why are av amps so complicated

[admin_exported]

i have just bought a pioneer vsx-lx55 av amp,and it looks great but it is
so complicated to use the av navigator disc is a pain imo, why do av amps have to be
so hard to understand most of the functions are never going to be used,
so do we need a decree in av tech to understand the av amp,
i have been 3 days trying to work the thing out,
so far i am happy with the hd sound but the setting up is a real pain
half of the instructions i dont understand, but i will try,
so whats your opinions on av amps to complicated or fun to set up,

 

[CnoEvil]

I agree with you, as I come from a very traditional hifi background.....TT + Amp + Speakers. It never needed 6 firmware updates to work properly.

The modern AV amp has to be complicated to cope with the flexibility expected of it....as well as having built-in EQ. The pressure on brands to make it complicated is ever present, as if it isn't loaded with features it won't sell.

 

[nopiano]

I agree with this sentiment, and apart from 70% of the functions being superfluous for most, I can only think their very presence must detract from the sound.

Admittedly, I am also from Cno's school of listening, and though I flirted with AV about 7 years ago it is almost all redundant (can't play Bluray, no HDMI sockets) so only the speakers are still relevant. The biggest waste of money ever in my listening purchases over nearly 40 years.

 

[eggontoast]

I must admit that I would be unlikely to venture back into the home cinema world due to the reason nopiano has mentioned. Technology moves on so quickly in this sector that your prized £2000 home cinema amp is out of date within a couple of years and is worthless. I'm surprised that there are not more home cinema solutions which are separate preamp/processor and power amps. The thought being that power amps don't change too much and a box of 5 or 7 power amps would be useful for years, you could simply change the preamp/processor to keep up to date. But after saying all of that they might be available as I don't take much interest in it now

I agree with the OP though most people just want to plug their stuff in and get going not sit there scrolling through menus to get it to work correctly, I just want to watch the movie god damn it.

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

On the other hand we have customers expecting room eq, 6 or more HDMI inputs, spotify, Airplay, iPad control, 9.2..........

There are lots of products that are straightforward to set up - Bose for one have a range of products. Buying a £1000 AV amp is akin to buying a £1000 camera and there is normally some time investment required to get the most out of them.

Specialist shops exist for this very reason.

 

[The_Lhc]

I must admit that I would be unlikely to venture back into the home cinema world due to the reason nopiano has mentioned. Technology moves on so quickly in this sector that your prized £2000 home cinema amp is out of date within a couple of years and is worthless.

I'm still using the AV amp I bought over ten years ago for blu-ray and HD audio.

 

[eggontoast]

I'm still using the AV amp I bought over ten years ago for blu-ray and HD audio.

Presumably via multiple analogue audio inputs though ?

 

[The_Lhc]

I'm still using the AV amp I bought over ten years ago for blu-ray and HD audio.

Presumably via multiple analogue audio inputs though ?

Yup. I'm not missing out on anything.

 

[eggontoast]

I'm still using the AV amp I bought over ten years ago for blu-ray and HD audio.

Presumably via multiple analogue audio inputs though ?

Yup. I'm not missing out on anything.

No true but, it's still a work around don't you think as you can't use all the video switching etc.

 

[duaplex]

It's all a learning curve. I spent 6 hour initially just wiring the AV and understanding bi-wiring and bi-amping. Then a further month asking questions about crossover points, sub settings and correct DB settings for speakers. After about 3 months i was happier with the sound, but the learning continues and to be honest its fun!

 

[The_Lhc]

I'm still using the AV amp I bought over ten years ago for blu-ray and HD audio.

Presumably via multiple analogue audio inputs though ?

Yup. I'm not missing out on anything.

No true but, it's still a work around don't you think as you can't use all the video switching etc.

Or it's one less link in the chain to potentially cause problems, swings and roundabouts really. It's probably not for everybody to be fair but it does show that older equipment won't necessarily be unusable. And it's saving me a fair amount of cash in not having to upgrade as well...

 

[michael hoy]

i have just bought a pioneer vsx-lx55 av amp,and it looks great but it is
so complicated to use the av navigator disc is a pain imo, why do av amps have to be
so hard to understand most of the functions are never going to be used,
so do we need a decree in av tech to understand the av amp,
i have been 3 days trying to work the thing out,
so far i am happy with the hd sound but the setting up is a real pain
half of the instructions i dont understand, but i will try,
so whats your opinions on av amps to complicated or fun to set up,

I found it quite straight forward on my SC-LX85.

 

[fayeanddavid]

i have just bought a pioneer vsx-lx55 av amp,and it looks great but it is
so complicated to use the av navigator disc is a pain imo, why do av amps have to be
so hard to understand most of the functions are never going to be used,
so do we need a decree in av tech to understand the av amp,
i have been 3 days trying to work the thing out,
so far i am happy with the hd sound but the setting up is a real pain
half of the instructions i dont understand, but i will try,
so whats your opinions on av amps to complicated or fun to set up,

i think it has been said before however my tuppence worth;

They are not complex to set up, as a buyer/user I would have thought you would have recognised that there would be a process of setting up to meet your needs, if your needs were simple maybe a modern avr is not for you.

Sit down, read the manual, play with the set up, play again and play again, it may work for you in a matter of a few moments or it may be as complex as you wish it to be.

None of the set ups are difficult, it is a consumer product so I would suggest that the market provides what the consumer wants and expects the consumer to be able to interpret the instruction book accordingly.

 

[laserman16]

When I first set up mine I used the Yamaha YPAO mic.

A few months down the line I dug out a tripod, tape measure and sound meter and reset everything. Allowed myself time to do it and really enjoyed doing it.

Personally I dont have a problem with the menus on my machine.