Amplifier suggestion for Sierra Tower RAAL tweeter

[Kisakuku]

I am getting the towers with RAAL ribbon too. I currently have an AVR in my system - Onkyo TX-SR705. While I think it would be enough to power these speakers, and eventually the Horizon center, plus surrounds, and a powered subwoofer, I am still leaning towards getting a new AVR....looking into the Denon 4520....thoughts and comments please.

4311 is definitely a better value.

[Gov]

4311 is definitely a better value.

yep ^^^

[raggededge]

I have the NrT Towers & Custom Horizon, running them off of an Anthem MRX-300 and they sound fantastic. ARC does a wonderful job of room correction.

[sourbeef]

well, I ordered the Denon 4520CI and got a nice discount on it through a member at the AVS forums. I don't know if I should mention his name here but if someone wants to know PM me.

[billy p]

I have the NrT Towers & Custom Horizon, running them off of an Anthem MRX-300 and they sound fantastic. ARC does a wonderful job of room correction.

Yeah that is the unit I have my eye on....its overall dimemsions are better fit for the space within my wall unit...my current rxv1800 is a much larger unit but I am more curious how ARC will sound over my current YPAO.

Thanks gents...

[jahjd2000]

I'm in a similar situation; looking to upgrade my receiver. Currently have a Denon 1910.

Would the Denon 4311 be overkill if I only plan to run a 5.1 set up? I wouldn't need the added 4 channels or the second sub out. Just wondering if there are other benefits or if I'd be better off with a lessor equipped Denon AVR.

[billy p]

Well I picked up the MRX300 today....I haven't run ARC or taken any measurments...I will do in due time when my usb/serial adapter arrives ...I'm just listening to some CD but I have to say the mrx300 has less rated power vs my last receivers(yammy rxv1800 & denon 3805) but sounds every bit as good...ARC should be the icing on the cake...

As for too much power it comes in handy, needed or not? Just like you can't have too much sub...

My 2 cents...

[JustABrah]

Are amps really worth it? I might buy a NAD T 757, NAD T 777 or Anthem 700 to upgrade the buggy HK 254, depending how my funds look in a few months after I'm done buying a tower or Sierra-1 NrT and the horizon center, but would an amp really do anything that noticeable?

[JustaSheep]

Generally, no. What you need in an amp/preamp/avr is enough power per channel to drive your speakers (all of them), the codecs you want/need, and features like 5-9.1 surround, 3d video, multiple rooms, etc., that you plan to use. Power is power, though.

[Dark Ranger]

Are amps really worth it? I might buy a NAD T 757, NAD T 777 or Anthem 700 to upgrade the buggy HK 254, depending how my funds look in a few months after I'm done buying a tower or Sierra-1 NrT and the horizon center, but would an amp really do anything that noticeable?

It really depends on the goal and what kind of AVR one has. There is less of a difference if one goes from a flagship AVR (pick your brand) to an external amp, than if one goes from an entry level AVR to an amp.

I upgraded to an external amplifier early last year. In my case, I had been using an entry-level Denon I bought on sale 6 years ago. I did not have much discretionary income and it was all I could afford. The AVR was very anemic and complained when driving 7 channel loads at moderate volumes. With an external amp, it was night and day difference for me because I started at the bottom.

One reason to go with an external amp is to power difficult to drive loudspeakers. For example, many electrostatics and planars have a nominal load of 4 ohms and/or below average sensitivity. Some may even dip down to 3 or 2 ohms. Other loudspeakers may have difficult electrical phase loads or impedance curves. The majority of AVRs can't handle these complex loads at moderate volumes, let alone cranking it. In contrast, most external amplifiers can easily power 4 ohm loads. They have gobs of current capacity thanks to huge toroidal transformers and capacitor banks. Most AVRs weigh between 20 and 40 pounds. I've seen amplifiers weighing hundreds of pounds, although most range between 30 and 90.

One thing I love about Dave's speakers is that they can be driven very well by mid-fi receivers. You don't have to have a flagship AVR or a high-powered amp. However, from experience, I can tell you that the Ascends sound fantastic on a quality amplifier. If your goal is to get into separates (like mine was), then an amp is part of that journey. But if you've got a competent AVR, there's no need to worry because your Ascends will sound great.