Receiver to amplifier question.

[Eventix]

My current setup includes a Sony STR-DE805G receiver powering two 500 watt Kenwood LS-P9300 tower speakers. I am not satisfied with the sound quality produced buy the receiver so I decided to purchase a Soundcraftsmen a5002 power amplifier. Here is the problem, there is no preamp output for an amplifier on the receiver and the amplifier requires rca inputs. What is the best way to send signal to the power amplifier without having to replace the receiver with another model. I considered an rca switch or a preamplifier but am concerned with sound degradation from sending signal through multiple rca cables. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[topspeed]

Are you sure it's the receiver and not the speakers? Speakers have a far bigger effect on sound quality than amps do.

That said, you can try hooking up your source directly to the amp as long as it has enough gain and is variable. This is the purest signal you can get, as long as it's feasible with your current equipment. Your other option is a pre-amp which can, believe it or not, sometimes help the sound by introducing more gain and/or favorable colors (like a tube pre for example).

While I'm no fan of Sony's amp sections, I'd still look harder at the speakers.

Good luck.

[Eventix]

I cannot find any info on the net about the speakers but they appear to be constructed very well compared to marantz and sony speakers that I have owned in the past. I am adding the power amplifier because the receiver is rated at 120 watts max p/c. I estimate the rms at about maybe 50 watts p/c @ 8 ohms into two tower speakrs that contain one 15" woofer, one 8" woofer , one 5" woofer, one extended frequency tweeter, and three dome tweeters per speaker. I just want ideas on how others have added an amplifier to their setup when there was no amp output on the receiver?

[MikeyBC]

I agree with topspeed, I dont think there is any kenwood, or marantz speaker out there that will sound good with even the finest elecronics money can buy. I think a Bose would sound better but I would stay well clear of those too. Sony does make some good sounding speakers but they're very expensive and the guys at circuit city or future shop will have never heard of them.

If you have a heaphone jack you can "mickey mouse" the setup together with a phono to rca adaptor and will cost you about 5 bucks, but be very carefull...make sure your volume is all the way down first tho.

I think buy connecting a bigger amp on the end of your reciever all your going to do is have a louder system that will sound the same as you have now, its not going to fix what is making you unhappy, and thats not what i think your really looking for.

[Eventix]

That was a good suggestion using the headphone output. I ended up running jumpers from the headphone circuit board to the back of the receiver and installed RCA jacks (made my own preamp). Tested them the other day just for functionality and they work great. Only down side is I cannot run the new preamp output and have phones in at the same time (never use the phones anyway). As long as the amp is off the phones work fine. As for the amplifier, I have not received it yet so I don’t know if it will make a difference. I am looking into upgrading the tower speakers, considering maybe building my own. Thanks guys.

[MikeyBC]

Glad you were able to make it work,

If you want a good do it yourself project look into thed proac 2.5 clone, A lot of research and info is available on it. you can find it here with some other well documented projects. http://home1.stofanet.dk/troels.gravesen/

[zimmythegreek]

I think you problem is the Sony receiver. I'd get rid of that and get a half decent preamp like a McIntosh, B&K or an Accuphase.

[JoeE SP9]

I'm with topspeed. Different speakers will make a bigger better difference. Kenwood was never known for making speakers.

[harley .guy07]

I think I know the speakers you are talking about. I had a friend that had a set of older Kenwood speakers that had a 15,8, and if I remember triple tweeters and they were loud for sure but They did not have a natural and clear presentation. I am not a fan of sony receivers like the other people have said either and I think a total system rethinking will be needed to get a drastic difference in sound quality being the fact that these Kenwoods are big but clumsy sounding and you do not have the best receiver for sound quality. Not trying to nitpick because I know that there are parts of my system that I need to change and am in the process of changing but to realize that is the first step then it comes the task of finding out what kind of sound you are after and finding which components are going to give you the sound you want.