It's a good problem to have

[the_john]

Hey guys,

 

My father in-law has recently decided to move with the times and upgrade to an HDMI switching AV receiver. His new purchase means he no longer has any need for his component switching Sony STR-DE597 and being his only son in-law, he's kindly passed it down to me.

 

I'm currently running a Yamaha RX-v650 in my dedicated hometheatre-playstation-music-whateverelse room and its serving me well but I wouldn't mind your opinion or recommendations on what you would do if you were in my position with a spare AVR.

 

The current configuration is 6.1: Mission all round (with the exception of the Velodyne CHT-8R) M34i up the LR front, M30i rears, M3c2i centre and M3c1i at centre rear.

 

Both amps seem quite similar on paper rating at 95wpc with A+B speaker options. I was thinking of maybe using the Yammy to drive the fronts and Sony on the rears or bi-amping all channels or bi-amping just the front LR. It arrives on Sunday and I can't wait to have a play and see how they sound next to each other. Until then, any ideas from the pros?

[Stuzzo1553552685]

With a cushion it could be a good footstool.

[Guest]

Plug them both in as stereo-only amps. Play music through them. Decide which one sounds better. Live happily ever after.

[aarond1553552714]

Yep and then buy something better for those nice mission speakers.

 

I owned a Yamaha RV-657 for a few months and sold it as I utterly underwhelmed by it's stereo and multi-channel sound. It simply couldn't drive a pair of Chario bookshelf speakers, despite being rated at 95w/ch

[stevo5]

I dont think there is a "good' way of bi-amping 2 receivers as they have pre-outs for each channel but that then bypasses the power amp section and outputs only the channel signal.You could run them together from the same source I guess but Im sure that would cause other problems with the processers runing at slightly different rates etc.

I had two receivers sitting in my rack once but never tried it,wish I had now just to say I tried it, but I dont think there is much if anything to be gained.

[Boris1553552671]

Sell or trade them both in on a better one

 

 

B.

[bornagain]

I say try them both side by side first.

 

If your lucky you'll be satisfied with one or the other, and not feel the need to sell them both and buy something "better". If in future you want to go HDMI then go ahead and get rid of them, while you can still get a few $$$ for them.

[AgrAde]

sell them both and buy something better

[the_john]

Big ups for the info.

Yeah, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss. My Yamaha does everything I need it to, and I can't say I've heard a system that's made me green so I think I'll just play around with what I've got and be happy.

 

As for selling up, call me a sucker, but it wouldn't sit right with making money off someone else's generosity.

 

 

 

aarond;68878 wrote:

Yep and then buy something better for those nice mission speakers.

 

 

 

I owned a Yamaha RV-657 for a few months and sold it as I utterly underwhelmed by it's stereo and multi-channel sound. It simply couldn't drive a pair of Chario bookshelf speakers, despite being rated at 95w/ch

 

That surprises me. I have a reasonably small room in my humble home but even still it's powered its fair share of room shaking Friday night get togethers. The only occassions where I've ever run into issues when driving at big volumes is when I'm trying to spread to the rest of the house and even that's only at peaks. We're talking apples and apples right? You didn't come off some $10k flagship receiver, did you?

[AgrAde]

It's not too far off the mark. I have the Yammy rx-v650 and some Infinity floorstanders. My friend has the same speakers as I do, and I've seen them go louder (and sound a bit better while doing so) running off his (can't remember what it is) 80W/ch stereo amp.

[Shane Hanify]

 

AgrAde;69023 wrote:

It's not too far off the mark. I have the Yammy rx-v650 and some Infinity floorstanders. My friend has the same speakers as I do, and I've seen them go louder (and sound a bit better while doing so) running off his (can't remember what it is) 80W/ch stereo amp.

 

Easy. AFAIK a 2ch 80W amp will drive harder than a budget AVR rated the same as it only has 2 channels to drive as opposed to several off the same power supply. It also will sound a lot better as the sound will be cleaner in most cases (and that extra current doesn't hurt either).

 

My little Perreaux blows the Yammy out of the water for music, there's just no comparison at all. And this from a 20 something (or is it 30 something?) year old amp. Yep it's 30. Made in 1978. No wonder it buzzes when you power it up (it's currently serving duty as a passive pre until I can fund it to get refurbished).

 

So, rule of thumb, don't compare AVR's (especially entry level ones) to 2ch amps - you'll likely be disappointed.

 

Cheers, Shane.

[aarond1553552714]

 

the_john;69021 wrote:

Big ups for the info.

 

Yeah, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss. My Yamaha does everything I need it to, and I can't say I've heard a system that's made me green so I think I'll just play around with what I've got and be happy.

 

 

 

As for selling up, call me a sucker, but it wouldn't sit right with making money off someone else's generosity.

 

 

 

That surprises me. I have a reasonably small room in my humble home but even still it's powered its fair share of room shaking Friday night get togethers. The only occassions where I've ever run into issues when driving at big volumes is when I'm trying to spread to the rest of the house and even that's only at peaks. We're talking apples and apples right? You didn't come off some $10k flagship receiver, did you?

 

These speakers lacked any life at all with the Yamaha at any volume, but then they are quite inefficient (86dB/m or so) and I was used to using them with an Arcam A85 2 ch integrated.

 

With other speakers who knows?

 

I do know that your speakers are capable of stepping up with better amps, as a friend had the same set-up with a nice NAD HT amp.

 

Great to be happy with what you've got - I'd stop reading this forum right now in that case! ha ha

[silvercj]

the john,

 

Try them side by side and see which you prefer, and then hook it up and live in comfortable bliss.

 

I think you will have nightmares trying to bi-amp them etc... you could sell it and by a s/h power amp which would probably give more controll (and power) to your fronts for two channel, but then again, this is negligable.

 

The others that have advised selling them both and buying a new amp are not trying to dis you. They are giving good advice. Untill you actually hear a better AV amp in your system you will not know the difference one will make. It is just honest comment.

 

I started with a pair of Kef C6's and a Kenwood HT amp many years ago, and like yourself, thought that there was not much better. Some of us are happy with what we start with (possible the lucky ones ) and others try to achieve the best they can justify (the unlucky ones:p).

[gfkBill]

I actually have the Sony STR-DE597 as the core of my system, which is chiefly a HT setup. I got it for $500 new a couple of years back. It does just fine, mostly because I haven't heard anything else no doubt Certainly a low budget choice. I am looking forward to replacing it with probably a Denon 3808 or equiv next year. Given that it's driving Warfedale 8.4 fronts (to be replaced with 9.6s around the same time) and Diamond 9 surrounds, can I expect to be blown out of the water by the Denon? Are we talking night and day, or just incremental?