Worth Upgrading Marantz 1504 AV Receiver with Power Amp?


Hi guys, my speakers are Silverline SR-17 and I was thinking about connecting the pre outs of my Marantz AV receiver to a power amp for improved sound quality.

I would like to stay under 1K and am open to used gear such as the Parasound A23 and other Class AB amps. With my budget and gear, will I get much of a bump in sound quality compared to the amp in my AV receiver? I stream Tidal through a chromecast using optical out.      
seanheis1

Showing 1 response by paraneer

Yes, adding a power amp to your AVR will be a huge improvement and one that you will immediately hear.  The Parasound A23 will be a very good choice.

But do you need an AVR at all?  If you only listen to 2 channels, then I suggest getting rid of it altogether and buying a good 2 channel integrated amp with a built-in DAC instead.  Pick the right one and you won't need an external power amp either.  This way you'll still get a better power amp section and the benefit of a superior preamp section as well.

Do not underestimate the importance of a good stereo preamp.  The preamp sections in AVR's, even in "pure direct" mode, are a mere afterthought.