Many questions before I take the plunge...

I have 2 Snell K-II speakers that I love - I dread the thought of replacing them with a 5 or 6 say AV surround set up (and can't afford it anyway).

So, I'll just have 2-way set up for a while (plus subwoofer). Apparently I can't bi-amp the snells using 4 of the 1050 amp outputs...? Will just bi-wire...
The real question - is it possible to integrate some other brand surrounds with the snells without sounding ridiculous? Are people mixing and matching that often?

Local hifi saleman tells me "Snells are inefficient - you need lots of power" showed me a new Yamaha V730 for $599. People seem to think that the 1050 works well on less than efficeient speakers?

Then there is the phono amp problem - plan to use my old Toshiba receiver for a phono pre-amp - but I ALSO want to use the 1050 to pre-amp the toshiba to send CD sound to the patio speakers. Can I have two receivers pre-amping each other at the same time without creating some kind of kink in the time-space continuum?

There are a number of people with the 1050 and very inefficient speakers (87 or 88 dB). I'd anticipate it being very comparable to the 730's 75W/channel -- I replaced a Yamaha RX-V690 with a 1050 (from 80W to 65W) and found the 1050 was actually seemed more powerful.

I suspect that you can probably find something to provide surround without losing the Snells. You may want to go with a phantom center channel, since getting a well-matched center is more important (and in your case more difficult).

Phono to Toshiba, Toshiba tape out to 1050. 1050 out to Toshiba CD in (or whatever) to patio speakers. I think it'd work without doing anything too odd to the fabric of the universe.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

The 1050 is officially rated at 70 watts per channel when driving just a pair of stero speakers. However, I've heard/read that it's actually closer to 85 or 90 watts per in stereo mode.


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pat----

email: pat@sklenar.info ---===--- home page: Grumpy's Lair

follow up to my original question...

Now I see I can't bi-amp my K-2s with the 1050. it has got 6 nice discrete amps, and I'll only be using 2 of them... until I get surround speakers anyway.... is a 6.1 system overkill? if not the 1050, then is there a better 2 channel value out there?

always been happy with 2 channel, but now there's a DVD player waiting to be plugged in...

If you just do CD's there are lots of 2 channel routes. But you mention a DVD player.
For movies a 5.1 6.1 7.1 system can't be beat. (You'll never go back to 2 speakers for movies)
You can use the extra speakers if you ever yearn to hit the upgrade path to DVD/A SACD.

I think I may be the only matched speaker set at Outlaw, its more common to see mixed sets due to how most upgrade. Just get that professional help/advice so that they compliment each other.

Lena, I too run matched speakers all around. Wharfedale Pacific Pi40's up front, Pi20's in the rear, a Pacific Center, and a PowerCube sub. I like having the matched drivers because it lends to more seamless surround between zones.
IMHO, if one is going to upgrade a piece at a time, take your time and save-up for the highest quality that you can afford. It will serve you better in the long run. If you go out and buy lower quality stuff to fill gaps, you'll probably end up tossing all of it at a later date.
Till next time,
Mix

I've got matched Boston's for my 6.1 setup. No need to feel lonely, Lena!

Patience and perseverance, buying higher quality and best you can afford very often pays off. In several electronic purchases I have held out for a little better than I could afford at any given time with mixed results. The last TV purchase which I researched I paid an extra couple of hundred out of the norm (middle of road range), it bought me a few more lines of resolution when it was not being broadcast that way. So the pic just got better, (up to its limit) for a few years. The old PL receiver regardless of its capacities ended up hanging around forever. So yes buy the best you can, you might keep it longer than you think. Sometimes, on the other hand, its fun just to have the technology, (at a lower level) to enjoy. Many times in the past (when I was younger and starving) by the time I could afford the next piece the first was obsolete! (So it got trashed anyway)
It seems right now in the next 5 years there are so many changes coming in A/V (even speaker technology running to digital.), nothing is as bad but its reminding me of OS releases which come faster and faster.
In other words sometimes it has been very satisfying to me just to get in on something at an entry level, other times the simple quality of a purchase has kept me happy for a long time.

I just mentioned matched speakers because I knew that while traveling the convoluted upgrade path, seems many do end up with a differently badged system, and that is the norm.
I'm sure I win the prize for the itiest bittiest matched speakers, (isnt bigger better? Tim the Toolman, "More power!" - my hero) I see an upgrade path before me and I just started, then again I might just get onto something else and keep what I have a long long time, YA never know!