Audio Matching an AVR to a speaker setup

V

vb86

Adept
Hi!

I'd like to know, how does one choose the right AVR for an existing speaker setup or even while buying a new system. How does one match the power etc. to make sure that you get the maximum out of the system. Also, will too much output from an AVR spoil the speakers if they can't handle it?

Now, about my setup:

Its a Jamo setup as follows:

Center speaker: Jamo A10 CEN
System Type 2-way closed shielded
Woofer (mm/in) 76 / 3
Tweeter (mm/in) 19 / ¾
Power (W, long/short term) 60 / 80
Sensitivity (dB, 2.8V/1m) 86
Frequency Range (Hz) 150 - 20,000
Impedence (Ohm) 6
Weight (kg/lb) 1.1 / 2.4

Front Speakers: Jamo A102
System Type 2-way closed shielded
Woofer (mm/in) 76 / 3
Tweeter (mm/in) 19 / ¾
Power (W, long/short term) 60 / 80
Sensitivity (dB, 2.8V/1m) 86
Frequency Range (Hz) 150 - 20,000
Impedence (Ohm) 6
Weight (kg/lb) 0.7 / 1.5

Surround Speakers: Jamo A10 SUR
System Type Fullrange closed
Woofer (mm/in) 76 / 3
Power (W, long/short term) 60 / 80
Sensitivity (dB, 2.8V/1m) 86
Frequency Range (Hz) 150 - 15,000
Impedence (Ohm) 6
Weight (kg/lb) 0.7 / 1.5

Subwoofer: Jamo SUB 200
System Type Sub
Woofer (mm/in) 203/8
Frequency Range (Hz) 36-150
Impedence (Ohm) 22K
Weight (kg/lb) 8.4/18.5

I actually bought the HTIB solution called Jamo A102 HCS 11 which came with the Jamo DMR-61 amp cum dvd player.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to furnish the specs for DMR-61 as the Jamo website seems to have removed them.

The DMR-61 unfortunately has horrible video playback quality even when hooked up via HDMI. I was wondering if I were to buy an AVR to replace this player and have either a seperate DVD player/PS3 connected to it, would the sound quality drastically increase. What I mean is, will a good Denon or some other AVR really increase the SQ for this setup or is the DMR-61 getting the most out of these speakers. Also, which AVR would go with this setup? I would like the AVR to be able to decode DTS-MA and TrueHD. I also want to make sure that I don't ruin the speakers by using an AVR which is too powerful for this setup.

Thanks.
 
Please please give the price range and may be we will know exactly where the manna lies.

Also remember there is no such thing like extra power for AVR. During intense movie scene and AVR will thrive on all the reserve power it has. Your setup looks set for 6 Ohm impedance so have AVR in mind with extra power. Moreso the extra power of AVR will not ruin your Jamo speakers.

I think in your case, Yamaha RXV-665 or Onkyo 605 Should be the best bet. Both have DTS-MA and TrueHD and have excellent record,pretty sturdy build. Both good with movies as well as Music.

Moreever remember whatever we suggest it best to audition if you can the actual AVR in person. Start with Auditioning Yamaha RXV-665 ,Onkyo 605 and i am sure you will settle for one.

Yes one thing i forgot.What is you requirement. i.e. Percentage of Music and movies. That way we can decide whether you will want Marantz or Denon in play



Still let know the price range you are looking at.
 
Yes, the DMR-61 and the A 102 HCS 5 were sold as A 102 HCS 11, which was Jamo's HTIB solution. Unfortunately, if you click on the specs link on the DMR-61 page mentioned above, the details are missing. I think the output in terms of watts is 60W per channel for the amp.

Anyhow, the reason I made this thread was, if I were to spend around $300 to get an AVR, would I see a drastic change in the sound? I was considering this not only because of the sound, I was actually considering an AVR + PS3 combo. That way, when I play Bluray discs, the AVR can decode DTS-MA and TrueHD. And, As I mentioned earlier, the PQ of the DMR-61 DVD player is horrible. I already have a WD player hooked up via an optical cable to the DMR-61.
 
^You mentioned the quality of the HDMI output was bad - pretty much understandable since most entry-level DVD players have poor upscaling chips onboard thus the output is flawed to a large extent. Consider investing in the PS3 first. Feed the audio out through the optical out of the PS3 to the player's input. The PS3 should definitely have a better video output vis-a-vis the Jamo's player. And when you are at it, the PS3 can as well do everything your WD player can, provided you install the PS3 Media Sever application on a PC and stream all the media through it.

For the video,

PS3--->LCD via HDMI

For the audio,

PS3--->Jamo DVD player through optical SPDIF

For streaming the content,

PS3<--->Router<--->PC through the ethernet cable. (wireless would have issues to stream 1080p content).

Chuck the WD player. If the need be, invest in the AVR later.
 
Actually, the DMR-61 doesn't upscale. Also, 99% of the times, I play videos using the WD player. It only when i need to play optical discs, which is 1% of the times, do I use the the dvd player. Actually, I dont really intend to invest in bluray discs. But, my cousin does. So, borrowing them from him would make sense. I currently play Bluray rips on my WD player.

So, in most cases, I play Bluray rips on my WD player which is connected to the TV via HDMI and to the DMR-61 using a toslink cable (bitstream DTS). Even with this setup, will changing the DMR-61 to an AVR drastically improve the sound?
 
