I currently am running on Onkyo TX-NR900 receiver with my Polk system. (RTi12 mains, CSi5 center, FXi3 surrounds.) I have decided that the Onkyo just doesn't have what it takes to run the 12's. (1x1" tweet, 2x5.25" mids, 3x7" woofers each)

I've been looking at getting myself a pair of the 200's and was wondering if I would be able to do a bi-amp setup with the Onkyo. In other words, I'd use the F/R and F/L outputs to run the mids/tweets and the 200's to run the woofers. The only reason that I ask is that it just kills me to lose those 2 channels on the Onkyo. (I just found out yesterday that the ratings for the Onkyo are based on 2 channels running rather than 5 or 7.)

What do you guys think? Any suggestions?

the power handling on the polks is what? 250? the monos are 200wts and your receiver is 110? that would net 310 to the speaker, unless you never listen to your system over halfway (which im sure is unreasonable). you could use one mono amp and split it to run both woofers, however this would only work well for stereo sound seeing as youd have to make the fr and fl run into the amp. best bet for more power is to forget the onkyo fr/fl all together or get a stereo amp (which outlaw doesnt offer :-( ).

The power handling on the RTi12's is 500 watts.

I'm thinking that sometime in the next year or two I'd get a 755 (or whatever the current model at the time is called) and use it to bi-amp the mains so that 400 goes to each, 200 to the center, and 200 to each surround. The surrounds would be driven by the M-Blocks at that point.

FYI: Power handling on my center is 200w, and the surrounds are 150w.

Any thoughts?

I bi-amp my front speakers with the 770 diving the mid/tweets and an integrated sub amp driving the woofers, but the problem I think you will have is the 200's have no gain control and if their input sensitivity is different than the Onkyo haw would you blend the two? Might be better to just scrap the two Onkyo channels and use the 200's.

its nice that polk upped the power handling in their new line. keta makes a good point about the m200s not having volume control, but i think you could get around that with the gain for each channel on the receiver. and for the reason that keta mentioned i would not use the monos for the surrounds if you get a 5 channel amp also, because you are going to destroy the surrounds by not being able to turn the monoblocks down at all and the trim for each channel wont be enough. just get the 5 channel now and use the onkyo to power rears :-).

I was afraid that somebody was going to say that...

Those M-Blocks are just so nice with a very reasonable price. Guess that I may have to take the 755 plunge sooner rather than later.

I'm all about getting new toy, but just be sure you're not falling for the "bigger speakers need bigger amps to 'drive' them" fallacy. It is a fallacy, if anything it's close to reversed. On the other hand, nothing wrong with pumping up the amp, but I really doubt that it's worth it to bi-amp (this is a whole other can 'o worms) in any case.

biamping just for the sake of bi-amping without external crossovers and defeatable internal crossovers is pointless. however his goal to do so is to get more power!! and i have heard from numerous people that those polks he has are pretty power hungry, so give them 400 watts and buy some ear muffs.

Yeah, on the Polk forum they tell me that I can't run those RTi12's with only 110 per. I'm still confused on that since I have been doing so for over a month and my neighbor has already complained twice...

I guess that I just like the idea of getting a really hefty amp like Outlaw makes (looked at Adcom as well). Plus I'm guessing that things sound good now they'll sound even better with an amp that isn't straining and has plenty of headroom.

I don't know...do you think that 200 to each of the fronts in a non bi-amp configuration would be enough? Then I could just go with 2 M-Blocks. Or should I go for broke and get the 755, sending 400 to the mains and 200 to the center?

Thanks for your help guys. I feel like I already may have made one mistake with the Onkyo and don't want to repeat it.

I would suggest that you buy a pair of m-blocks and try them alone to power the Polk's. Unless your room is really large or really dead, they shoud have plenty of power. I haven't done measurements but they drove a pair of old pair of Polk SDA 1-c's as well as my old Adcom GFA-565's which were beasts in size compared to the m-blocks. From my experience, they appear to have good reserve power.


[This message has been edited by morphsci (edited December 12, 2003).]

RVJII I should have been more clear in my orginal post. "IF" you think the Onkyo power is lacking in some way then I think you should try the 200's. Just use them on there own and don't try to bi-amp.

RVJII,

Of course, this is only a suggestion. I recommend you buy three M-200's and use them across the front. Power the left, center, and right channels using the monoblocks. I just did this with my B&K AVR-507 (150W per channel) and I am extremely pleased with the results!! The receiver was AMAZING on its own, but with the monoblocks powering the fronts, the system is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.

My speakers are as follows: Monitor Audio GR-10's (fronts), Monitor Audio Gold Reference center, Krix Equinox for surrounds, and a M&K MX-350 sub.

outlaw does have a return policy so rather than second guess yourself, if i were you i would just get the 755 and be finished with it.

Glad to see a review with B&K. I have just ordered two m200's to run the front channels of my B&K 307. I too have been very happy with the 307 but hoped that the two mono blocks would have a major impact, should free up some power for the other channels. May have to do the center channel later. Thanks Kscott407