AV Pre/Processor vs 2 Channel Pre-Amp - Sound Quality

@craigert

For your upstairs tv 2.1 where you only have 2.1 setup, why bother buying an AV receiver or AV pre pro + power amp? Just get a good quality stereo integrated amp with HDMI inputs that can also do bass management. I’m sure you listen to quite a bit of music too in this room.

The Classe Sigma 2200i stereo integrated amp has HDMI inputs and bass management and a subwoofer out. It supports 4k pass through. It has manual PEQ. It sounded really good and has tons of power. But the Classe Sigma 2200i will digitize its analog audio inputs. This is a direct digital amplifier. For your music sources I would highly recommend using its USB DAC input, and for your video or AV sources just use HDMI inputs. 
I'm assuming you have some AV or video sources in this TV room otherwise there's no point of having a TV. 

@craigert

The Classe Sigma 2200i digital stereo integrated amp currently retails for $5500 brand new or unless if you can find a used one somewhere then can be had for around $3500 or so. Just keep an eye on it here on Audiogon and somewhere else. This will be a perfect choice for you since you only have 2.1 setup in your living room anyway. This Classe Sigma 2200i is a 2.1 unit. It has bass management, subwoofer output, manual PEQ, HDMI inputs for your AV sources, USB input for your digital music files, spdif & Toslink inputs as well as a pair of analog audio inputs (XLR & RCA). I highly recommend using its USB input for your digital music sources cause its USB input will sound the best. And get a high quality USB cable for that and you will be amazed by the sonic result when using its rear USB input. This unit is optimized for use with its USB input for your digital music files playbacks.

However, the Classe Sigma 2200i will digitize its analog audio inputs, so if you have analog sources such as turntable + phonostage pre, well......the Classe Sigma 2200i is not for you. You don’t want your turntable to be digitized.

Its HDMI switch board supports 4k video pass through. But the Sigma 2200i does not decode surround sound formats eg Dolby Digital, Dolby True-HD, Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS HD-Master Audio, etc. This is a stereo digital integrated amp.

The sound is very resolved, clean, great clarity, details and nuances, great soundstage sizes, stereo imaging, it excels in PRAT (Pace Rhythm And Timing), it has rhythmic drive and speed.
It has plenty of power too. It’s rated at 200 wpc @ 8 ohms and 400 wpc @ 4 ohms with both channels driven. It uses classs D design amplifier. Classe designs its own proprietary class D circuitry.

The Classe Sigma 2200i digital stereo integrated amp is all you need for your 2.1 setup. It has more than enough HDMI inputs that you will ever need for your AV or video sources such as your BD player, cable TV box and other AV or video sources, plus a really well implemented USB input for your digital music files playbacks. And it does bass management crossover and a subwoofer out. And it sounded great and will drive your Monitor Gold speakers with ease.

But the OP (craigert) needed HDMI inputs for his AV or video sources such as his BD player, cable TV box TiVo, etc. The Parasound integrated lacks HDMI switchings. Only few stereo integrated amps would have HDMI switchings. The Classe Sigma 2200i is one of them. And its HDMI switching equipped with the latest video formats eg 4k pass through, hdcp 2.2. If the OP went with the Classe Sigma 2200i integrated amp he can eliminate his Pioneer av receiver and just use the Classe Sigma 2200i for both his AV or video sources and digital music files sources. In the end, it will simplify his setup for his living room/TV by having just one box that does everything well. 

The Sigma 2200i does not have DAC. The digital signal is kept in digital domain all the way through the amplifier output buffer, which will then be converted to analog for speakers to use. Cause the amplifier section is a digital one and Classe uses DSP to regulate its class D amplifier. That’s why it will digitize its analog audio inputs. Classe claimed that the unique design in the Sigma 2200i integrated is aimed to preserve the digital signal purity throughout its signal paths.

In regards to the Classe’s own proprietary class D amplifier design, the sound is actually pretty analog with smooth highs, very clean very transparent and lots of air and spaces between instruments.
The bass was deep extended, very articulate and very detailed and very well controlled. But IMO it slightly lacks the bass and mid-bass power and mid-range bloom and bottom end grunt.

First of all, I’m in no way or affiliated with Classe Audio. My recommendation was solely based on my own experiences. I do own various Classe Delta series class AB amps in my dedicated HT room with the Lyngdorf MP-50 AV processor, which I’m still awaiting for its arrival and previously been using the SSP 800 for years.
But in my separate dedicated two-channel listening room you won’t find a single Classe gear. But for HT amps Classe are very good especially their Delta series class AB amps, even their Sigma series class D amps are suitable for HT. I guess I would say that in entry level hifi category Classe makes one of the best amps in comparison to Marantz or Rotel or Yamaha or Denon or NAD or Pioneer or Onkyo or Emotiva. I usually associate Classe with entry level hifi, not real high end.

The OP in this thread and few other threads were looking for something quite affordable and so I suggested Classe would be better choice than other entry level gears mentioned above.
If the OP was willing to pay for some serious amount of money then I would have recommended something else such as Pass, Vitus Audio, Naim, Devialet, Soulution, VTL, VAC, BAT, Audio Research, CH Precision, D’Agostino, T&A, Boulder, Esoteric, etc, etc.
These are different leagues than Classe or other entry level brands but are priced much much higher than Classe or Marantz.
But for what it’s worth I think Classe is very good for the money, especially their Delta series class AB amps.

For HT application Classe is one of my favorite amplifiers along with the B&W 800 series D3 speaker system, but not for music.
For music I like Naim, Audio Research, Simaudio, VAC, BAT, VTL, T&A, Dan D’Agostino, Pass, Levinson among others. But these gears are at different price points than Classe.

@craigert 

The Classe Sigma 2200i class D amp does not sound like your Pioneer receiver at all. They did not sound closed in. In fact it puts out big soundstage with very good separations between instruments and vocals etc. To be honest, I myself not a big fan of class D amp either and this won't be my choice for music. But it will sound much better than any receivers or entry level integrateds or separates. 

@craigert

Sorry I did not realize that the Lyngdorf TDAI 2170 & 3400 stereo integrated amps come equipped with HDMI 4k switchings. Then this will be your perfect solution as the Lyngdorf has superior Room Perfect calibration. You can get rid of your Pioneer receiver and just get either the TDAI 2170 or 3400 since they will switch video as well as audio.

I personally have never heard these TDAI 2170/3400 integrateds but they received glowing reviews from different hifi reviewers from different hifi magazines.

The only Lyngdorf piece that I’ve ever heard was their MP-50 AV surround processor when I demoed it recently and have ordered one for my dedicated HT room to replace my somewhat obsolete Classe SSP 800 AV processor. I was impressed with the Lyngdorf MP-50 performance for surround movies (HT) with the Room Perfect calibration. It is a clear step up from the SSP 800 with its manual PEQ. The Lyngdorf MP-50 takes immersive surround sound from your favorite blockbuster movies to a whole new level with its Room Perfect engaged and when properly calibrated. Not to mention that the MP-50 supports Dolby Atmos & DTS-X which the SSP 800 lacks supports of.
These new surround formats brings a whole new different immersive surround sound experiences for movies.

I’m still waiting for my new MP-50 to arrive and can’t wait for it. That’s the only thing I swapped out in my dedicated HT room and the rest of the equipments remain the same.