I currently have:

2 QS8's side surrounds
1 VP150 center (duh)
2 Bose 401's rear surrounds

I plan on getting M80's soon.

I have a denon 2307ci

I was told I should look into getting an Emotiva LPA-1 to help drive the M80's as the denon, while adequate, may get too hot and I decided I don't want to lose the Denon to damage. So I've decided on the Emotiva because it fits my budget while also getting the M80s.

I've been trying to decide on how to configure everything and have come up with the following scenarios:

1) Run all the Axioms from the Emotiva and leaving the bose to be run by the denon. My reasoning for this is that the emotiva's Channel 6 & 7 only output 50w (although this is probably enough)

2) Give more power to the fronts by only running the LCR from the Emotiva and let the denon run the surrounds.

Now, assuming Bi-amping with only 1 amp (the Emotiva) can give even a slight advantage:

3) Bi-amp the M80's AND run the VP150 with the Emotiva, letting the Denon run the surrounds.

4) If the emotiva can't handle the bi-amped M80's AND the vp150, bi-amp the M80's and let the Denon handle everything else.

Is it possible that I don't really even need the Emotiva, that the Denon can do the job just fine?

I think there's going to be little to no advantage to biamp the M80s, especially if you're doing it with the same unit. Bi-amping from separate amps with separate power supplies is questionable enough, but doing it with one amp with the same power supply just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Real bi-amping comes in when you've got an external crossover before the amps.

ok, so which option makes more sense, 1 or 2?

I would go with option 2.

Vassillios,

There is a 3 channel XPA-3 coming out from Emotiva, ($649), that offers 350 wpc into 4ohms.

Perhaps get that one if you are only going to run 3 channels from an external Amp.

Yeah, but the LPA-1 is cheap and it's never coming back for the current price.

I vote for option 1!

You don't have to have an informed opinion to vote, right?

...cheap, you say?

My question is if it is best to have all the axioms running from the same amp...to ensure consistency since all the axiom speakers are voice matched, same drivers etc.

I wouldn't worry about that at all. Even if there is a difference, you're not going to be able to tell it on material coming from different speakers.

Whoa, something got edited, I change my vote to option 1.

I vote for change.

nothing was edited, but you are allowed to change your vote.

V, yes it's entirely possible that your concluding statement is correct and the Denon will do the job "just fine". You've been told that you should look into an Emotiva, but hopefully you've also been told that M80s have been used successfully for years with receivers similar to your 2307. You shouldn't assume a problem that there's a high probability will never develop. Get your M80s and enjoy them with your 2307. Then, if you have additional money that you want to spend on audio equipment, you might consider another pair of QS8s to replace the Bose 401s, rather than quite possibly useless extra amplification.

I ran my M80's with a lowly 1804 Denon for 5 months till the 3808 became to good of a deal for me to pass up. The 1804 worked just as good and ran cooler than the 3808 does, not that the 3808 is anywhere near hot, I just wanted the network connectivity of the 3808.

I'm with Hutzal!

Thanks for all the input guys....I was hoping the 2307 would do the job. I had planned on getting the M80's first and seeing how the 2307 performed....but I was sure I would need the Emotiva...but perhaps I won't...this is good news.

My c2001 Pioneer Elite AVR couldn't power my M80's at loud volumes without clipping.

So I bought an LPA-1. I've had it for almost 18 months now and I absolutely love it. Zero regrets and I'm already on the pre-order list for Emotiva's new XMC processor that should be out this summer.

My M80's are bi-amped. I use channels 1,2 & 3,4 to do the M80's using Canare 4S cables from Blue Jeans Cables. I split the pre-outs with high quality RCA splitters. I know that bi-amping is a real point of debate around here. Some say it's snake-oil, and others say it makes a difference. I would say that the only way you're going to know is to listen for yourself. In my case, based on tests that I performed in my own den, I believe that there is a tiny sound improvement to be had from bi-amping them. Regardless of the SQ, I like the way they look when they're bi-amped with that Canare cable.

Channel 5 powers the VP150, and 6 & 7 do the rear QS8's.

If I'm really blasting it (100db+, all 5 channels) the LPA will get quite warm. Borerline 'hot'. You could put your hand on it and not get burned, but you would start to feel some discomfort after 4-5 seconds. Under normal listening conditions (5.1), it just gets warm to the touch.

I've never had any issues with thermal shutdown or clipping.

But I agree with JohnK; you might as well try the system with your Denon, as they're known to have pretty robust amplifier sections. If it works, spend your money on replacing those Bose surrounds first.