Help with Amp choice

[pat bateman]

I currently have 7.2.2, and am adding 2 more height channels. My AVR can process 11 channels, but only amplify 9, so I need an external amp. This is my first time buying an external amp, so excuse the newbie-ness.

I was thinking either 1 of 2 approaches; A. Buy a cheap amp for the additional 2 overhead speakers only or B. Get a nicer 2 channel amp to run the F/R speakers, and let the AVR amplify everything else.

All my speakers are Klipsch RP, and as I understand they are very sensitive already, so I need to manage my expectations that external amplification will not make a difference for the F/R - or so I've read. Is this accurate information? I do have possible hopeful plans to upgrade to RF7IIIs when I can also upgrade the size of my room, but right now I have RP280F as F/R, but if its basically a "for sure" thing that I will not notice any sound quality difference with external amplification to the F/R, I either A. buy the cheap amp for the +2 overheads or B. The opposite direction cost-wise, and get a new AVR that will amplify 11 channels instead of spending 1K-ish on a good 2 channel amp, and also enjoy the new bells/whistles that come with that.

To clarify - I do not need my F/R to be any louder. My room is not large. I am specifically wondering if sound quality would be noticeably improved with external amplification.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Marplot]

Just spitballing here but wouldn't it make more sense to use your new amp on the 4 ceiling?
Not evertything we listen to is in ATMOS so it will reduce the power needs of your current AVR when you are listening 2/4/5.1

 

[pat bateman]

Just spitballing here but wouldn't it make more sense to use your new amp on the 4 ceiling?
Not evertything we listen to is in ATMOS so it will reduce the power needs of your current AVR when you are listening 2/4/5.1

I would think that externally amplifying the ceiling speakers would kinda be a waste considering not a ton of sound is coming from them, and I would think their power needs are lower, but now that I type that out, I have 10' ceilings, and they are considerably farther away than my Surrounds & SB....

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I would get a stereo Amp for the fronts. Do you have a budget? Are you willing to go used?

 

[pat bateman]

I would get a stereo Amp for the fronts. Do you have a budget? Are you willing to go used?

I have my eye on the Marantz MM7025. I'm fine with used locally, but online - I have trust issues with sizable purchases that cost a lot to ship.

 

[atlantasteve]

I have an emotiva 4 channel amp for my height speakers and an NAD 7 channel amp for everything else.

 

[Horbus]

I would also go with Marplot's suggestion to use additional amplification just for the Height's where you probably won't hear tonal differences of the different amps. This could be a cheap pro amp i.e.. I was never a friend of mixing different amps/technologies or speakers from different companies unless for the use as Height's or Subwoofer. I have a seperate pro amp for my passive subwoofer which serves me well.

 

[mandrix]

I have an older 5.1 Analog input amp I use for my 4 ceiling speakers.
My AVR also amps 9 channels but decodes 11 for Atmos.....but for my AVR if you go 7.x.x the rear surrounds HAVE to be pre-out. But not all AVR's work this way, a quirk of Onkyo I guess.
Doesn't matter for me as I changed my room around and now have 5.1.4 instead of 7.1.4.

 

[barfle]

For consistency’s sake, I’d put all speakers in a zone on the same amp, which would probably mean a separate three-channel amp for the fronts or a separate four-channel amp for the heights.

That doesn’t mean it would be an audible improvement over just a cheapo stereo amp for your new overheads. But it’s more likely to not be an obvoius change.

 

[hi-res_edition]

I also agree with pushing the envelope and powering the 4 height channels with a separate amp. It doesn't need to be on all the time, only when you are listening in Atmos. I use a processor out to a 7 channel amp for the floor and 4 channel amp for the heights. In my case, the amps are matched. And YES there is a sound difference in amp quality - thus circling back to the first thought... a really good 2 channel amp for the mains could be very beneficial if the vast majority of listening is in stereo. However, that would certainly color the balance of the floor channels when in surround or Atmos.

 

[fourml8r]

Focus on the front channels (LCR), they do about 70% of the workload. Make sure those channels have the best amplification you can afford. For the surround, rears, atmos, height channels, they use a lot less power so they can EASILY be handled by an AVR. For most people an external amp on those channels will be money poorly spent.