2. amps-preamps
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Streaming through Marantz Pre/Pro

My current music system is as follows:

Pioneer N70ae Streamer

Pioneer LX800SE BDP

Marantz 8805/8077 pre/pro

PMC MB2SE speakers

All Cables by TimePortal

All equipment upgraded to limit vibrations and EMI RFI interference.

My issue is this is a revealing system, so that streaming often sounds hissy, and lacking in space between instruments or airiness.

Yes I know it’s limited in so many ways, the pre/pro amps are HT items. They sound ok and seem to power the PMC’s well enough.

So some benchmarks… when I play cd on the Pioneer LX800SE the system does sound significantly better but … but everything still sounds rather like MP3 V2.0. Am I being too picky? Or just not relating to what I’m hearing.

Then there’s the handshake issues. Suddenly the music stops. There’s an LG TV connected to the Marantz, HDMI eARC, using an 8GB Cable. The Pioneer audio track is showing on the screen. Good but stable for how long? I pulled the hdmi cable out and reinserted to the tv fixed that issue.

Do I want show the neighbors - the sound bar crew? Mmm not really yet. Nothing great here yet. Hang on the hdmi handshake issue stopped the music again 😵‍💫

128x128johnread57
bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 

@johnread57

Been there, done that.

I would highly recommend a separate 2 channel system that would also connect with your Marantz AVR via its pre-outs to the ’front’ channel/speakers.

You could find a very good integrated with HT pass-through which when turned on, would power your ’front’ main 2 channel speakers, or when off, would provide the source for you music. Your Marantz would always provide power/signal to your center and rear speaker in HT mode.

Your streamer could probably be connected to both a new 2 channel integrated via the analog outputs, and also the Marantz via a digital out should you want that flexibility. Your streamer also has its own DAC, so you don’t *need* a separate DAC, but that is always and option.

In this way, all your 2 channel listening would be via the new 2 channel integrated (or separate 2 channel preamp and power amp). In HT mode, the Marantz is used for powering all but the ’front’/main speakers and 2 channel analog sources.

I tried doing similar to your setup, and used it for both 2 channel and HT, but the 2 channel SQ was always compromised. Initially I got a separate power amp to use for the fronts, that helped. A little. But the real change was when I went to a dedicated 2 channel preamp with HT pass-thru, and connecting all my 2 channel components to that, not my AVR. The sound quality increase was substantial.

I now have the ’best’ of both worlds. When I want to watch TV, or the Berlin Philharmonic in HT mode, it sounds great, and when I want to just listen to 2 channel music, that is now great too, as I got the AVR out of that chain with components designed and built specifically for that purpose.

 

 

 

johnread57's avatar
johnread57 OP
227 posts
 

@bkeske 

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions here. It’s a line of inquiry I may continue to pursue as I acclimatize to the system.

Out of interest which preamp power amp combo are using today? Speakers?

bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 

@johnread57

Out of interest which preamp power amp combo are using today? Speakers?

I have a Yamaha AVR for HT, a Belles Aria Signature preamp with HT pass-thru input from AVR pre-out. 2 Belles MB200 monblock amps. Vandersteen Treo ‘front’/main speakers connected to the Belles mono blocks (used for both HT and 2 channel), Vandersteen 2CE Sigs as rear speakers in HT, and a ELAC Debut 2.0 center speaker. The rears and center connected to the AVR.

Also an iFi Zen Stream for streaming, a Denafrips Ares II DAC, a Audiolab CD transport, a Nakamichi tape deck, and a SOTA turntable with Hagerman Trumpet phono pre. All only connected to my Belles 2 channel preamp, thus not in the AVR chain at all.

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