LindaE

I'm setting up a Home Theater and looking for a reasonably priced pre amp (or receiver). The current Amps are a Carver TFM-55 for the fronts and a Carver AV-634. The system It will mainly used for home theater, not for listening to music.

I have a Martin Logan Cinema for the center and will be using Martin Logan front and back speakers as well.

The TV is a Samsung 46" 1080p HDTV LN-T4665F and I'm planing to add a Blu Ray player to the mix later in the summer

Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated.


LindaE
http://TabletPc2.com

Robinson_A

Linda,

Given your equipment and 1080p display I honestly think a receiver with pre-amp outs may be your best bet, especially if your system is geared towards movies only. I would point you in the direction of a Denon receiver like the 2807 or 4806. Marnatz is another strong contender as is the Yamaha RX-V861. The Yamaha, in my opinion has terrific surround sound decoding as well as flawless HDMI switching. The new 4806 is a bit more robust than the Yamaha (and does cost more) overall and does feature a few bells and whistles that the Yamaha doesn't have, but it comes at a price. A Sunfire pre-amp would also be a safe bet. Those are my thoughts.

Andrew

LindaE

Thanks Andrew,

I have a feeling your right - I would be better off with a receiver but that is unchartered territory for me.... I just read your review of the Denon and Iwill go check out the others you mentioned. I kbelieve the Denon has enough power for the Martin Logans - but does the Yamaha RX-V861 ?


LindaE
http://TabletPc2.com

JerryDelColliano

Linda,

If you have the bucks to invest in your system now - I disagree with Andrew - I think you go for a preamp.

Carver amps suggest a Sunfire TGV which is a killer preamp. The review is at http://www.avrev.com/equip/sunfire_theatergrand_5/. My installer buddies tell me it is ROCK SOLID for relability.

Meridian G Series is one of my favorites but costs in the $6,000 range. For about $8,000 you can get their receiver which i saw at CES. It was ULTRA SEXY and would be an awesome matchup for some MartinLogans.

Another pick is the Anthem D2. Many of the writers use this as their reference. I hear it has the best HDMI switching.

LindaE

Thanks for your input Jerry

I just finished reading the review for the Anthem D2 http://www.avrev.com/equip/anthemd2/ It looks to be my first choice but like the Meridian it close to $7000.00. That said, I think the Sunfire Theater Grand V is something worth investigating.

LindaE
http://TabletPc2.com

Robinson_A

If money is a concern there is one other option you should look into and that is the Anthem AVM50. It's basically a baby D2 and I believe it runs around $2,500.00 retail but don't hold me to it. If you have the big bucks go the D2 route, but if you're trying to save a little (hence my recomendation to use a receiver as a pre-amp) I'd look at the AVM50 or the Sunfire Theater Grand V.

Andrew