AV setup with LS50


I just bought a pair of LS50 and need some help with finding a nice but good value home theatre setup. As I am based in Japan, I have easy access to Japanese amps, etc. I will be using it in a small apartment, in a 2 channel setup. Source will be PC and TV.

How does the following options look?
Marantz NR1609:http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=avreceivers&ProductId=NR1609
Number of Poweramps 7
Power Output (8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.08% 2ch Drive) 50 W
Power Output (8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.05% 2ch Drive)
Power Output (6 ohm, 1 kHz, 0.7% 2ch Drive)70 WPower Output (6 ohm, 1 kHz, 10% 1ch Drive)100 W

Onkyo TX-NR686 https://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=TX-NR686&class=Receiver&source=prodClass
240 W (3 Ohms, Front)
210 W (4 Ohms, Front)
120 W (8 Ohms, Front)

Yamaha RX-A880
https://jp.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/av_receivers_amps/rx-a880/specs.html#product-tabs
20Hz-20kHz、2ch: 100W/ch(6Ω、0.06%THD)

Open to suggestions/feedbacks thanks.



fustyler
Came across this interesting article and it looks like the Rotel A10 is a very good pairing amp for the LS50:
https://darko.audio/2017/07/happy-accidents-will-happen-rotels-ra-10-integrated-amplifier/
The reviewer recommends a combination of Aries Mini + Rotel RA-10.
How would it work if I need to have multiple sources, like PC, TV?
A few comments here. This article reinforces that watts from an avr do not equal watts from a good two channel amp. A 40wpc 2 channel can dig deep, depending on its design and it sounds like the Rotel a10 can. It’s hard to get without really listening to but I’m glad that you’re open to the idea!

Second, the a10 doesn’t look like it has a remote control, so using that for a dual music/movie/tv setup could become annoying. Also, the 40wpc might be plenty for music but you might consider moving up the line to the a12 or a14 to dig a little deeper for movies. Loud scenes in movies can use substantially more power for longer periods of time than loud parts of a song. The amps look like they’ve been redesigned and I haven’t heard them with the ls50s so that would be a blind recommendation, but if the predecessor sounded good with them, it’s a fairly safe bet that the new ones might. 

Third, these don’t appear to have home theatre bypass, which I think isn’t a big deal. Just keep in mind that when you want to eventually go to a surround setup, it will require replacing the Rotel. I’m sure it will keep some resale value, they are quality components. To be honest, I think you should choose a 2 channel amp that fits your budget and you’ll be happy with without the HTB input because it will limit you. At this price point, there just arnt many options for integrated amps with HTB. 

Fourth, the Rotel a10 doesn’t have any digital inputs, which is why the reviewer recommended a separate DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) for digital sources. Some DACs have multiple inputs that you can switch between for TV and PC. The newer a12/a14 have been redesigned with internal DAC’s so there may be more different with these units than I thought. Just try and find some online reviews, or even better find a dealer to try and demo the amp. That might be hard out of context for you since this seems like you’re first stab at building a system but the best resource is hearing something for yourself. That’s generally why companies offer in home trials for varrrying amounts of time. I started with integrated with internal DAC’s and it’s  a fine way to go. It gives less flexibility in terms of upgrading that in the future but you could always just buy an external DAC and feed it into an analogue source in the Rotel to bypass the internal DAC.

Happy hunting!
Went to the shop and demo'd the Yamaha A-S801 and Marantz PM8006 amp on the LS50 The sound from the Marantz amp had more bass and seemed smoother than the Yamaha. Would have loved to listen to the Rotel RA-10 as well, but this model is not sold in Japan. Price of the Marantz is higher than I would have liked but this sounds the best from what I have heard on the LS50 so far.

On the DAC side of things, I did more research on the weekend and the Raspberry Pi based Allo Katana DAC just got released recently with the latest chipset looks to be the one to get.


I'm glad you were able to go out and demo some equipment! There really is no alternative to hearing something yourself. Just be prepared that if you bring the amp home, it will take time for both your speakers and the amp to break in and sound their best. 

The DAC you mentioned looks like it would insert in a desktop to be used directly from a computer. Go for it if thats what you're looking for. If not, you would want a standalone component that accepts a digital input from your computer for music or TV for home theater. A few notes about DAC's as I have been currently in the process of upgrading mine.

There are a few types of DAC designs, Delta-Sigma (like the allo katana) and r2r multibit. These are two totally different designs and I would look into each of them as they have their own strengths and weaknesses at the sub $1000 price-point.