Two Amps I Don't Know What to Do with--Recommendations?

[Rhetor]

No, I am not selling. :-) I have two amps in excellent working order, one has been recapped and professional service and the other is pristine--just sitting on the sidelines in workshop storage. They are: Phase Linear 400 and Adcom GFA 555. I figure they may benefit my home HT 11.1 setup . . . I have all speakers and the sub hooked up directly to my Denon 4311ci. k-horns fronts, Belle sides, La Scala rears, KG4 wides and heights, with a Martin Logan Depth i sub (3x8" woofers). So, is there a way to integrate the Phase Linear 400 and Adcom GFA 555? Or should they just go back into storage for a while. I have only used all all-in-one AVR solutions before. I figure I can learn how to add amps, but would these two amps be of any benefit to my setup? Recommendations for a guy learning how to setup a Heritage HT? (Also have both a PL preamp and Adcom preamp/tuner, if that makes a difference.). I can probably figure out to hook them up if I knew what I should do to integrate them into the HT if it were of benefit. So new to this, I'm just not sure if there is a benefit possible in integrating one or both of these amps with the Denon and speakers.

[psg]

I'd try using them for the front three main speakers at least... Your receiver has pre-outs for these channels so why not?

[Rhetor]

So, what would that do for me than I am not getting alone with the 4311? (told you all I am a noob with the amp thing, sorry).

[willland]

So, what would that do for me than I am not getting alone with the 4311?

My experience is that when I added a 3-channel B&K Reference 4430(200w/ch) to my existing Onkyo TX-SR705(100w/ch, 2 channels driven) to drive my front soundstage(RF-63's/RC-64), the improvement was very noticeable all across the board. Presence, detail, bass drive, you name it, all improved. Oh yeah, headroom too. When I replaced the B&K's with my Acurus A200FIVE and A250, they brought my system to another level.

Now your 4311 is beefier and has more power than my 705 but adding a good quality amp like this one

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/acurus-a200five-200watts-channel-5-channel-amp-shipp []

you should experience similar changes.

Bill

[Rhetor]

Now your 4311 is beefier and has more power than my 705 but adding a good quality amp like this one

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/acurus-a200five-200watts-channel-5-channel-amp-shipp

you should experience similar changes.

Bill

Another shameless hustle for your Acurus sale? :-)

[willland]

Another shameless hustle for your Acurus sale? :-)

Hey, I'm just having fun with you.[] There is an offer on the Acurus pending on A-gon right now.[Y]

Seriously, I don't know enough about your Phase Linear but do know that the Adcom 555 is one potent amp that is considered one of the better "low/midfi" 2-channel amps ever produced. Worth a shot to hook up to your mains.

Bill

[Rhetor]

I was,playing,,too, Bill . . . I wonder if I did a search "acurus + Bill" how many hits I would get. :-). I understand the Adcom and PL are great amps, just did not know if I would,get any real gain hooking them up to a 4311. I keep reading about everybody adding amps to this or that, just wondered if I should too, for more than the "just because I can" principle. Wondering if there would be a real benefit of some kind, and then if so, "yes," I will jump in and figure out the "how.". . . Just in the "why" place now. If there is a benefit, I want to do it.

Another shameless hustle for your Acurus sale? :-)

Hey, I'm just having fun with you. There is an offer on the Acurus pending on A-gon right now.

Seriously, I don't know enough about your Phase Linear but do know that the Adcom 555 is one potent amp that is considered one of the better "low/midfi" 2-channel amps ever produced. Worth a shot to hook up to your mains.

Bill

[ivanhurd]

Me being too lazy to look anything up, what are the specs on those amps?

[Youthman]

I wonder if I did a search "acurus + Bill" how many hits I would get. :-).

Probably as many returns as you see in his signature. []

[derrickdj1]

Not much work to hook up the amps to the front stage and just the cost of the interconects, if you don't have any. Then you can be the final judge on wether you think they add something to your system. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

[willland]

I figure they may benefit my home HT 11.1 setup . . . I have all speakers and the sub hooked up directly to my Denon 4311ci.

I just reread your first post and realized you have ELEVEN speakers hooked up to your Denon receiver. Even as efficient as your speakers are, your system is a perfect candidate for outboard amps. With all channels driven, I bet you are only getting about 40w/channel, but in theory, is plenty to drive your Heritage setup, but a little headroom never hurt. Just hook'em up and see what you get.

Bill

[Rhetor]

OK everybody, I will try to hook them up and see what happens. :-)

[Youthman]

I figure they may benefit my home HT 11.1 setup . . . I have all speakers and the sub hooked up directly to my Denon 4311ci.

