How do you know if you need an amp?

[Zen Traveler]

Cons:
With an "All-in-One unit, you only have one power supply to provide power to the Processor and to each Channel of the Amp. Driven hard, the amp can "run out of gas" and begin clipping and distorting.

Also keep in mind that not all AVRs are created the same and THX Ultra II AVRs are rated to drive speakers that have impedance dips down to 3.2 Ohms in a multi speaker configuration and this does help the RF-7 based HT. {EDIT: Oops...I said this on page one.

[Youthman]

If you are looking at Emotiva, don't forget to check the Emporium section in their forum.

Here was the last XPA-3, sold for $400 Link

Guys looking to sell their XPA-3 to upgrade to an XPA-5 or maybe someone with an XPA-5 looking to upgrade to monoblocks.

[tragusa3]

I'd have to disagree with the "lots more money" comment. Going with the Emotiva amps and processor is only slightly more than the popular price points on upper end receivers. And if you consider that in ten years you may replace only the processor, you could argue that it was a less expensive long term solution.

[Youthman]

I'd have to disagree with the "lots more money" comment. Going with the Emotiva amps and processor is only slightly more than the popular price points on upper end receivers.

I have edited my statement above. Emotiva's Pre/Pro is the exception to the rule...but it is also buggy (at least the last time I checked). I was referring to the "overall" picture that going full separates is much more expensive than using a receiver as a pre/pro. Buying a $600 Denon or Onkyo vs. buying a $2000 or higher (Sunfire, Krell or Arcam etc). Yes, you can get a new UMC-1 for slightly more than an average receiver but that generally is not the same for most other brands. It would be a very significant jump in price to go with a dedicated Pre/Pro.

Hope that clarifies my previous statement.

[Youthman]

Looks like they are still trying to work out the bugs on the UMC-1.

Check out The definitive UMC-1 status page from Big Dan

UMC-1 Technical Information- Shutdown lockups

[jacksonbart]

First question you need to ask yourself, 'What Camp are you in, SET or PP?'

[mbajner]

using a higher end A/V receiver as a pre-pro matched with an amp of your choice is the cheaper way to go

I am using my Yamaha RXV2095 as the pre-pro and an Anthem AVM50 for the amp

at the time, the 2095 was a top rated A/V receiver

a very noticable improvement and recommend this type of set up

now if you have a lower end A/V receiver then it probably is not worth the trouble

looked at a few pre-pro only and they are an expensive route to go and probably would not notice a difference anyways

[tragusa3]

Youthman, I'll agree that the UMC-1 is the exception and buggy. I went with the XPA5 and the Integra 40.1 (which is not buggy). Total investment of $1600. Future investment of $1k on a processor. So over the lifetime of two processors a total investment of $2600. Now, assume you buy a $1200 receiver (which many, many do). And you do that twice in the same time period. Now you're comparing $2600 to $2400. The extra $200 seems a no brainer for the extra perfomance for all those years. And who knows, you may actually get three or four generations of use out of the amp?

Granted, I may have skewed the numbers slightly for my arguement. I do that. But you get the point.

[CECAA850]

First question you need to ask yourself, 'What Camp are you in, SET or PP?'

I don't SET to PP, especially when I camp.

[Guest " "]

this calculator may be helpful

http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html

[tragusa3]

Speakerfritz, I love your sig! I seem to get caught up in all that crap every time.....never thought about "decoy" threads! That's classic.

[mharper3]

What camp? Set or pp? Don't even know what that means.