Help

Hi all...newbie here. So I picked up a pair of Maggie MG1c that I love. Have a NAD CD player coming tomorrow. Here's the dilemma..I have a Yamaha RX V1400 receiver that I've been using for HT and stereo. It's great for HT...and even stereo within limits. The limits being that it only sounds good running in direct stereo mode. If you add any processing at all, it loses spaciousness and clarity. This wouldn't be a big deal, except that I would OCCASIONALLY like to have just a bit of subwoofer running (depending on the material).

Also, at a claimed 110 wpc, the amp simply isn't strong enough. If I run things pretty loud, again the amp folds and things muddy a bit. Maggies are, of course, notorious power hogs.

So..here's the question. I love the idea of the Outlaw receiver, with it's provision for running a sub. I've heard that Yamaha is known for fudging output numbers. SO....I'd love opinions on wheather the 2150 would have enough more "honest" power to make a real difference. Or should I bite the bullet and go totally to seperates for substantially more power. Financially, of course, less is better!

My room is about 12 X 21..carpeted. I listen to a variey...but primarilly jazz and big bamd...acoustic instruments...piano. (Man I LOVE the Maggies on this stuff!)

So....Discuss!

Thanks!

Can you please clarify your situation. Are you going to be using your Maggies for HT or just for Stereo? Are you planning on keeping the Yamaha for HT? Do you have a sub now?

Something to research, I believe with some processors if you don't define a sub to the system and define your fronts as large, they will send all low frequency signals including the LFE channel to the fronts. Is that true with the Yamaha? If so you might be able to run the Maggies as large full range speakers and use the cross over in a sub to accomplish your purposes while avoiding the sub processing in direct stereo mode.


While I love my RR2150, I can't see much use for it in a HT room (others feel free to correct me). If full separates are out of the question. You may want to consider using a separate two channel power amp (there are plenty of these available used) to drive the Maggies. I am fairly sure the Yamaha can run a preamp out to a separate amp. Alternatively, you might want to consider a separate 5 or 7 channel amp and forget the Yamaha's internal amps altogether.

Ah sorry...my bad. I am going to totally seperate the HT and stereo stuff. So I want to keep the Yamaha as part of the HT, and get something else for pure stereo.

I do have a sub...Athena AS P400...which I think will work well enough with the Maggies. Actually I very seldom find it's needed...just on material that's not well recorded.

I did think about using the Yamaha as a pre amp and getting a seperate power amp...but then I'd have to replace it in HT anyway. Plus...I THINK on the Yammie, it doen't output to the sub without the processor in line. Its really amazing how the imaging degrades when it's not running direct stereo mode.

There are probably some Maggie users around here who can weigh in on how the RR2150 handles them based on first-hand experience. My impression of the 2150's power output is quite positive, and with a sub added in (relieving the Maggie's of the bottom end) I would expect it to help with the power demands.
I feel certain that you are correct - bass management is nearly always performed in the digital domain on surround receivers and processors. The process of converting the analog signal to digital, then converting it back to analog, is what is tripping you up here. The RR2150 is pretty unusual in having analog bass management, as most pure analog receivers simply omit bass management.