Andrew Everard:Mark Ellis:I have an Onkyo 875 plus Monitor RS6-AV speakers. If I want to add a CD player (looking at the Marantz 6002), am I better off just connecting this to the Onkyo or would purchasing the matching Marantz amplifier and bi-amping the speakers produce better results?
If the latter, do I just remove the plates from the speakers and attach cables from the speakers independently to each amp or should I use the pre-outs from the Onkyo to connect to the Marantz amp for the front speakers
The best route if you want to do this is to disconnect the front speakers entirely from the Onkyo, leave the jumper plates in place on the speakers, connect them to the Marantz, and then use the front-channel preouts from the Onkyo into one of a line inputs on the Marantz.
Then connect the CD player to the Marantz amp, and you'll have a system where the AV receiver is entirely out of circuit when you are listening to music from the CD player.
However... You still won't be biamping the speakers in any way, shape or form, and I'd wonder whether the PM6002 would give better results when used like this than the Onkyo receiver running in Pure Audio mode. You need to find a dealer stocking both, and try them playing music with your chosen CD player.
As an alternative, you could try biamping the speakers with the Onkyo receiver, assuming you're only running a 5.1-channel system. You'll find a description of how to do this in the Onkyo manual. I'd suspect this, in conjunction with the Pure Audio mode, would give the best results.
Hi Andrew
Can you possibly clarify a little further for the simple minded of us? In your opinion which is the best course of action to take? I have a hifi set I am happy with and want to get surround sound now.
If I want to use the same speakers for the AV fronts that I use for hi-fi is the best route to get an AV amp with pre-outs and do as descibed to take the AV receiver out of the loop when listening to hi-fi, or do you think bi-amping will provide best results? I don't know how to biamp at the moment but am not averse to learning..
I can guess that perhaps the kit will make all the difference to the answer, I have B&W 601's connected to a sony FB 9390 AMP. I do not have an AV receiver as yet as I am trying to work out the best way to achieve this before doing anything, If I can do it without pre-outs and still use the sony amp to drive the hifi then I am guessing I can buy a cheaper AV receiver and spend the saving on the centre and rears? Perhaps that is just wishful thinking though..
Can you reccommend a route to get good surround from AV without losing anything from my hi-fi while hi-fi speakers act as the fronts in my surround?