t know what to look for?

Center speaker doesn’t add much then, is that the general opinion here? If so then I’d rather take that money and spend it on the AV receiver to get a better one.

Are there any drawbacks of having a setup using AV receiver over preamp/DAC and amp?
I have posted my question in Home Theatre and had a few suggestions on an AV receiver, however it was mentioned by millercarbon that for better quality I should go the preamp and amp route.

Thanks jrwaudio for the recommendations. Does that preamp have an integrated DAC?

Can anyone else recommend some preamp and amp models that fit within my budget? If you tell me that I need to spend slightly more than that’s okay. It’s not a hard set budget. I don’t know the price ranges for different types of amps. 
For now I will leave the center and rears and just focus on the towers and sub which I already have.

By the way, I’m in the U.K. and where I live the only shop I know doesn’t have that much shop floor, it’s all online now. So it’s very difficult for me to go and listen and compare. I know sound is all personal preference but at the same time you guys are experts in this field so I’m relying on your guidance. 
Quality is definitely my main priority. 
If I go the preamp and amp route instead of the AV receiver route, is it possible to have a setup which will allow me to add in a center and rears in the future?

Apologies for my lack of understanding. stereo means 2 channel right? Which means that a 2 channel amp will only allow me to add my towers and not my sub?

What is an integrated amp? Any downsides?

rocknss your approach to the setup sounds interesting. Can you please explain more about this? I’m not well educated in all this but learning slowly, please have patience.

Thanks for all the advice. 
In the U.K. I’ve never seen audio equipment at thrift stores. I’ll keep an eye out next time I go past some but ours are mainly clothes. 
So it seems that if I get an integrated amp I will get better quality but will not be able to add a center speaker which seems crucial for movies as it brings out the best in the dialogue. But if I go the AV receiver route then I can establish everything but won’t get the best out of my speakers for top quality when listening to music. This is the summary I am taking from all the comments, is that correct?

AV receiver definitely makes sense to get me going and to learn, and gives the most options. But as a couple people said, I don’t want to waste money by having to replace equipment. I’d rather get it right the first time.

Is it not possible to go the integrated amp route and add a center speaker down the line?

Can anyone tell me a couple high end AV receivers I can look into?
And equally a couple of integrated amps (preferably with built in DAC)?

Like i said before, if I need to stretch past 1k then I will. I just want to get the best out of the speakers and sub.
Thanks mesch and rocknss!

Wouldn’t this approach be more expensive though? Or are you saying that with a 1k-ish budget I can get AVR and an integrated? 
It’s been mentioned that for 1k I can get a high end AVR.
What kind of integrated does 1k get?

Also, would this approach be worth it if I only add a center and not rears? 
How does this setup differ from a pre/pro and amp?