I just reread your first post and realized you have ELEVEN speakers hooked up to your Denon receiver. Even as efficient as your speakers are, your system is a perfect candidate for outboard amps. With all channels driven, I bet you are only getting about 40w/channel, but in theory, is plenty to drive your Heritage setup, but a little headroom never hurt. Just hook'em up and see what you get.

Bill

I agree with Bill. My Yamaha RX-V1800 claimed 130 x 7 (all channels driven). Third party bench test proved that it was really 130 x 2, 110 x 5 and only 55 x 7. Asking a receiver to handle 11 speakers is pretty unrealistic. When I hooked up the back surrounds to go from 5.1 to 7.1, I had to really crank my receiver to get the same volume and still never got the same dynamics I had with just the 5.1 setup.

[derrickdj1]

Well, what is the verdict?[]

[Rhetor]

Receiver in my office went,out and had to temporarily put the Adcom amp and preamp in there. Fuse it on my Phalse Linear . . . Someone put in one too long. Seems now adays, the 5 amp glass fuse is nay available in long or short . . . My 70s PL takes a medium size he I can't find! So just running it all on the 4311 till I can find the right size medium length 5 amp fuse . . . Radio Shack only carries the long and short ones. No other electronic or stereo shop nearby and can't figure out the right one on Amazon. This was supposed to be simple!

[Rhetor]

Alright, I'm back in business. Got my Phase Linesr back up and running tonight! It has 200 watts per channel. And the interconnects are just RCA cables right? So, should be as easy as wiring K-horn fronts into the phase linear 400, then RCA cables from the PL to the Denon RF and LF pre outs, strap power strip n the pl (to work as an on/off switch), fire up the Denon 4311 and make sure the sound is low, and the turn on the PL 400 amp, right?

[willland]

And the interconnects are just RCA cables right? So, should be as easy as wiring K-horn fronts into the phase linear 400, then RCA cables from the PL to the Denon RF and LF pre outs, strap power strip n the pl (to work as an on/off switch)

OUT Denon L/R preouts(RCA)>>>>>> IN Phase Linear L/R inputs>>>>>>OUT Phase Linear L/R speaker terminals(speaker wire)>>>>>>IN L/R speakers terminals>>>>>>OUT [8][8][8][8]>>>>>>[Y][]

fire up the Denon 4311 and make sure the sound is low, and the turn on the PL 400 amp, right?

That is my order of power up.

Bill

[Rhetor]

And the interconnects are just RCA cables right? So, should be as easy as wiring K-horn fronts into the phase linear 400, then RCA cables from the PL to the Denon RF and LF pre outs, strap power strip n the pl (to work as an on/off switch)

OUT Denon L/R preouts(RCA)>>>>>> IN Phase Linear L/R inputs>>>>>>OUT Phase Linear L/R speaker terminals(speaker wire)>>>>>>IN L/R speakers terminals>>>>>>OUT >>>>>>

fire up the Denon 4311 and make sure the sound is low, and the turn on the PL 400 amp, right?

That is my order of power up.

Bill

Got it hooked up right . . . I am hearing a subtle difference, not much more bass from the K-horns, but more from them on the mids and definitely the highs. Also found I needed after adding the external amp to turn the center Belle up to equal the db's of the K-horn fronts (to balance before the external amp addition, I had to turn the center Belle -4 db's to balance with the k-horns).

Is that the kind of effect zi should have expected with the addition of an external amp running the k-horn fronts?

Still not happy with the bass output of the Pk-horns . . . It is there, but even when running two channel, I need to run the subwoofer to get any thump from music.

I redid the AA crossover caps from Crites on the K-horns. Just feel, even with the external amp, not getting enough bass out of the k-horns to satisfy in two channel without running a sub.

Maybe I am expecting too much bass out of the K-horns alone?

[derrickdj1]

Since you have the sub, why not use it. It was design to do just bass. More and more I see 2 channel people using subs. I like using my subs for 2.2 channel listening. The imaging is the same as with jist using the 7's. There is a slight tonal difference using the subs compared to running the 7's alone as full range. Not better or worse, just slightly different. Most likely due to the cerametallic woofer.

[Rhetor]

Finally figured out the Denon 4311 correct set up on 11.1 . . . Had the settings wrong for 11 channel after adding the external amp. With the Pase Linear 400 running the fronts correctly now, Wow! Really opened up the front stage! Now I get it, Bill! Thanks everybody!