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  3. 1361283759

Should I Use an AVR for 2-Channel Home Theater

This is a very basic question that I’ve never been sure of. If I want a decent set of speakers to use with TV (DVR, DVD) but don’t need multichannel and don’t need video switching, what are the pros and cons of an AVR vs. a 2-channel integrated amp or receiver? Obviously with an AVR I am paying for 3 or 5 extra channels of amplification and for a bunch of switching I don’t need, but maybe it’s worth it for other reasons.

A few things I can think of that may be factors: (1) better to use the DAC in the AVR (or integrated, as some have them now) vs. the ones in the TiVo or DVD player (unless it’s a high-end DVD); (2) downmixing multichannel and Dolby stuff – should that be done in an AVR or can I let the source devices handle it?; (3) adjusting for audio-video lag; (4) potential to add a subwoofer that taps the .1 LFE channel.

What do you think?
drubin

Showing 1 response by drubin

drubin OP
3,285 posts
 
Thanks Meiwan. I agree about bang for the buck as regards 2-channel, but I still want to know if there are things an AVR does that I will miss if I don't use one.

For an integrated with DAC at a budget level, I'm thinking the Nuforce DDA-100 or one of the Peachtree products, and I'm sure there are plenty of other choices.
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