Front presence speakers

[quad-gradientsetup]

Hi there,

I'm looking at investing in either the Yamaha rx-a810 or the Yamaha rx-a1010 AV Receivers...

Can anyone please tell me what the power output goint to the front presence speakers is. The spec says 100w per ch. 110w per ch. respectively for the amps. It dont seem to mention presence speakers in the channel power breakdown. Not sure if they would be the same as the fronts..

Thanks in advance for any comments

 

[Andrew Everard]

The Yamahas deliver the same power to all channels: the front presence speakers use the same amp channels as the surround backs and, depending on the Cinema DSP settings made on the amp, signals for surround back or front presence are routed through these amp channels and then out to the relevant speakers.

The amps can't deliver output from surround back and front presence simultaneously – to do that you'd need nine channels of amplification, not seven.

 

[quad-gradientsetup]

Thanks Andrew...

Would the Monitor Audio Silver FX Surround Speakers be suitable with these amp for surround and front presence application. They have 80w power handling. Is that too low...? Can't seem to find bipole/dipole speaker with much more power handling than that in my price range I need to go for this type of speaker because of my room shape and size. Plus these speakers are switchable... Any thoughts...

Thanks..

 

[Andrew Everard]

Would the Monitor Audio Silver FX Surround Speakers be suitable with these amp for surround and front presence application. They have 80w power handling. Is that too low...?

No, they'd be fine.

 

[quad-gradientsetup]

Thats great,

Cheers Andrew

 

[Son_of_SJ]

The amps can't deliver output from surround back and front presence simultaneously – to do that you'd need nine channels of amplification, not seven.

I'm very much hoping that for at least the RX-A1010 that arrangement would be possible, if you add an external stereo amplifier? I've just been on the Yamaha UK website, and I can't seem to see a user manual for the RX-A1010 to download, to check this very point. I'm not sure if the RX-A1010 allows the addition of an external stereo amplifier. Certainly its precedessor, the RX-V1067, does allow that.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I can't seem to see a user manual for the RX-A1010 to download

Not sure why you couldn't find the manual – it's here. But at a cursory glance, the 1010 doesn't seem to support the addition of an extra power amp to run front presence and surround back speakers simultaneously.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Phew! Thanks for that link, Mr Everard. I've just been contemplating whether, since I can't seem to get another Yamaha RX-V1067 second-hand, whether I should splash out on a new RX-A1010. On page 21 of the full manual, it allows Bi-amped front speakers, and simultaneously using an external amplifier for the surround back speakers. Which is exactly the configuration that I want. I prefer connecting my extra pair of small front speakers in the bi-amp arrangment with the main front speakers, rather than using the extra small front speakers as presence speakers. I'll phone Yamaha tomorrow to find out whether an external amplifier for the surround backs can be used as well as specifically extra front speakers connected as presence speakers.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'll phone Yamaha tomorrow to find out whether an external amplifier for the surround backs can be used as well as specifically extra front speakers connected as presence speakers.

Direct enquiry is always the best way, but I have to say the manual seems to show every possible configuration, but not that one, and appears to suggest you can select surround back or front presence in the DSP, but not both at the same time. If so, it may be a limitation of the processing capability, rather than connectivity.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Direct enquiry is always the best way, but I have to say the manual seems to show every possible configuration, but not that one, and appears to suggest you can select surround back or front presence in the DSP, but not both at the same time. If so, it may be a limitation of the processing capability, rather than connectivity.

I phoned Mr Steven Wells at Yamaha today. It is as you thought. An external amplfier can be used to power the surround back speakers while simultaneously the Yamaha RX-A1010 drives extra front speakers if they are connected using the Bi-amp terminals. However, the RX-A1010 cannot, not even with the help of an external amplifier, drive both surround back speakers AND front presence speakers at the same time. However, the higher models in the range (RX-A2010 and RX-A3010) do allow that, but they do cost quite a bit more, even at the currently discounted prices.

Incidentally, from speaking to other people at Yamaha today, the latest AV receiver range (the RX-A1020 etc) won't be in the shops for at least another month, despite their now being advertised on the Yamaha website.