Using the Adcom Power Amplifier

[EdgarB]

I have an Adcom Power Amplifier which I bought to run additional speakers off my Pioneer VSX-D705S reciever ( 150 Watts by 4 ). On the Pioneer I do not have a line out to hook up the power amplifier. My question is what do I have to do to use the power amplifier? I have checked different recievers and very few seem to have a line out for additional amplification. Everything also seems to be home stereo when all I am after is music. :17: ]

[N. Abstentia]

Yeah to use an external amp you need the preamp outputs. You sure you didn't see any with preamp outputs? Unless you're looking at the $99 bargain basement models they all should have preamp outputs.

[hifitommy]

with pre outs. if you really want to improve the sound, thats what has to be done. you cant run the adcom from speaker outs. thats probably what you didnt want to hear but in the long run, you will be much happier.

[EdgarB]

Yeah to use an external amp you need the preamp outputs. You sure you didn't see any with preamp outputs? Unless you're looking at the $99 bargain basement models they all should have preamp outputs.

I have a decent reciever - Pioneer VSX-D705S - 4 channel at 150 watts, but the preouts are for center speaker and woofer. Hooking the Adcom to those doesn't increase the volume at all. Maybe my Adcom is bad, I just bought it from a friend who told me it was working fine. Does it matter if the preouts say center or woofer?

[bubslewis]

I have a decent reciever - Pioneer VSX-D705S - 4 channel at 150 watts, but the preouts are for center speaker and woofer. Hooking the Adcom to those doesn't increase the volume at all. Maybe my Adcom is bad, I just bought it from a friend who told me it was working fine. Does it matter if the preouts say center or woofer?


Preouts for center and subwoofer, but not for front left and right???? That's very very strange. If Pioneer gave it's receiver enough flexibility to run preouts to center and sub, I can't believe there's not a preout option for the fronts. The fronts are the most common speakers that folks use seperate amplification for via preouts on the receiver.

Something doesn't make sense here.

[hifitommy]

it only allows louder to happen with less distortion. it seems your expectations are misled. to take advantage of this amp, you will need pre outs for the regular channels, center and sub out arent going to benefit you.

[kelsci]

EdgarB; Is this a Dolby Pro-Logic Surround receiver. Pioneer and JVC had receivers like this that had 4 channels only. In that case, some may have only had a subwoofer output or an occassional center channel output. The power amp you bought can be used if you have a pre-amplifier or a receiver that has Pre-Amp outputs. Some Pro-Logic receivers may have had this and some Dolby Digital receivers had this too. The one way you could test this power amp(is it two channel?) is to connect it to speakers with a CD player and see if you get any audio with it.

[EdgarB]

EdgarB; Is this a Dolby Pro-Logic Surround receiver. Pioneer and JVC had receivers like this that had 4 channels only. In that case, some may have only had a subwoofer output or an occassional center channel output. The power amp you bought can be used if you have a pre-amplifier or a receiver that has Pre-Amp outputs. Some Pro-Logic receivers may have had this and some Dolby Digital receivers had this too. The one way you could test this power amp(is it two channel?) is to connect it to speakers with a CD player and see if you get any audio with it.
Yep you got it. It is a Dolby Surrond Pro-Logic Pioneer reciever. The back panel has two rca receptor plugs that state on each side pre0ut. At the bottom of the same receptor plugs it in addition states subwoffer and center speaker. My Adcom is a GFA-555II two channel power amplifier. I thought it would work although I am not sure I have it set properly. Maybe the receptors are for preout or center and subwoffer? I will try the cd source to check the power amp but am 99% sure it is fine. Works with my friends McIntosh. If I buy a preamp but don't have preouts then I can't connect my Pioneer with the Adcom, right??? Or does the preamp take over the source connections in effect making the Pioneer reciever a tuner only? If need be I'll sell the Pioneer and get a Yamaha receiver or is getting a preamplifier the smart way to go??

[EdgarB]

The back has two rca receptors that on the side state preouts - at the bottom of the same receptors it has center and subwoffer. It is a pro-logic reciever whatever that means so I am now thinking that I just haven't set up the rca receptors correctly.

[kelsci]

You may be able to use this receiver as a pre-amp with the two rca receptors that state preout. Are those receptors or outputs marked LEFT and RIGHT. If so, I would make sure that your receiver operates in STEREO mode, not in any sort of PRO-LOGIC mode. So you would run a rca interconnect from each output receptor of the Pioneer to the appropriate input receptor of the power amplifier and give it a whirl. However, you seem to say that these same two receptors are labled CENTER and SUBWOOFER. If they are, then you would need a separate stereo preamp. The reason is that the center and subwoofer output only outputs a center dialogue channel and a audio output for a subwoofer both which are mono in nature.

[EdgarB]

What is meant when you wrote - "the center and subwoofer output only outputs a center dialogue channel and a audio output for a subwoofer both which are mono in nature." What's a dialogue channel?

Anyways I have decided to move up to a Yamaha RX-V1600 it has marked preouts for all channels as well as center and sub. It is my early Xmas and birthday present since they both fall within 20 days of eachother. I still don't understand how a preamp would help me in this situation since I have no inputs for the preamplifier. Where would I add it? Certainly not to preouts which BTW are not marked L or R and seem dedicated to center and subwoofer. What am I missing here?

Know anyone that wants to buy or trade for a Pioneer VSX-D705S receiver? It has served me well but I think it is time to move on.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

[paul_pci]

Your new receiver would operate as a preamp in this case, thus no need for a preamp, and will also seem to solve your problem of how to hook up the Adcom amp.