Help/Advice needed about stereo amp within HT setup

[admin_exported]

Is it bad for my integrated stereo amp to be permanently set to 100% volume in my AV setup? (Might it degrade sound quality and/or damage the amp over time?)

I have recently introduced a dedicated stereo amp for music into my HT system. My main left and right speakers are now connected to my stereo amp (an Arcam A85), which receives left and right channel inputs from the pre-outs of my AV receiver (a Yamaha RX-V1600) when watching movies, TV, etc. The A85 allows the 'pass through' volume gain to be fixed so that the volume for all 5.1 channels can still be controlled from my AV receiver.

However, I am finding that in order to produce enough volume out of the left and right speakers, I need to fix the volume on the A85 very high. For instance, if I listen to a CD with my CDP directly connected to the A85, I will listen at between -60dB (late evening) to -35db (which is pretty loud). To achieve the same volume with soundtracks coming through the Yamaha AV receiver, I need to set the A85 to at least -10dB (and still crank up the Yamaha receiver much louder than I used to when it was directly connected to all the speakers). I presume this is because the pre-outs from the Yamaha are 'quieter' than the line-out from my CD player (Does anyone know if it is possible to boost these?)

Are there any issues/disadvantages with fixing the volume on my A85 at its maximum level?

(Note that you can use the A85 as a power amp only, which seems to solve the volume problems above. However, using as a power amp is a universal choice for ALL the inputs, not just my AV receiver. This solution is therefore no good for me because I need the pre-amp part of the amplifier for my other stereo inputs such as my CD player (which was the whole point of buying a separate stereo amp in the first place)!)

Thanks in advance for any advice...

 

[scene]

The volume may be set -10dB, but if this only matches the output volume to a CDP played at -60dB, then it's the same impact on the circuitry. I suspect that part of this is because CD players output is massively higher than most other sources, something that is just one of those things, so it's quite often the case that you need the amp set lower for a CD than another source. Playing my SONOS through my amp requires me either to set the Sonos to nearly full volume, or up the volume on the amp.

As a matter of interest, how are you setting the A85 to pass through and what input are you using to plumb you AV amp into the Arcam?

Part of the reason I ask, is because I want to do similar, down the line, and I can't find any reference to it in my A85 manual...

 

[Anonymous]

I've got the AV receiver coming into the Tape input. I think this is the only input for which you can fix the volume but I might be wrong about that (I have read other posts in the past about people struggling to use the other inputs such as AV and it not working).

Fixing the volume is pretty simple as I remember. I think you just press the 'Select' button on the front of the amp a few times with the tape input selected and the option to fix the input volume comes up on the display. Then you just turn the volume knob to the level you want to fix it at. I agree the manual is pretty hopeless - it doesn't really cover anything useful or explain most of the functions of the amp! My other advice would definitely be to use the buttons and the dial on the unit, which is much simpler than trying to figure out the billion or so identical looking buttons on the ridiculous remote!