Stick or Twist?

bobbybox99

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Hi fellow wammers

I would welcome your thoughts on the best option going forwards for my setup...

My current setup is ART Deco Signature 10 speakers driven by a single McIntosh MC275 Mk V using balanced inputs fed by PS Audio PerfectWave DAC Mk2 (PWD). I've ripped all my CD's to FLAC and I've hooked up my Mac Mini direct via USB to the PWD and using JRiver Media Center 20 on the Mac. This setup allows me to use my iPhone to control my music including Spotify Connect. You'll notice I have no pre-amp in my setup. The PWD has a volume control.

I spend most of my time listening to music (mainly classical and jazz). The combination of tube amp and easy to drive speakers works well. I'm sure I could get a better sound by upgrading certain parts of the system, however, I'm generally happy with the 2 channel setup at the moment and it's been unchanged for about 5 years now.

I've decided to look again at options for a multichannel setup for home theatre use. Inevitably this has led to me evaluating the amp and DAC options as well as pre-amps.

Clearly I could get an additional 3.1/5.1 channel pre/power amp with front channel passthrough direct to the MC275 (via the amp's RCA inputs) and effectively integrate the existing setup into a new AV system but I feel that the MC275 probably isn't best suited to AV due to it's relatively low power. I really don't want to get into the realms of two sets of front speakers but neither do I wish to have some kind of switch to use two amps to power a single set of speakers.

One option I could consider is to get a second MC275 and run each as mono blocks. At a nominal 150W RMS per channel this should be powerful enough.

I'd really like to have a 5.1 system for the AV setup as I really feel that the rear speakers (even if relatively cheap) really "make" the surround sound that 2.1 or 3.1 systems cannot attain.

I have a Sony BDP-S790 blu-ray player with onboard HD decoding so I don't really need an AV processor (you may feel differently) as far as I can see. I only use the Sony for video - not music.

All thoughts welcome please!

thanks

Rob

 

paulf-2007

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If you planned to use the arts as front speakers why do you think you need a more powerful amp for AV use. My. Set up for AV is perhaps out of date as I use an old denon 1930 DVD player with analogue outs so the front outs go through a switch box to the main amp ( front speakers ) rear outs to a valve hybrid amp to rear speakers and the sub is already connected to the fronts for music use. Simples.

 

bobbybox99

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Fair points thanks. Most of my music listening takes place at moderate volumes whereas I've found I need to put the volume (on the DAC) up to around 90/100 for AV use. I guess this is in large part due to classical music being somewhat more delicate on the whole than thumping film scores!

I'm concerned that running a tube amp at 90% of max output for any length of time is unlikely to be a good plan. I guess in my mind it's a bit like the difference between driving a large engine car up the motorway at 70mph doing 1500 rpm against a 1 litre car doing the same speed at 4000rpm. Anyway, I'm sure you get my point...

 

mongeddavid

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I would go for a completely separate system to be honest. I do use the 2 channel system for some tv and down mixed 2 channel stuff but for a movie 5.1 or better still atmos is the way to go. I use a pretty expensive at the time but inexpensive now Arcam AV9 and P7 Power Amp and for Movies its superb. You do need off board decoding of Master Audio etc formats which i have on the Blu Ray Player but its worth the hassle.

 

Codexy054

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I have been in this position. I separated the AV from Hi Fi and had 2 set ups in the same room. Worked well for me, but the rest of the family need to live in the house too and use the lounge as a lounge.

The only real option to get a balance of both without adding too much more kit is to go down the route you touch on. I have one meaty power amp configured into 9 channels. The front 3 are 200 watts and remainder are 100 watts per channel. I use a processor (Marantz) for movies and I use a CD/Network player for hi fi source and a dedicated 2ch Pre-Amp. Front left and right from processor get routed via the pre amp. When I want to watch a movie or a tv drama, I flip the pre amp into HT by pass. When I want just hi fi in 2ch with no involvement from the rest of the cinema kit, I just choose another input on the pre amp which cuts all that out giving me just music.

Now to get to a good sound quality for both has not been easy or cheap, and for me finding electronics that work well with my speakers has taken a long time. Now I have found it, I'm finally settled. The only contention for me is if DSD format does take off, I'll need a new DAC. But the jury is still out on that one for me. If you go to HDTracks and similar sites, DSD files are trickling through, but still far from a standard for all new music. So for now, I am just focusing on building a bigger library of Music, TV Drama and Movies.

 

paulf-2007

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I guess it depends on the size of your room. I listen at the same volumes for music and films, about 80db, I don't like the bangs and crashes of films too loud, they don't sound real to me anyway.

 

George 47

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I use 2 systems as the BD system came with 6 speakers that are quite small with 6 Class D amps all in one box. I find that a lot of my movies tend to need loud rather than quality so that is what I do. However, the hifi has no visual clues and you really need quality not loudness. The two main speakers in the 5.1 are small, on tiny footprint stands that can be moved if needed. Same for the back 2 speakers that hide on the edges of my settee and the sub goes in the corner.

You have a good 2 channel system and it would be a shame to mess it up to get a loud movie set up.

Doubling up the MC275 would be a good thing to do anyway but I would suggest not for movies.

 

gintonic

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When I had solid state amps, I had one set of front speakers shared with the AV system and two channel, and used the 2 channel amp for front speaker duties, but it was a faff getting levels right etc. We then separated the 2 systems by getting a pair of speakers for the front channels of the AV, this was done purely for convenience, but it mean alot of speakers in the room.

When the 2 channel side changed to valves, and we got the AN/J's we had to alter the layout of the system, which meant ditching the separate speakers for the front AV channels. I know you said you didn't want a speaker switch, but we've been using a high quality Beresford switch http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S/tc-7220.htm to enable the front speakers to be shared between the two amps. We have not noticed any degradation in the quality of the sound due to the introduction of the switch and it makes life so simple for using either system, and allows each to perform as intended. Only change to the AV setup I'd make, were is AN made centre speakers, so that all the fronts were voiced similarly.

The last change I made to the AV side, was to ditch the separate AV decoder and a stack of power amps and replace it with an all singing Anthem AV receiver. Which a great job with movies and TV. Used alot more frequently now since the speakers in the new TV are much more weedy than the predecessor.

 

bobbybox99

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Jan 30, 2011
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Rob
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Thanks for your thoughts folks. I've spent a lot of time researching and soul-searching (to be honest)...

I've decided to go for a simple stand-alone solution for AV. It's against my better judgement really but I have to say that having had 48 hours to listen and get used to the setup then I think the quality at the price is very reasonable.

In case you're wondering I went for a Sony HT-RT5 (see http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/sound-bars/ht-rt5) and bought it via John Lewis online as I knew it would be easy to return if I was disappointed.

My first love is music so I won't "taint" my superb 2 channel setup by compromising on this to gain a surround AV system...

cheers

Rob

 

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