Help for a receiver good with Heresy Speakers

[LanceBruce]

I have a pair of Heresy speakers from about 1980. I have been running them with a Kenwood 100 watt amp that I bought about 1990. I only use it to play CDs. Recently, I hooked up an inexpensive Sony HD tuner and the combination was unlistenable. With the volume set on my amp at zero and the -30dB mute on, the tuner volume was so loud that I could not use it indoors. I deceided to return the tuner and just replace the amp with a newer two channel stereo receiver. I have not owned a receiver since 1977. What is a good new one that I can get cheap to run my Heresies? The only ones I can find are either Sony or Sherwood. The reason I say cheap is that I am not an audiophile by any means. As a matter of fact, I pretty much hate technology. I just want something that I can sit at home, blast my Beatles and Stones, and listen to Coast to Coast without waking up the whole house.

Thanks,

Lance Bruce

[runninshine]

Lance, welcome to the forum. I would say forget about a receiver if you are just going for a 2 channel set up and look at getting a T amp.

I have been running my FOrtes and Heresys with a Dayton T amp and it sounds awesome and for $45 bucks it's hard to beat.

Here is a picture of what the little unit looks like.

Hope this helps.

[LanceBruce]

Thanks. I have seen similar Dayton amps on line. I loved the size, but I didn't understand how they worked with permanent components like a cd player and tuner, because I didn't see the type of inputs I was used to. How do you hook up a cd changer and a tuner to one of these amps?

LanceBruce

[Marvel]

You said you wanted a receiver... so see if you can pickup one of the older H/K430, 730, 930 models. They aren't the 'best', but the tuner in them works pretty well, and they will have plenty of power to drive the Heresy speakers to good levels. They can be had inexpensively. I can't comment on new receivers...

I think the t-amps only have a singlepair of inputs.

Bruce

[runninshine]

Bruce is right, only a single input. You can use the headphone jack of your laptop, Ipod or you can find a connector like this from monoprice.com

for just a few bucks.

[russ69]

With the volume set on my amp at zero and the -30dB mute on, the tuner volume was so loud that I could not use it indoors.

Something sounds wrong. what inputs on the Kenwood are you using? You should be using the aux input. Is it possible you are not hooked up the right way? It sounds like you might be hooked into the record player input.

[rockhound]

I have the latest and greatest Dayton amp. It comes with everything you need. I have my CD player hooked directly to the rear RCA inputs. The speaker connections are banana plugs which come with the amp. It was 100 bucks at partsexpress.

Before that I had a Nakamichi TA-2A receiver they can be had on fleabay for around 100 bones too they are a very good receiver I absolutly loved mine. The only reason I didn't buy another is I wanted to try a different setup with my Heresey and Cornwalls.

Having said that I can tell you with what I know now I would take the Nak over the lil Dynaco. It just sounded better to my ears.

Good Luck!

[Cal Blacksmith]

I agree with Russ69, it seems that you may have put the tuner into the PHONO jacks, if so, it is no wonder that you couldn't turn it down![:|]

[JeffRay]

I'm with russ69 on this one. The Harmon Kardon Receivers are a steal right now. Their philosophy for decades has been to make Amps capable of high current delivery into low impedance loads. They can drive some speakers that far more expensive amps go weak on, especially for bass. Their build quality is better than many and I'm talking the cabinets and the internal components. The HK3490 & 3390 are both stone cold bargains. Check Amazon. Some of the older models are better but since you are more into the music than the gear just buy one of those. I've got Tube & SS stuff that's pretty Tweak but I've been flogging a 3490 in my Shop for five months and it's a peach.

[gnatnoop]

outlaw audio's RR2150 is a good little stereo receiver.

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

these sometimes are available used also..

[LanceBruce]

Russ69:

I was using the tuner inputs, but the Kenwood tech I spoke with had me try the other aux inputs. I think there are two additional ones, and it was the same volume regardless of which aux input I used. I definitely did not try the phono input because it requires three wires, one of which is a ground.

The Kenwood guy looked up the specs on my amp and told me what he thought the problem was. I could not repeat back to you what he told me, (amperage, ohms, etc.) but basically what he told me was that when my amp was made in the 1980s, tuner output was not as great and tuner perfomance was not nearly what it is today. The older amp was designed to work with and compensate for the tuners available back then. He looked up the specs for the modern Sony tuner I purchased, From what I gathered, it was either about 10x more efficient or powerful than the tuners the my old Kenwood amp was designed to work with. I hope that makes some sense.

[LanceBruce]

Rockhound:

If I hook up my CD player to the RCA inputs in the back, where do I hook up a tuner? From what I understand there is only one set of inputs in the back.

BTW, I am an Arkansas grad. Woo Pig! I am shipping the Sony tuner back today, so if I for a used component, I think it makes more sense for me to buy a used tuner, rather than a receiver, since I already have an amp that I really like.

Thanks.

[JeffRay]

"but basically what he told me was that when my amp was made in the 1980s, tuner output was not as great and tuner perfomance was not nearly what it is today. The older amp was designed to work with and compensate for the tuners available back then. He looked up the specs for the modern Sony tuner I purchased, From what I gathered, it was either about 10x more efficient or powerful than the tuners the my old Kenwood amp was designed to work with" Whoa!! That's double gobbledy ****, tech speak, nonsense. At least he's sending you another one.

[rockhound]

Rockhound:

If I hook up my CD player to the RCA inputs in the back, where do I hook up a tuner? From what I understand there is only one set of inputs in the back.

BTW, I am an Arkansas grad. Woo Pig! I am shipping the Sony tuner back today, so if I for a used component, I think it makes more sense for me to buy a used tuner, rather than a receiver, since I already have an amp that I really like.

Thanks.

Yea u would have to hook the cd player to the front headphone jack via a cable that is provided. If your wanting a tuner I would just bi pass the Dayton and get the Nak TA-2A. You could then use the Nak as a pre amp and hook your amp and CD to it. I recently sold mine because I wanted that Klipsch sound with all my componets. Bad mistake and I bought a very nice receiver but it just didn't sound as good to me as the Nak did. So I bought the lil Dayton to get me through while I refill the audio fund and demo a few different options. Anyway I've heard great things about the H/K 430 too but have never heard it with Heresey. Good luck in your search.

Fellow hog! Gotta love it! Wooooo Piggg Soooooie!

[odysseyrevolver]