AV Receiver and Stereo Amp to the same front speakers - HOW?

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I have a 5.1 setup with and was thinking of hooking up an old Denon stereo amp I've got to the system too (for CD's). I tried it a while ago with my old 5.1 system and I constantly got some impedance errors on my HT amp whenever I used it. Just wondering how to go about using the same pair of speakers with different amps. Please don't suggest I unplug the cables from one amp to the other... [:|]
 
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Anonymous

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The new 5.1 setup is the B&W 685 set with the ASW610 sub and an Integra 30.2 amp. I remember the old Denon stereo amp I had sounded really nice. My old Yamaha AV receiver sounded nowhere near as dynamic and detailed.
 
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Anonymous

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Hi Dimmies,

Your Integra 30.2 amp has pre out sockets, so if you connect a phono lead between these and phono inputs on your stereo amp, that should do the job nicely...
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks dougolada. With that suggestion, I assume I plug the CD player into the Denon instead of the Integra right?

Does that mean that I am using the Denon amp to power the fronts even when using the Integra in AV mode? If this is the case, then it won't work for me as I am going to biamp the fronts using a rear channel from the Integra.
 

The_Lhc

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dimmies:
Thanks dougolada. With that suggestion, I assume I plug the CD player into the Denon instead of the Integra right?

Does that mean that I am using the Denon amp to power the fronts even when using the Integra in AV mode? If this is the case, then it won't work for me as I am going to biamp the fronts using a rear channel from the Integra.

Err, I might be getting the wrong end of the stick here but if you're not going to plug the speakers into the Denon amp then what's the point of putting it into the system in the first place? What are you expecting it to do?
 
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Anonymous

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i think what dimmies wants to do is use the denon for music and the integra for av and surround sound. one option would be to have seperate runs of speaker cable from each amp. maybe have one set terminated with banana plugs and the other set with spades so that you can connect both amps to the front speakers. thats the only alternative i can think of from using the pre outs on the integra...
 
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Anonymous

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dougolada:i think what dimmies wants to do is use the denon for music and the integra for av and surround sound.

Yes, I want to run the Integra for HT purposes, so the Integra powers all 5.1 channels and the biamping using the surround channels. I'd like to switch to the Denon for stereo (CD playback). This means I will switch on the Denon if I want music or switch the Integra if I want to use it for HT use. Both systems will be using the same front speakers.

dougolada:one option
would be to have seperate runs of speaker cable from each amp. maybe
have one set terminated with banana plugs and the other set with spades
so that you can connect both amps to the front speakers. thats the only
alternative i can think of from using the pre outs on the
integra...

By using the pre-outs, wouldn't the Denon always power the fronts in this case? I've tried hooking up 2 sets of speaker cables (one from the Denon and the other from the AV receiver) before, but I've had some impedence / load issues causing my AV receiver to shut down.
 

Gerrardasnails

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dimmies:
dougolada:i think what dimmies wants to do is use the denon for music and the integra for av and surround sound.

Yes, I want to run the Integra for HT purposes, so the Integra powers all 5.1 channels and the biamping using the surround channels. I'd like to switch to the Denon for stereo (CD playback). This means I will switch on the Denon if I want music or switch the Integra if I want to use it for HT use. Both systems will be using the same front speakers.

dougolada:one option
would be to have seperate runs of speaker cable from each amp. maybe
have one set terminated with banana plugs and the other set with spades
so that you can connect both amps to the front speakers. thats the only
alternative i can think of from using the pre outs on the
integra...

By using the pre-outs, wouldn't the Denon always power the fronts in this case? I've tried hooking up 2 sets of speaker cables (one from the Denon and the other from the AV receiver) before, but I've had some impedence / load issues causing my AV receiver to shut down.

This is how you do it. You connect your front two speakers to your stereo amp and all your other speakers and sub to your HT amp. Then as has been mentioned, you connect your front left and right pre outs from your HT amp to an input in your stereo amp. Once this has been done, set your volume on the stereo amp to 12 o'clock and calibrate your 5.1 speakers. Now, when you watch a movie, you need your stereo amp on and set to the correct input and the volume at 12 o'clock. You do not touch the volume. You then use the volume control on your HT amp.

When listening to music, it's the same as usual. Your cd player is connected to your stereo amp and your HT amp is not involved (does on need to be switched on).
 

The_Lhc

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dougolada:i think what dimmies wants to do is use the denon for music and the integra for av and surround sound. one option would be to have seperate runs of speaker cable from each amp. maybe have one set terminated with banana plugs and the other set with spades so that you can connect both amps to the front speakers

Yes, that would be an option, if what you wanted to achieve was two blown amplifiers. This is a VERY BAD IDEA!!!
 

The_Lhc

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dimmies:By using the pre-outs, wouldn't the Denon always power the fronts in this case? I've tried hooking up 2 sets of speaker cables (one from the Denon and the other from the AV receiver) before, but I've had some impedence / load issues causing my AV receiver to shut down.

So you said, you're damn lucky you didn't end up with two smoking piles of ruined silicon as that's all you'll achieve doing that.

Unless you're prepared to move the front speaker cables every time you want to change from music to movies then the way Gerrardasnails has suggested is the ONLY way you can do it.
 

Andrew Everard

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...Unless you happen to live in a territory where the Niles DPS-1 is readily available, that is.

DPS-1hi.jpg
 

Gerrardasnails

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Andrew Everard:Strange: when I (briefly) tried one I had no problems at all - otherwise I wouldn't be suggesting it.

I'm sure they do work fine - I may have had a dud (shipped from the US), although when I sold it, I received no complaint.
 
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Anonymous

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the_lhc:dougolada:i think what dimmies wants to do is use the denon for music and the integra for av and surround sound. one option would be to have seperate runs of speaker cable from each amp. maybe have one set terminated with banana plugs and the other set with spades so that you can connect both amps to the front speakersYes, that would be an option, if what you wanted to achieve was two blown amplifiers. This is a VERY BAD IDEA!!!

Yea, I'll take that back, bad idea... Can anyone explain why this causes such problems as I'm now very intreagued...?
 

Andrew Everard

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Well, basically, you're punting all the power of one amp's output stages into the output stages of the other amp, which it's not designed to expect or handle.
 
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Anonymous

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Andrew Everard:Well, basically, you're punting all the power of one amp's output stages into the output stages of the other amp, which it's not designed to expect or handle.

Ahh, that's not good! I think I will avoid doing that then... Thanks for the info
emotion-1.gif
 
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Anonymous

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Gerrardasnails:This is how you do it. You connect your front two speakers to your stereo amp and all your other speakers and sub to your HT amp. Then as has been mentioned, you connect your front left and right pre outs from your HT amp to an input in your stereo amp.

Thanks heaps for this advice. Does this mean I lose the bi-amp capabilities of the Integra amp.

I'll investigate the Niles DPS-1 unit too.

Thanks
 
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Anonymous

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Andrew Everard:
'Fraid so.

sounds like I'll just use the Integra's biamp and move the Denon to my study.
emotion-21.gif
 

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