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Should I buy a power amp.

I have a Anthem mrx 540 8k paired w klipsch 8000 f lls and a pair of klipsch 502 s lls. I also have an svs sb 5000 revolution. Im so new to all this and am learning as I go and ive already wasted a few thousand buying the svs soundbase pro w an svs pb 2000 pro and klipsch rp 600m lls which I sold for the anthem and new klipsch speakers and new sub. I feel I just want to buy a power amp bc I love the way they look and think they will make my system sound even better than it does. Hell it sounds great already but I have naive ears bc I haven't heard alot of different speakers at all. My klipsch speakers are very sensitive so ive read that they dont need much power and the anthem is 100w per channel 2 channels driven although ive read its 100w all channels driven at .1% thd. 

    My question is to people who know and have expierenced way more listening, should I invest in a power amp or buy a center channel or both. Idk what to do and im obsessed w these power amps but like I said my system sounds really good to me which ive also heard is all that matters. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

weazy365
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,714 posts
 

Two points

 

1) Your Klipsch speakers probably won’t sound better with more power. But they might sound better with better power. So it’s quality over quantity in this instance.

2) A better amp won't sing without a better preamp. HT and surround processors need not apply if it's quality two channel for music you seek.

 

weazy365 OP
4 posts
 

I thought going w the Anthem i was getting high quality, although I understand the mrx 540 isnt as good as the avm 70 or 90. I honestly wish I would have waited and got a processor and separates. 

soix
11,243 posts
 

In your situation as your speakers are easy to drive and you’re enjoying the sound I would not recommend adding an amp.  As mentioned, you’d still be stuck using the preamp section of an AVR, which will continue to be a big bottleneck to significantly better 2-channel performance.  For better stereo in the longer term you’ll want to focus on adding a good stereo integrated amp or separate amp/pre (via the Anthem’s preamp outputs) that’ll allow you to completely remove the AVR from the 2-channel signal path, which is ultimately what you want.  And then upgrading your speakers, source, and cables would make further significant improvements.  The good news is you can do this in incremental steps and get huge improvements along the way, so keep reading/learning, go out and hear as much equipment as possible (going to AXPONA is highly recommended especially if you’re new to this and have limited access to good dealers), and enjoy the process!  
As for HT, you’ve got a good AVR that should serve you well for a long time, and adding a center speaker can help especially if people will be sitting off center.  If not and it’s just you in the sweet spot, with your equipment and proper speaker placement you should be able to get a good phantom center image so if you’re happy with that as is you might be able to skip a center speaker and put those funds toward better 2-channel performance.  Hope this helps, and best of luck. 

weazy365 OP
4 posts
 

Hey man can we chat on the phone. I th8nk i understand what your saying but idk. I got a little confused. Im very interested in what you said though. Tha k you for your help

soix
11,243 posts
 

Sure, be glad to.  I think if you click on my name you can DM me and we can go from there.

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