Low $ AVR + Amp or Higher $ AVR for source speakers?

[FotoJohn]

Hello!!!

Just placed an order for a pair of Source speakers and am very excited to join the ML club

My question is on how to drive these babies.

I bought 2 Source speakers and a 262 Motion 5 speaker system. Will start with just a 5.1 system in the living room and expand to a 7.2 down the road.

So... should buy a lower end AVR like the Onyko rc270 and then add a
"cheap" 2 channel amp to run the Source speakers.

or

Buy a more expensive AVR such as the TX-NR808?

The cheaper AVR seems to make more sense for the money since the 808 doesn't add much more power for the extra $300 it costs.

Thoughts?

BTW I am open to other suggestions as well. Help this newbie make his speakers sing :music:

 

[TrumpetDoug]

Try these!

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11823


Doug - out

 

[tsv_1]

Yes... buy the Trumpet's Denonblocks

Seriously, I would lean in that direction (i.e. quality dedicated used amps) driven by an adequate receiver with preamp outputs. That's most likely your most cost effective path to good sound.

Good luck

 

[FotoJohn]

Thanks for the advice.

I am most likely going with the Onkyo HT-RC270.

Looks like the cheapest AVR I can get with pre-amp outputs. Plus it should be able to drive the Source speakers alone which will allow me to enjoy them until I splurge for the upgrade.

I'll probably go to the cheap emotiva down the road.

Any other suggestions?

 

[tsv_1]

Thanks for the advice.

I am most likely going with the Onkyo HT-RC270.

Looks like the cheapest AVR I can get with pre-amp outputs. Plus it should be able to drive the Source speakers alone which will allow me to enjoy them until I splurge for the upgrade.

I'll probably go to the cheap emotiva down the road.

Any other suggestions?

From everything I've seen/read/heard the Emotivas are an excellent choice and nothing to scoff at. Heck, I've got probably 3 or 4 weeks to go here with zero amplification in my system (waiting on some new amps), and I'm thinking of buying a used Emotiva just to have as a spare.

Have you parsed all the amps at Audiogon.com yet? There are almost always great amps at good to very good prices. And again, perhaps consider TrumptDog's offer as well.

The other option is to look for a dedicated pre/pro and ditch the receiver idea. Of course this will require a more substantial investment up front (and you would have to get the amps now too), so not sure how feasible that is for you at the moment.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgia/fsb.pl?homeproc

Cheers

 

[TrumpetDoug]

From everything I've seen/read/heard the Emotivas are an excellent choice and nothing to scoff at. Heck, I've got probably 3 or 4 weeks to go here with zero amplification in my system (waiting on some new amps), and I'm thinking of buying a used Emotiva just to have as a spare.

Have you parsed all the amps at Audiogon.com yet? There are almost always great amps at good to very good prices. And again, perhaps consider TrumptDog's offer as well.

The other option is to look for a dedicated pre/pro and ditch the receiver idea. Of course this will require a more substantial investment up front (and you would have to get the amps now too), so not sure how feasible that is for you at the moment.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgia/fsb.pl?homeproc

Cheers

R U makin fun of my name?

Doug - out

 

[tsv_1]

R U makin fun of my name?

Doug - out

I butchered your handle... totally unintentional - Mea Culpa!

I assume you've already forgiven me since I'm trying to help you sell your amps

 

[MickeyVee]

So... should buy a lower end AVR like the Onyko rc270 and then add a
"cheap" 2 channel amp to run the Source speakers.

Your pre is as important as your power. I'd do the higher end just to get the better pre/processor and you get the power as a bonus. If you add an amp to a cheap pre/processor, you're going to amplify a sub-par signal.

Good luck in your quest.. in the mean time, enjoy. There will be plenty of time to upgrade after you have your base setup

 

[Thai]

Your pre is as important as your power. I'd do the higher end just to get the better pre/processor and you get the power as a bonus. If you add an amp to a cheap pre/processor, you're going to amplify a sub-par signal.

Good luck in your quest.. in the mean time, enjoy. There will be plenty of time to upgrade after you have your base setup

Yeah, i would also check the reviews of the AVR on line to see just how good of a processor it is. Luckily, my AVR4306 from Denon has a great processor...so, even though i have an amp now, i am still using my AVR as my processor.

I would look on ebay or whatever to see if you can get a higher end AVR for cheap...i know that my AVR4306 on ebay is pretty cheap, even new in box!

 

[tsv_1]

Your pre is as important as your power. I'd do the higher end just to get the better pre/processor and you get the power as a bonus. If you add an amp to a cheap pre/processor, you're going to amplify a sub-par signal.

Good luck in your quest.. in the mean time, enjoy. There will be plenty of time to upgrade after you have your base setup

I don't disagree with this premise but it's not clear to me that it's the pivotal reason to change direction. I'm not sure the quality of the pre-outs of a more expensive HT receiver is really any different than that of a less expensive model of the same line from a given manufacturer. Do we know for sure that they use different op amps in a different configuration? That the higher-end rcvr would be quieter or have more authority, etc? Perhaps some research/calls would reveal the reality of the situation.

In the meantime, others in this forum have conclusively determined that even a decent receiver is challenged when driving ML panels at realistic volumes. So, IMHO, if we're looking at where this money is best spent initially - I still argue that a reasonable rcvr (or pre/pro) driving dedicated high-power amps would be the preferred next step.

I've donned my asbestos suit and await the flames

 

[rockeratheart]

I think everyone will agree that ML speakers need proper amplification to sound even decent. So, if a budget is limited (same boat for me), to get the most out of your speakers from the beginning you need to power them sufficiently. If you have what one would consider a decent reciever, it is still not enough power to run an ML panel. I'm thinking $300 in price difference will not get you the power you will want. I desperately wanted my receiver to be enough. But at 125 watts at just six ohms, it won't be.

I have been trying to compare processors in marantz and denon AVRs. To get pre outs you need to spend $1100 in Denon and $800 from Marantz. I asked the specific question here about their processor qualities and nobody really seemed to feel there was a big difference there. I guess I would still consider them both entry level AVRs when running MLs. I decided I would rather get the smaller receiver and spend more money on amps for now.

TSV-----if you do get a Emotiva, would you let us know what you think of them? I am very, very interested in how they work for ML speakers.

Thanks, and good luck fotojohn. Let us know how it shakes out.

 

[tsv_1]

TSV-----if you do get a Emotiva, would you let us know what you think of them? I am very, very interested in how they work for ML speakers.

March is here already... hard to believe! I was thinking of getting an Emotiva as a stop-gap, but now that it's only 2 weeks until my other amps arrive, I'm just gonna coast.

You may want to check with TheWB though... he's auditioning a set of Emotiva monoblocks now that he seems to think highly of...

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showpost.php?p=133528&postcount=1519

Cheers

 

[|Tch0rT|]

I just received my Source speakers yesterday. They are being driven by an old Marantz SR7200 receiver (110 watts a channel @ 8ohms). The Marantz does a pretty damn good job at getting the Source to satisfying volume levels. I'm pretty sure just about any receiver by Marantz, Denon, and Onyko (probably some others) would work well. Even their lower end models. Either way you will be happy. :music: