Comparative integrated amplifier vs Yamaha RX-A670 home cinema receiver

Brian Nunn

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I use the aforementioned home cinema amp for all my audio needs including vinyl. My turntable's a Rega RP40, Ortofon Blue cart with a Pro Ject MM Box into Cambridge Audio Minx bookshelfs. OK: so what's bugging me is the thought that, as vinyl is my fave medium, I'm missing out on something on the pure audio front. Maybe. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Yamaha...but does my Rega (and my ears) deserve better? Should I be using a separate amp for my turntable? Optimally speaking. If so, what would be the kind of price bracket for an appropriate amp that would mark a sizeable improvement (in your opinion) over the Yamaha I'm using now? I hope I've explained myself adequately here. I'm looking forward to hearing from you out there - thanks in advance!

Neil
 
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Hi. Unfortunately as your AVR does not have pre-outs, you cannot add a power amp to it. However, it is an integrated amp or pre-amp that you also need to bring about improvements for music.

Your best option, if you don't want to change your AVR, is to add a speaker / amp switch and use a completely separate hifi stereo amp for listening to mucic.
 
I have a Yamaha from the same range, it's good value for money, but be aware if doesn't have a true bypass so the phono stage is digitised prior to bass.managemrnt etc

As poster above said it lacks pre outs, so either stick to what you have, or reuse the Yamaha and get either a better av amp or a av amp with pre outs and a dedicated stereo integrated amp.
 
You would find an improvement to music with a stereo amp. As the Yamaha doesn't have pre-outs then you can separate the systems by using a speaker switch such as the Beresford 7220 (link below) and use the same front speakers for both amps. Even if your Yamaha had pre-outs a simple power amp would still be coloured by the Yamahas pre-amp circuit and just amplify that same signal.

 
Forgive me, I wrote 'power' amp when I actually meant 'integrated' amp.
I have a Yamaha from the same range, it's good value for money, but be aware if doesn't have a true bypass so the phono stage is digitised prior to bass.managemrnt etc

As poster above said it lacks pre outs, so either stick to what you have, or reuse the Yamaha and get either a better av amp or a av amp with pre outs and a dedicated stereo integrated amp.
Thanks very much. I'm shocked by what you said about there being no true analogue output with the Yamaha. Are you 100% sure?
 
My apologies, folks. Where I wrote 'power amp', I of course meant 'integrated amp'. I'm sorry for unintentionally misleading you.
 
Hi. Unfortunately as your AVR does not have pre-outs, you cannot add a power amp to it. However, it is an integrated amp or pre-amp that you also need to bring about improvements for music.

Your best option, if you don't want to change your AVR, is to add a speaker / amp switch and use a completely separate hifi stereo amp for listening to mucic.
Thank you. Do you have a suggestion for what price range would bring me an integrated amp to beat the Yamaha?
 
Decent integrated amps are not cheap, unfortunately. I think £600+ would be a good starting point. Cyrus / Musical Fidelity / Rega.

The speaker switch is about £100.

Which brings us round to option B which is an Arcam AVR550 for £1500, which is nearly half of its original price at Richer Sounds. This is an AVR that sounds great for 2 channel music and films / TV. It has Dirac.

Bit of a leap from where the thread started though!
 
Decent integrated amps are not cheap, unfortunately. I think £600+ would be a good starting point. Cyrus / Musical Fidelity / Rega.

The speaker switch is about £100.

Which brings us round to option B which is an Arcam AVR550 for £1500, which is nearly half of its original price at Richer Sounds. This is an AVR that sounds great for 2 channel music and films / TV. It has Dirac.

Bit of a leap from where the thread started though!
The Arcams are a bit quirky but they do sound great.It would be a big step-up for movies and music.
 
Forgive me, I wrote 'power' amp when I actually meant 'integrated' amp.

Thanks very much. I'm shocked by what you said about there being no true analogue output with the Yamaha. Are you 100% sure?


All AV receivers digitise all analogue signals being input into them. This isn't specific to Yamaha receivers. Any analogue input will be converted to digtal by an AV receiver.
 
All AV receivers digitise all analogue signals being input into them. This isn't specific to Yamaha receivers. Any analogue input will be converted to digtal by an AV receiver.
I don't think the Arcam's do, not according to the outstanding performance measured in Stereo Direct mode recently by Audio Science Review.
 
Pretty sure yeah. not many av have pure analogue bypass most digitise then convert back to analogue.

I guess if your av amp has 7.1 RCA in with analogue bypass you could use that, usually not used that way but it shows work.

Similar to av pres they're losing pure analogue bypass also my lexicon mc-8 has it, but new ones like marantz av7705 and av8805 digitise analogue inputs. The pure direct just bypassed bass management and not ADC and dac conversion
 

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