Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Help me understand amplifiers!!

Hi All,
Right now I am running a 7.1 system with 7 M3's and a EP350v3 powered by a Marantz 7500. The Marantz is rated at 105W per channel. Would I notice any sonic difference adding an amp? Secondly when one adds an external amp the receiver's amp is bypassed correct, or is it an additive thing? I have been thinking about a 7 channel amp but people say that is overkill for the rears. However I like to listen to cd's in multichannel stereo which I assume means all speakers are receiving the same single and would need the same amount of power in this instance, correct? Can anyone clear any of this up for me??
Thanks,
Mike
PS: I really like the system already. Upgradeitis is all!! That EP 350 ROCKS!!

If you are using either SACD/DVD-A or DPL IIx/NEO6 etc for your multichannel then it is actually sending different signals to the appropriate speakers to give the surround sound, so, no, they would require different amounts of power with the fronts still requiring the most (generally speaking).

Thanks for the quick reply. Unfortunately that didn't answer my question. I found the next article in Alan's tech talk a bit more helpful. The one about headroom. What I still don't understand is are separate amps power added to the amps in your receiver or do they supersede them? For instance, my Marantz is rated at 105 X 7. I was looking at the Outlaw 7125 which is 125 X 7. On the face of it it seems only 20 watts more per channel if the Outlaw's amps take the place of the Marantz or am I now getting 230 watts per channel? Can someone clarify this for me??
Thanks,
Mike

An outboard amp will supersede the inboard amp, they do not combine power.

What some do is to buy a two channel amp for the fronts to take some of the "burdon" off the receiver...allowing it to flex it's muscle a bit with the remaining channels...

I understand that part but I believe (according to my owners manual) that multichannel stereo is acomplished by feeding the left channel signal to both left front and left surround speaker and the right channel signal to both right front and right
surround speaker. Additionally, the center channel
reproduces a mix of the right and left channel. As well in 7.1 feeding the signals to my left and right rear surround.
What is my point?? Surely this must suck a lot more power then any of those other DSP??
Mike

It doesn't use amplifier power to do that, that's all in software and in the pre-amp stages.

Thank-you sir!!!!

Ok,I'm confused again. I understand that Multi Channel stereo is yet another DSP like Neo 6 or DPL. But when ALL speakers are playing something ALL the time (unlike some DSP's where a rear surround may be playing very little)surely this must be more taxing on the internal amps of the receiver no?? Sorry if my questions are simplistic!!
Mike