[FiNoobie]

Like the subject says, I am looking for a midrange decent amp for my Denon AVR 1609 receiver solely for home audio, not theater. I don't want to be cheap about it but I don't want to overspend given the mediocrity of my receiver, and given my small house and small living room where the system will be. also, I have hardwood floors and redwood tongue-and-groove ceilings. Most of the walls are floor-to-ceiling glass so you can imagine, sound travels well in that house so I don't need very LOUD music but I do want sound quality. I will be powering about 4 pairs of small speakers such as the orb speakers, or some other smaller sized speakers that I will be mounting to the wall. Some examples are below:

Photos

I am not 100% sure I will go with these but I just want to show the approximate size of speakers I will be using.

Any suggestions on the amp would be appreciated, or any other suggestions (pream, baimp, etc).

 

[FiNoobie]

Just bumping this up, any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[infinitesymphony]

Small satellite speakers generally don't require much amplification. Why not use the AVR-1609's built-in amp? A little off-topic, but you may want to reconsider Orb Audio's satellite speakers; their stated frequency response is not good.

 

[FiNoobie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif Small satellite speakers generally don't require much amplification. Why not use the AVR-1609's built-in amp? A little off-topic, but you may want to reconsider Orb Audio's satellite speakers; their stated frequency response is not good.

Thanks for the reply! I am new to the tehnical aspect of audio equipment, i really appreciate the comment about the orb speakers. Do you have any recommendations for speakers? And how can I tell the quality re:frequency response?

thanks again

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FiNoobie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the reply! I am new to the tehnical aspect of audio equipment, i really appreciate the comment about the orb speakers. Do you have any recommendations for speakers? And how can I tell the quality re:frequency response?

For the most part, a manufacturer's stated frequency response is not a good indication of quality, since most will just use the blanket '20 Hz to 22.05 kHz or higher' measurement, which covers the frequencies available in music recorded at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate (i.e. CDs).

Orb Audio is unique because they don't even claim to reach the limits of human hearing with their speakers. Check out their specifications. They list the total system response as 28 Hz - 20,000 Hz, which doesn't cover the range of a CD; 28 Hz is respectably low, but 20 kHz is not very high relative to other speakers. Look closer and you'll see the phrase "120Hz-18,000Hz optimal," meaning "this is what they can actually reproduce." 120 Hz is too high for low-bass roll-off because frequencies over 100 Hz can be localized by ear, meaning that the stereo image will flatten in the lower frequencies as the mono subwoofer picks up the low-end slack. 18 kHz does not cover the high range of human hearing, especially if this point is already rolled off (which isn't stated either way).

In general, satellite speakers are not capable of reproducing frequencies in the same way that a good bookshelf monitor or floorstander would. Recommendations will depend on size and budget restrictions, but in a price range and factory-direct sales model similar to Orb Audio, AV123 comes highly recommended around here and on AVSForum. Check out the X-Series speakers in particular.

 

[FiNoobie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the most part, a manufacturer's stated frequency response is not a good indication of quality, since most will just use the blanket '20 Hz to 22.05 kHz or higher' measurement, which covers the frequencies available in music recorded at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate (i.e. CDs). Orb Audio is unique because they don't even claim to reach the limits of human hearing with their speakers. Check out their specifications. They list the total system response as 28 Hz - 20,000 Hz, which doesn't cover the range of a CD; 28 Hz is respectably low, but 20 kHz is not very high relative to other speakers. Look closer and you'll see the phrase "120Hz-18,000Hz optimal," meaning "this is what they can actually reproduce." 120 Hz is too high for low-bass roll-off because frequencies over 100 Hz can be localized by ear, meaning that the stereo image will flatten in the lower frequencies as the mono subwoofer picks up the low-end slack. 18 kHz does not cover the high range of human hearing, especially if this point is already rolled off (which isn't stated either way). In general, satellite speakers are not capable of reproducing frequencies in the same way that a good bookshelf monitor or floorstander would. Recommendations will depend on size and budget restrictions, but in a price range and factory-direct sales model similar to Orb Audio, AV123 comes highly recommended around here and on AVSForum. Check out the X-Series speakers in particular.

wow! Thanks for the great information! Thjis is what I needed! a good bookshelf will be fine for me. as long as I can mount them or build shelves. Right now I have two klipsch bookshelf speakers, are those good?

thanks again