Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Thinking about getting amp for fronts

JohnK, I'm sure your comments are well intentioned, and I am sure you believe your opinions to be true, but they're still your opinions.

I agree with what you said about competently designed amps; however, in entry level to mid priced receivers they are few and far between. Also, there wouldn't have to be "major" differences in frequency response for audible differnces to exist. I'm not sure what receiver you use, but I highly recommend reading up on amps further (also check out Alan's article on amplification) and actually trying an external amp John if you are intersted to find out how mediocre most receivers internal amps are in producing clean clear sound. Good luck bud!

If you want to build up a DVD collection try pawn shops, I bought 40 movies in the last month or so for 4$ each. Thats is the same as renting a movie!

I sincerely agree with the fact that using a separate amplifier like B&K makes the system sound totally different. To test the theory I took some of my own sample CD’s and DVD’s to the local Tweeter store that sells B&K. I asked them to play the same song on a Yamaha, Denon, Sony followed by a B&K separate set up; the difference in sound for music is night and day, even though the same speakers were being used. I am not aware of how to technically evaluate a amplifier and compare it to a cheaper one but in a layman’s term there is a significant difference in the quality of sound.

I have to be honest that I didn’t notice a huge difference in HT but am sure the difference exists as I didn’t test the DVD’s for a long period of time.

Did you calibrate the amps so they were ouputting the same decibel level? A small volume difference might account for this.

I read Alan's article. I almost never listen to anything with a volume anywhere near 90 db. From the way I read that article, unless you're listening to pretty loud stuff, you shouldn't need large amounts of power.

Nice tip biggsly, maybe I'll grab an economically priced handgun while I'm there, too.

We have a beer thread, a politics thread - how about an "arguing about the same crap over and over thread"?

I added a 2 channel outboard amp and feel better about playing high volumes, but I have my M60s set to large and my QS8s about 24' apart in a pretty large space. For the original poster - assuming he's running his speakers "small" - doesn't an outboard amp seem like a terrible waste of money? I heard no complaint from the original poster regarding the quality of sound from his current system. Why change anything?

The same reason we all sink money into audio...it is a hobby.

The original poster also said he cam into some money, and if he see's value in it.....

Eh, good point. I'll stop.

>>We have a beer thread, a politics thread - how about an "arguing about the same crap over and over thread"?

It would get too messy. We need four threads :

1. Speaker break-in,
2. Outboard power amps with normal volumes and rooms
3. Different brands of high-end receivers have different sounds,
4. People who have never heard Axiom speakers but fervently believe they are crap.

Threads 2 and 3 could possibly be combined.

5) Cables