AVR vs Dedicated Amp for Sierra 2

Hi,

I've been enjoying my Sierra 2 driven by Marantz SR6010 for about 2 years now. I've 20x20x8 room which is open to dining area which is open to kitchen. This is 2.1 system (with Rythmik E15HP) used for multiple purpose like streaming music from Tidal, Netflix, BluRay concerts, movies, TV etc (but mainly for music)

I'm pretty happy with my system but wondering if I would gain anything by using dedicated amp. I don't listen that loud volume, mostly listen at -20db and once in a while crank it up to -5db. Loudness is not what I'm looking for, but I'm more concern about better control with amp. I would like to know if using dedicated amp would help with better imaging, depth, resolution, soundstage and detail retrieval. Also would it help listening at lower level (around -30db).

I was looking at Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 3 ($1000) but researching more found that Parasound A21 ($2500) or Peachtree Nova 300 ($2200) would be better choice than Emotiva. There are some glowing reviews for Parasound and Peachtree but at the same time there are people that claims that most of the time difference between AVR and Amp is not noticeable in blind test. Peachtree/Parasound is serious money (especially considering that sierra 2 is only $1500). So you guys think that it's wort going from AVR to Amp or it's just waste of money?

I'd recommend getting a center channel speaker and/or getting a second subwoofer (that's a big room) before getting a dedicated amp.

With your Marantz only powering two speakers, and with a subwoofer employed to take care of the lows, you probably aren't coming close to stressing your receiver's amp section. It's only when doing so does an external amp truly help.

Pretty much what Beave said.

Unless you listen really loud and your amp is struggling from a power perspective, there's nothing wrong with the amp section of your AVR. In the current age of quality solid state amps, to a first order of approximation the primary thing you're buying when you spend more money on amps is wattage, the purpose of which is pretty much to enable you to play louder. The main thing you'd be doing if you bought a bigger amp is spending money for wattage you don't use. Your amp already has seven channels you're not using, so I think you're already covered on that front. :p

If you really want to spend money (and this is an audio forum, so the assumed answer there is that you do :D ), either upgrade your speakers (e.g., Sierra towers) or buy more speakers. Second sub is always good (MOAR BASS!!); center channel is great for movies.

Another thing you might consider is room treatments (bass traps, acoustic panels). If your room is pretty much all right angles, you probably have some fun reflections going on (depending on exactly where the speakers are and what's on your walls/floor) and room treatments can make a real difference.

I too have Sierra 2s as my mains and listen at about -20dB from about 10 feet away. I’m powering them off of an Onkyo 805 and it sounds fantastic, because it is such modest listening levels.

I’m not sure how much much you would notice an improvement in soundstage, detail, etc., unless the amp is driven close to its limits. But, then you would run into bigger problems where the amp runs into clipping and you wreck your drivers. If you crank things up to -5dB you are probably fine with the AVR since you are only driving two speakers. If you had 7, 9, or 11 speakers running off the AVR at those levels then that might be a different story.

Sound and Vision reviewed one model up and it seems to have a great amplifier section for just two speakers being driven. If you are set on getting an amplifier, I definitely wouldn’t spend that much money. A good two channel amp can be found for those speakers and application for less than $1000. But again, I don’t think it is necessary.