Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Emotiva or AudioSource

i can hear it if no sound comes off the speakers or when the sound is very low; more than that, i never hear it.
it's 6 inches off the floor and about 6 ft. in front of me.

what could be better with the fan is that now the sound is like an edgy cat's purr; it would be much better if it was a wind noise, swischy.

the fan is easy to change though, if one can't suffer to hear it.
i got the specifics for an alternative fan if you're interested.

it does not bother me, but i've heard of people who had put the amp in a closet with a door and who still couldn't bear the small noise they could hear.

From Sound & Vision archive. There, festering... inlays the goal:

Yes usually running a separate amp whether it be with a receiver as a prepro or a separate preamp, it does provide benefits. When using a separate amps you get added head room that you will not see in receivers as well as they are much more capable of handling heavier loads and being driven harder than receivers.  While some receivers tend to do an ok job their amp sections always suffer because they are jamming everything in one box where as a separate amp is well and amp :P and nothing else.  Separate amps tend to have a more robust amp section ( bigger transformers, more stored power on tap etc..). Most speakers tend to sound alot better with a good separate amp, they open up and can really play to their full potential. Also separate amps are good if you like to listen to your music or movies really loud and or if you have a really large room, witha good separate amp you can drive it to the volume levels you like and not have to worry about clipping as would be the case with receivers.

Rich, if you want to "enhance" your HT, you're discussing about the least likely candidate to do so, i.e., adding even more amplification. You presently have what's in effect a bi-amping setup, with the sub amp handling the low bass and the 1906 amp handling the frequencies above that. Unless you presently aren't able to play at maximum safe(to your hearing)sound levels, which is highly unlikely, adding more maximum power capacity would be meaningless; unused headroom is simply that: unused. This is audio fact rather than fantasy(e.g., some of that quote from the S&V writer).

Speakers are generally the way to enhance HT performance, and looking specifically at your list, adding QS surrounds appear to be the logical candidates for this.

Thanks JohnK that does makes sense. I do plan on M22's later in the year and moving the M3's as the SB and then changing them over to the Q's.

Rich, I'd get the QS8's first and replace the Polk surrounds.

Or get a VP180

The other camp (again):

My response from Audiogon about adding a separate amp to an AVR.

adding most any amp would easily double the sound quality throughout, if not
triple! Sonically, the amps in that (as most) receiver is just marginal
comparatively.
No receivers amp section can really do as well as a good separates amp from
my experiences.
I once did a side by side with the Denon 5600 and Yamaha DSPA3090 flagships
back when, driving some little B&W DM601's as well as full range Mirage
M5's, for both music and movies. I think used both those receivers from
their pre'out's into a modest Denon POA8200. The Denon amp blew away both
the receivers amp sections by a TON!!!!...it wasn't even close...another
league really.
I've sold and used lots and lots of separates and receiver systems over the
years. Separates is the way to go. In your case, yes, adding even a modest
150W/ch amp (could get by with less running your speakers as "small" (which
I recommend highly, especially for rock/HT) would do wonders for your
overall sound. There are many to choose from.
good luck

I'm honestly not sure where I fall on the receivers/separates issue, but I'm wary of anyone that claims that kind of difference.

Usually, the more superlatives, the less I trust with this sort of thing.

I have the Musical Paradise 301-MK2 connected to my h/k 645 to drive my M22's for stereo. For me it works. Adding this tube amp Made a big difference.

I think that hyperbole lacks credibility.

Define "double the sound quality".

Rich, if you want an amp, get one. By all means. And if you are convinced that it will make a difference, then you will hear that difference.

I'm just pretty skeptical about some of that language.

I generally enjoy some of Roger Russell's writing.

Probably a good time to dust off the Stereo Review article from January 1987 - Do All Amplifiers Sound the Same?

You know, whatever makes you happy. I just find the SR article to be pretty compelling because they had significant financial disincentive to publish it. Manufacturers have a business interest in selling more amps, and hobbyists have a psychological imperative to justify those expenditures.

I'm not really in the "if you can't measure it, it doesn't exist" camp. But I'm not going to take it on faith from a salesman that I'll be "blown away by a ton" by switching from one distortion-less device to another one, either.

On them........