Int. amp for a 2.1 setup...

[bwanac]

Looking to upgrade HT receiver to something with a little more power. At the moment have an Onkyo Tx-Ds494. Its rated at 50w per channel at 8 ohms. Speakers are Platinum Audios pt801, 8 ohms. Recommended input 25-120 watts. I would like to get them a little more power and open them up. Looking at the NAD 325bee, maybe the 352. Will also be running a powered sub with these for the whole 2.1 getup.

Number one, will I notice much upgrading from the older onkyo HT, to the NAD intergrated?

Number two, where can I find a NAD used in the states?

[paul_pci]

Unfortunately it's hard to say whether you'll notice a difference and whether that difference will correlate to the money you spend. One first step would be to try and listen to your speakers on different amp equipment at local stores, otherwise, it might well be a crap shoot, but it's a crapy shoot some people really enjoy experimenting with.

As for finding used equipment, check out: www.audiogon.com

[bobsticks]

Hey bwanac,

Welcome to the forum. NAD makes some very good products, but let me offer up something else for your consideration. The Outlaw RR2150 has gotten some esceelent reviews and is a product that is designed specifically for your application. Proper integration of a sub can be troublesome and the RR2150 has an onboard bass management system and Sub-Out to simplify matters. You can check out one review at:
http://stereophile.com/integratedamps/306outlaw/

Happy hunting

[JoeE SP9]

Looking to upgrade HT receiver to something with a little more power. At the moment have an Onkyo Tx-Ds494. Its rated at 50w per channel at 8 ohms. Speakers are Platinum Audios pt801, 8 ohms. Recommended input 25-120 watts. I would like to get them a little more power and open them up. Looking at the NAD 325bee, maybe the 352. Will also be running a powered sub with these for the whole 2.1 getup.

Number one, will I notice much upgrading from the older onkyo HT, to the NAD intergrated?

Number two, where can I find a NAD used in the states?

Please note the .1 used to describe output channels does not apply to 2 channel stereo. The .1 applies to the LFE (low frequency effects) channel in Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel sound. There is no LFE channel in 2 channel stereo. Consequently there is no such thing as 2.1 stereo!

The best place to look for used audio equipment is www.audiogone.com

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, 2.1 is a fairly common marketing term to describe a two-satellites-and-a-sub setup.

[JoeE SP9]

Actually, 2.1 is a fairly common marketing term to describe a two-satellites-and-a-sub setup.

That doesn't change the fact that there is no such thing as 2.1 stereo.

[Dusty Chalk]

I'm not sure what distinction you're trying to make.

[emorphien]

I won't hesitate to recommend NAD, I like the sound and look and overall quality. Outlaw is good too, and with the bass management and sub out, it's very much worth a look. I have the NAD C320BEE which makes adding a sub a bit trickier but with some NADs having an extra pre-out that's not such an issue.

I'm currently using my C320BEE with just my bookshelf speakers but I plan to add a sub soon.

[bwanac]

Finally, I can login.

Yes I know where the whole .1 designation came from. But using it gives an immediate sense of what I am working with.

Anyways, I will be checking Audiogon for some deals. The Outlaw looks good. However, its being backordered and it being more than I plan on spending Ill continue to look for used gear.

If I may ask emorphien, how do you plan on wiring up your subwoofer with your NAD? Also, are there any good local stores where I may go and check gear out. I attend U of Rochester, so since youre local you would know better than I.

Thanks for the help. Ill keep searching. Ive reasoned that I shouldnt need more than 50-60W to get some good power to these speakers.

[emorphien]

Hey bwanac, I'm a grad student at RIT so nice to meet you!

If you're interested in NAD I'd suggest going to the Sound Concept on Monroe Avenue. They're very nice people and very accomodating, they gave me some great deals on my equipment (bought the C542 and C320BEE from them). They'll give you their opinions and seem pretty knowledgeable but are not pushy at all. They certainly know that since some of us think spending $1000 is a lot, trying to push $30k speakers on us won't do any good. They're also the only NAD dealer anywhere nearby.

I'm tumbling two subwoofer connection ideas. Several people have recommended to me that I try a pair of splitter cables for the pre-amp->amp bridge on the int. amp and using the split to send RCA cables to the low level inputs on the sub (I'm considering the AV123 X-sub after all the reviews I've read, it's perfect for a little extension in a small room). The other approach would be to just loop the speaker lines through it, which I suppose is more conventional and I know will work, although a bit more of a PITA.

I'm not sure about leeching the pre-amp loop, I don't know what kind of signal degredation that might incur and I'm a little hesitant to go that route although it's probably worth a shot once I get the sub (and I have no idea when I'll do that).

[bwanac]

So... Ive settled for now on an older Rotel model, the RA985bx. Its going to be a lot of power to my speakers, 100w per channel, but I know they will handle it accordingly. Right now I am going through looking at building some new speaker wires, and possibly when the amp arrives seeing if I really need my old subwoofer in my system anymore. Its not very good with music and feel I may just sell it until I come along a good deal.

Ill get an update in when the amp arrives on Friday or so.

[bwanac]

Wow... big improvement. The clarity the soundstage the dynamics this has really opened up my speakers and sounds very nice. It is also extremely powerful... way too much power for my needs I think. But more power is always better.

I have a question. Right now I dont have my subwoofer hooked up. I would like to understand my options.

-Number one is looping the speaker wires through it.
-Number two, this amp has the option of A+B speakers at same time. Can I hook the sub up to Speaker B, and then when I want to use it swtich from Speaker A to Speaker A+B? (This is only considered because I am unsure how this amp is set-up, are the A and B sets in series or parallel?)