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View Full Version : Do I need, or even want a power amp?


ibewbrother
03-16-2010, 06:44 PM
I am running an Onk-807, Mon 60 fr, CS2, and Mon 30 surr. I have also ordered and waiting on delivery of a SVS PB12-NSD to replace my old PSW-300. I have a friend who has an old Onk M-5150(?) power amp that I might be able to acquire through trade for some of my old stuff(old amp, sub, speakers)
I am running all of this in a 12'x12" room (old spare bedroom). I am using this mostly (90%) for home theater.

Question is this..do I even need to give the 60's more power? Do I need the extra to balance out the more powerful sub? If I amp the fronts will it drown out the rest of the channels? I think it sounds pretty good (even with the old sub), but would I like it that much more if I really drove the 60's?

I am also thinking of buying a pair of Mon 40s and using them for surrounds and moving the 30s to the front "height" channel.

Any thoughts are always appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

....Brother
concealer404
03-16-2010, 06:50 PM
I'd do it. The fronts won't drown out everything else, you can still control the volume.

The M5150 is a decent sounding amp and should pair nicely with the M60s.
Lasareath
03-16-2010, 06:51 PM
Hey Brother,

I would say if you had a friend that could lend you out an amp for a few days to try it out I would do it. So that you could listen to the difference of an amp vs the Onkyo power.

Where are you located?

Sal
ibewbrother
03-16-2010, 07:13 PM
@ Sal

I'm in Glencoe, AL..northeast AL...60 miles NE of Birmingham

...Brother
Lasareath
03-16-2010, 07:21 PM
maybe some polkies near you that can lend you an amp to try out
hockeyboy
03-16-2010, 07:47 PM
Look man you are obviously into your system and want to get the most out of it. Get an amp. Yes, you need it.
adabro
03-16-2010, 07:50 PM
I have the 807 and the M60's..the 60's are not that hard to drive, I don't know if you'll see any difference with an amp.

Not saying don't get it, but as others have said try auditioning first....
tcrossma
03-16-2010, 08:17 PM
I've had some Monitor 60's and I didn't really notice a different with an amp over my reasonably powerful (for an AVR) receiver. The m60's are pretty easy to drive, and my gut feeling is that you won't notice much of a difference. But if you can try out a friend's, go for it! First hand experience is always the way to go in this hobby.
digitalvideo
03-17-2010, 03:14 AM
A 12x12 bedroom is a pretty small room for an amp if you have a good reciever already. I have a 27x27 room over my garage and my Pio Elite SC-05 av filled it up before I got an amp, I added the amp for the hell of it, but I could live without it.
cnh
03-17-2010, 04:10 AM
Like others have said...it doesn't hurt to listen to how it sounds. IMO it will ONLY really make a noticeable difference in how those M60s sound in 2 channel. That's an awfully small room and the Onkyo is powerful enough. Surround is 'easy'....stereo not so much!

But 2 channel is an ENTIRELY different beast. You WILL hear a difference!

cnh
digitalvideo
03-17-2010, 07:08 PM
My HT is in an 11x12 bedroom. I have 4 LSi15s and a PSB Synchrony One Center. Originally I was running off my AVR, which is a 175W/ch Sony DA7100ES. Later I added a Sunfire TGA5400 amp,and use the AVR as a preamp. This gives me 800W/ch with 4 ohm speakers. Adding the amp made a postive improvement in the sound quality, especially the bass.

So yes, if you want better sound with more detail and better dynamic range then you do need an amp.

And upgrade your speaker wire and analog interconnects if you do get the amp.

Don't you ever find that over bearing in that room? Personally for me that size room is too enclosing for all that power. I really like big rooms, theaters, churches where you can power it and it's not right in your face.
phuz
03-18-2010, 01:14 AM
I've had some Monitor 60's and I didn't really notice a different with an amp over my reasonably powerful (for an AVR) receiver. The m60's are pretty easy to drive, and my gut feeling is that you won't notice much of a difference. But if you can try out a friend's, go for it! First hand experience is always the way to go in this hobby.

This.

It would be fun to try and an amp never hurts, but you probably won't notice much of a difference at all.
cnh
03-18-2010, 01:24 AM
Just because the amp has more power does not make the sound louder. The SPL is that same, the differance is the sound is clearer, more precise, and the bass is tighter.

+1, that's the real difference...'quality' of sound. And you notice it quickly. I know when I bought my first power amp...an Adcom GFA-555 and hooked it up to my Denon AVR 2807--man what an improvement..even at the same volumes! Better detail, tighter deeper bass, cleaner mids and better stereo imaging, etc.

cnh
cfrizz
03-18-2010, 09:30 AM
+1, that's the real difference...'quality' of sound. And you notice it quickly. I know when I bought my first power amp...an Adcom GFA-555 and hooked it up to my Denon AVR 2807--man what an improvement..even at the same volumes! Better detail, tighter deeper bass, cleaner mids and better stereo imaging, etc.

cnh

Yup, this is the true benefit of having an amplifier!:)
LuSh
03-18-2010, 10:01 AM
If you're interested in better sound for two channel why not buy an integrated amplifier with HT By-pass. As per usual people will jump on the power amplifier band wagon; however a good integrated amplifier will improve two channel reproduction and you'll get much more bang for your buck. An amplifier will simply amplify all short comings of your AVR for music. A SimAudio, Classe, Krell, Naim, Blue Circle integrated will be a VASTLY better upgrade over any amplifier you could purchase on the new or used market.
Lasareath
03-18-2010, 10:02 AM
In my case I went from an Onkyo TX801NR or something like that to a carver TFM-35X and it was a night and day difference. But I was driving my 1.2tl's that I just bought. When I heard that difference I bought another tfm-35x and I was rockin in extreme style!
thuffman03
03-18-2010, 10:29 AM
IMO you can never have too much power.
hockeyboy
03-20-2010, 04:31 PM
Just because the amp has more power does not make the sound louder. The SPL is that same, the differance is the sound is clearer, more precise, and the bass is tighter.

+1 This to me is a discussion ender. Just about any decent system has a separate amp. Hell, I have a pretty darn nice receiver but it sounds pretty average without my Sunfire.
phuz
03-20-2010, 05:01 PM
+1 This to me is a discussion ender. Just about any decent system has a separate amp. Hell, I have a pretty darn nice receiver but it sounds pretty average without my Sunfire.

You're also talking about LSi speakers and a freaking Sunfire amp.

It makes no sense to add the Onkyo amp the OP mentioned to the setup he has. That reciever and his speakers are an excellent match.

ibewbrother, you may want to look into other amps if you are interested in an upgrade. If you want to play around, sure try your friends amp. I wouldn't bet on it making much of a difference though.