Invest to improve stereo performance?

[s600bsb]

Hi, newbie here.

I would be grateful for some advice on my system, which I use to both watch movies and to listen to stereo music. The system consists of a Denon AVR-2310 receiver, Acoustic Energy Aegis Neo V2 5.1 speakers (with floorstanding Neo Three front speakers), a Rega P3/24 turntable, Marantz CD6005 CD player and a Samsung BD-H6500 blu ray player. Its the usual compromise, I watch a lot of movies with the family and also listen to a lot of music through the turntable and CD player. What I want to explore is how I can improve stereo performance while maintaining the single system. I have been considering getting a Marantz PM6005 amplifer (or maybe even a PM8005?) to drive the front speakers, connected using the pre outs on the Denon. Would this provide a worthwhile improvement for the investment? I would be grateful for any advice.

 

[Glacialpath]

What is the lay out of your room and the position of the speakers in it. How far apart are your front pair? Is you sub intergrated into your Stereo set up or are you only able to use it for multichannel movies?

 

[s600bsb]

Its a large room with a good listening position - front speakers about 6 feet apart. I only use the sub for movies.

 

[Glacialpath]

What seemss to be lacking when you listen to music?

If you could work your sub into your Stereo set up that would improve the sound when listening to music. As you know your front left and right speakers don't have to work so hard when you watch a movie/TV with you sub going as well as really they will be out putting mostly the high end and mids and maybe low mids. You sub should be taking care of the rest.

You fronts then have to work harder without the subs help while you listen to music.

It may be a case of playing with the speaker position while playing muisc. Get thaat as best you can then do another system set up with your AVR's mic and see if you can eek any more from your current set up.

Does your sub have a high pass connection or just the RCA connection?

 

[RobinKidderminster]

I am not sure how good a sub integrates in stereo with good floorstanders. As a free and easy experiment try setting the fronts to large to eliminate the sub and turn off any dsp processing. I guess the opposite to other advice? I'm not convinced that a floorstander needs to be released from lower frequencies.

Give it a try and report back - I may be totally wrong but worth a try. You could (instead), on a similar vein, lower the crossover to 40hz keeping the fronts 'small'.

 

[s600bsb]

I don't want to go down the road of using the sub for stereo playback - quite the opposite. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and have two completely separate systems (and a music-only room)!

 

[RobinKidderminster]

'Quite the opposite' - I think I said that. Set to LARGE fronts and the sub will disappear in stereo providing its not setup for 'BOTH'

 

[jonathanRD]

I don't want to go down the road of using the sub for stereo playback - quite the opposite. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and have two completely separate systems (and a music-only room)!

I have two completely separate systems in the same room - the electronics share a tv stand at present, and the home cinema front L/R speakers sit on stands behind and outside of the hifi floorstanders. The room is in an extension - so is not our main lounge. I already had the hifi and when I started looking at home cinema, I decided I did not want to compromise, or mess about with pre-outs, etc. As I have the room to have both systems 'sharing', it means that if I want to upgrade I just have to concentrate on one system and not worry about how it might affect both systems.

Can you get a hifi amp home for demo - to see if you get a worthwhile improvment in SQ for the money. You might then have to buy an extra pair of speakers either to go with the hifi amp or to replace your current floorstanders for hc duties. There are other options I'm sure, but just see if you can in the first instance home demo a hifi amp.

 

[s600bsb]

I bought a Marantz PM8005 and am really pleased at the improvement in sound from the Rega P3 and Marantz CD6005. It sounds really open and detailed. Its functionality means that it was also really easy to integrate into the multi-channel system. Job done...for now. *good*

 

[s600bsb]

When I bought the new amp I also picked up a new Chord C-Line interconnect. I have been playing around with it using both the Rega pre-amp and the CD player. Pretty impressed so far given it only cost £35!