2. amps-preamps
  3. 1051671300

Upgrade Path - Integrated or Power Amp????

I have a dilemma I have been struggling with for a while. Hope to get some clues here - any suggestions welcome and thank you for sharing your know-how.

I have had a home theatre system for some time, which I also use for 2 channel music, altho I don't like it's performance. Main complaints are:

- when music gets complicated, it sounds confused, as if everything is collapsed in, cannot identify each instrument clearly as being distinct
- does not place instruments very well
- narrow sonic image

I've saved up some money and want to get a 2 channel audio system. This needs to mesh with my HT system i.e. same speakers, due to lack of space. I am not one for upgrades every year or two, want to build a system I will keep for years to come.

My problem is I am not an audiophile, I just like music and willing to pay for it, and I don't understand where the problem lies.

Which part of the AV receiver is causing the problems? Pre part? Power part? Both?

I only want to buy one component (budget around $5k) - do I get a power amp and connect to AV receiver, or do I get an integrated?

My system:

Marantz 9200 av receiver
JMLab Mini Utopia fronts
NHTs center sub
Mirage backs
Musical Fidelity A3 CD
715018
axendo
20 posts
 
If you only want to buy one component, your best off getting a power amp. An integrated would be better, but then what do you do about your surround processor, and the three channels of amplification needed to run center and surrounds? It's possible to use both, but then you'll have to mess with two volume controls whenever you use multi-channel playback. This is what sucks about wanting to eliminate the number of parts to do 2 and multi-channel. With your budget you could easily get, a really good 5 channel amp,a really good pre/pro, and sell your receiver. That would take care of everything, and make the whole system sing.
bwyoung
143 posts
 
Many very good integrated amps today provide a pass-through feature (or throughput) which allows the integrated to act as a simple slave to the home theater receiver when watching movies (thus one remote). Then when listening to two channel it would provide a significant upgrade to your receiver and get the most out of your Utopias - IMHO.
I think a general rule of thumb is that preamps are more critical to the things you mentioned than amps. For $5,000 you could do VERY well in the integrated amp scene. I would actually spend under that amount and perhaps upgrade your interconnects, power cords, and speaker wire (this may be some of your problem). The best way to be sure is to experiment.
715018 OP
3 posts
 
Thanks guys for the advice.

I am totaly happy with home theatre at the moment so getting 5 channels of amplification might be overkill. i am very interested in this pass-through feature, so had a look for myself, seems the more expensive integrateds all have this feature.

however, so do lots of high end 2 channel pre-amps it seems.

so now the new question is, do i get a pre amp now and then power amps later, or just an integrated and be done with it?

i'm going to go to the shops to audition this weekend, but i don't get the chance very often due to work so want to be able to test as much as i can when i am there and don't want to waste time. your advice would help alot in that respect.

thanks
eldulcesol
197 posts
 
715018, I had the same dilema as you are having now about a year ago. I ended up getting an inegrated amp to use with the ht system.

If you do decide to get an integrated amp, just make sure it has a pre-out on it, cause you will need it interconnect to your receiver cd input for your sub. The above message to mess around with two volume controls is really not that bad, once you know what to put them at. You will have to get some extra interconnects to do this.

Good luck with your search, if you have any questions, post or e-mail me.
axendo
20 posts
 
If you decide to get seperates, I would avise getting a power amp first. The speakers you have can handle a big amp no problem. It will also upgrade both 2 channel and HT because you will always use it. Im not sure how much of a benefit a pre-amp will have on your HT. It sounds like you want to go with an integrated. That's a good choice to.
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