which setup

[lee_car]

hi all

i am looking to get a cd player but was unsure of which route to go

currently i have a denon 2105 av receiver, mission v62 floorstanding speakers (used for HC with 2105) a pair of v60's not being used.
i have a budget of 300-400

the first option i have is to buy a cdp and amp, something like the nad 320bee etc and use the v60's

the second is to do the same as the first but use a speaker switcher box and sell the v60's and use the 62's

the thrid is to use the ext inputs on the receiver for just a cdp and sell the v60's and put the extra towards the cdp

my living room isnt that big but i dont have to bother about keeping a other half happy at the moment, and using a totally different setup it might look at bit cluttered with all the speakers but which set-up will give the best SQ

thanks for any help

cheers lee

 

[clockworks]

Get a CDP and stereo amp.
Connect the left and right speakers and CDP to the new amp. Connect the L&R line outs on the Denon to a pair of unused line-ins on the stereo amp.

This way, you'll get the best sound from CD, and better sound from AV. No extra speakers, either.

 

[lee_car]

but with that when changing the volume will you have to do the stereo for the l+r and the receiver for the rest of the speakers?

cheers lee

 

[clockworks]

When listening to the CDP, you use the stereo amp as normal.
When listening to AV, you set the stereo amp to a "reference" level (12 o'clock on the knob is easiest), the control the volume from the AV amp. The AV amp pre-outs are all controlled by the main AV amp volume control.

It's dead simple to do - I ran this way for years. You soon get into the habit of leaving the stereo amp at the correct volume when you've finished listening to music.

Adding a decent stereo amp makes a big difference. The power amps in most AV amps are not particularly good, IMHO. Even a £200 stereo amp should give a noticeable improvement. I use a couple of older British power amps, worth about £200 - £300 each on ebay. They are rated a lot lower than the Denon (40 and 50 watts, as opposed to 100), but they go much louder, better. You could get something like a secondhand Naim Nait integrated for that kind of money.