Room size: Will give once I get home. I don't know if you can get an idea from these pics in the mean time: http://www.techenclave.com/show-off/my-decent-purchases-over-last-few-156730.html

Budget: $300 approx for the AVR

Objective: To get the best sound out of the speakers. I don't know if the DMR-60 can extract the max out of these speakers. Since I might change the AVR would also like it to have DTS-MA and TrueHD decoding capabilities. And, will there be a considerable difference in the sounf if I buy an AVR in the range of $300?
 
Ah I see youve already bought speakers, in that case, I will suggest selling off the dmr or using it as a player and getting an AVR such as the denon 1610 which is around 22k in india with warranty, and unlike speakers. you need warranty on these as they can die at any point of time within 1-2 years and youll be stuck.

But to be honest, the speakers are an HTIB set, the difference youll notice between what you have now and with an avr will only sound "different" to go into "better" you would need much higher grade speakers. 2" full range drivers and 1 sub dont really add all that much dimension to sound.

The hdmi video matter I have no experience with so I cannot say.
 
Guys, I'm bumping this really old thread that I created a few years ago!

So, my current setup remains exactly the same as mentioned in the first post, but with 2 additions - a PS3 and a Tata Sky+ HD box! I didn't end up buying an AVR, but I do plan to do so now!

There are 2 reasons for the same - connectivity and sound.

Connectivity: The DMR-61 does not have an HDMI-in port. It has an optical/Toslink in which I have to physically swap between my TS+ box, PS3 and WD TV. Moreover, to access the DMR-61 onscreen menu, I need to access it on a separate HMDI port since none of the video is being routed through the receiver. In short, I cannot route any video through the player and all the video devices need to be individually connected to the TV. This becomes a hassle as the number of devices needed to be connected keeps increasing! And, as mentioned above, the sole Toslink cable needs to be constantly swapped between devices.

Another plus in buying a new proper AVR is connectivity options like Airplay. We have plenty of MacBooks, iPhones and iPads in the house.

Sound: Not that big of a concern, but I'm sure there will be a distinct change/improvement in sound. Other features like decoding newer formats is a plus.

I'd also like to mention that some point in the very near future, I do plan to replace the first gen WD TV with a XBMC/Plex based player/HTPC.

Options that I have shortlisted:

Denon X2000:
Price - Rs. 47500 approx including bill and warranty.
Audyssey MultiEQ XT is a plus. I do not know if the model sold in India is any different from the one sold in the US barring the 110v and 220v power input. Also, if I do get this, does it matter if the AVR is imported by ProFX or Kripa? They both officially import Denon. I'm based in Delhi.

Pioneer VSX-1123-K:
Price - Rs. 41700 approx including bill and warranty.
Seems quite feature packed. I read in a review that the MCACC room calibration can calibrate 6 different points. However, I don't think it calibrates the sub like Audyssey! Also, I was surprised to see that the specs on the Indian model and different than the American one.

As per the indian site:
http://pioneer-india.in/shop/vsx-1123-k/

Power Output (1 kHz, THD 1 %, 6 ohms 1ch Drive)
Front135 W/ch
Centre135 W
Surround135 W/ch
Surround Back135 W/ch
Dimensions (W x H x D)435 x 168 x 362.5 mm
Weight9.7 kg
Power Requirements (depends on region)AC 220-240 V 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption/During Standby550 W/0.1 W*3

As per the USA site:
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer Receivers/VSX-1123-K

Amplifier DesignDiscrete Direct Energy
Channels7.2
Power Output: Watts per Channel (20Hz-20kHz,.08%THD@8ohm)90 Watts x 7
Power Output: Watts per Channel (1kHz@8ohm)SC Model Power Rating Only
Power Output: Watts per Channel (1kHz,1%THD@6ohm)165 Watts x 7
Estimated Power Consumption/Standby with HDMI Control off550 W/0.1 W (standby)

So, at (1kHz,1%THD@6ohm), the Indian one is 135W and the american one is 165W. There is no mention of 8ohms on the Indian one. I don't know if there are other differences between the 2, but the different formatting on the 2 sites makes it very difficult to do a comparison.

Yamaha RX-V675:
Price - Rs. 49300 approx including bill and warranty
Again, this seems quite feature packed. A lot of people seem to prefer Yamaha for it's reliability. I'm not too sure about the YPAO room calibration technology. Not sure if the american and Indian models have differences.

Why I keep bringing up the american models is that because, initially I was planning to ask someone to buy it from Amazon and bring it here. When I finally decided to buy one here, I started noticing some differences in the specs.

Anyhow, I would really appreciate some suggestions and inputs. If you do have any other recommendations, please do let me know. Also, please refer to the specs on the Indian links and not the American ones as they do seem to differ.

Thanks.
 
I went with yamaha because of reliability and service!

Denon s previous models had qc issues and their service is not good, down south!

Where did you get the price quotes?

It's around 46k fr denon and 52k for yamaha here!

And never tried audyssey but ypao was good enough for me and i had to tweak a few settings after that!

Afaik no features difference between Us and india version of 675 except for voltage!
 
And you can use your htib speakers with avr, but if your htib sub is passive, i think there may be some issues using it with avr!
 
Back
Top