Hi gentlemen something struck me when I read that the 2020 Denon AVR's have a preamplifier mode where the power amplifiers are totally switched off when Pre Outs are used (I think Onkyo have this as well).
I like many use external power amps with my AVR the main purpose being to combine Stereo and HT systems in sharing a set of speakers using HT bypass functionality. I always believed also that a by product of this is better AVR performance and less load on the AVR. This is what I am questioning.
I have a 9 channel AVR and it is setup as 7.1.2 ie one subwoofer and 2 ceiling speakers . But for the front right and front left I use pre outs to an external power amplifier via HT bypass on a stereo preamp. As my AVR doesn't have this new preamplifier bypass technology even though I have 7 speakers connected all 9 channels are on and drawing power at all times. I presume also that the two front channels are working as hard as they would if the main speakers were connected to their terminals rather than pre out being in use? They are not idling? I assume then that there in my case is no reduction in power load on the AVR, and there is no extra available power for the other 7 channels by dint of the fact that pre outs are used on front left and right? In the AVR itself the noise and distortion levels are unaffected by the pre out on the front left and right being used when the AVR is driven hard? They are the same as if all 9 channels are connected to speakers directly?
Does this also not mean that this additional noise and distortion as volume increases on the AVR then is passed via the pre outs to your external power amplifiers and in turn to the attached speakers?
So I question the benefit of external amplifiers on an AVR without this "new" switch off the power amplifier technology, ignoring the fact that more difficult speakers may be driven better by an external power amplifier and the convenience of HT bypass and combining Stereoi and HT systems?
This question is even more relevant in my mind if it is not clear that the external power amps are of a quality that is better than that included in the AVR. You often see in technical journals or forums the statement that any external power amp you have should be deployed and will be an improvement over just hooking up all speakers to the AVR and using the built in? It is this I am querying now.
I like many use external power amps with my AVR the main purpose being to combine Stereo and HT systems in sharing a set of speakers using HT bypass functionality. I always believed also that a by product of this is better AVR performance and less load on the AVR. This is what I am questioning.
I have a 9 channel AVR and it is setup as 7.1.2 ie one subwoofer and 2 ceiling speakers . But for the front right and front left I use pre outs to an external power amplifier via HT bypass on a stereo preamp. As my AVR doesn't have this new preamplifier bypass technology even though I have 7 speakers connected all 9 channels are on and drawing power at all times. I presume also that the two front channels are working as hard as they would if the main speakers were connected to their terminals rather than pre out being in use? They are not idling? I assume then that there in my case is no reduction in power load on the AVR, and there is no extra available power for the other 7 channels by dint of the fact that pre outs are used on front left and right? In the AVR itself the noise and distortion levels are unaffected by the pre out on the front left and right being used when the AVR is driven hard? They are the same as if all 9 channels are connected to speakers directly?
Does this also not mean that this additional noise and distortion as volume increases on the AVR then is passed via the pre outs to your external power amplifiers and in turn to the attached speakers?
So I question the benefit of external amplifiers on an AVR without this "new" switch off the power amplifier technology, ignoring the fact that more difficult speakers may be driven better by an external power amplifier and the convenience of HT bypass and combining Stereoi and HT systems?
This question is even more relevant in my mind if it is not clear that the external power amps are of a quality that is better than that included in the AVR. You often see in technical journals or forums the statement that any external power amp you have should be deployed and will be an improvement over just hooking up all speakers to the AVR and using the built in? It is this I am querying now.
