Media Centre As A Preamplifier

[merovingian]

I already put these questions deep within another thread, but not getting many bites. So here goes again.

I've been looking around at receivers for a 5.1 setup. Generally speaking, if I want a powerful one with good audio quality, I have to buy something that is loaded with features that I personally think are a waste of time for anyone who is fully embracing the media Centre concept. e.g. Yahama V2700 and it's networking, video scaling, de-interacing and iPod dock malarkey.

I plan for the Media Centre to be the source of everything. Consequently, I really just want an amp to take a digital connection from the Media Centre and do a super job of processing and rendering the signal. It seems I can't get a 5.1/7.1 receiver that just focuses on this. Anyone know of something along these lines?

I started looking into power amps, with the idea of connecting one directly to a soundcard on the Media Centre. So the Media Centre would completely take over the processing and preamplification functions. Anyone have any experience with a setup like this? Thoughts on the idea? Good, bad, indifferent? Should I just buy a feature-creep A/V receiver and forget about the features that I won't use?

Incidentally, I'm budgeting around $5k for receiver/amp and speakers.

[ozbear]

I use a Yamaha RX-Z1.

Does exactly what I want/need without all the bells and whitles you mention, and in your price range.

Oz

[merovingian]

Originally Posted by ozbear

I use a Yamaha RX-Z1.

Does exactly what I want/need without all the bells and whitles you mention, and in your price range.

Thanks for the fast reply.

I can't find that model on Yamaha's site, even under Previous Models, so I presume that it's a few years old. RX-Z9 would be the equivalent model in the current range?

I would be thrilled to have the Z9, but when I said $5k I meant INCLUDING speakers. So maybe $2k for the receiver. I might be willing to stretch to 6 or 7k for the whole lot, but the sort of speakers that I need to pair up with the Z9 to do it justice would surely mean an audio setup of greater than $10k. The better half is never going to go for it, and I think my room needs some audio treatments to justify that kind of outlay.

I find the massive price jump from V2700 to Z9 to be quite interesting. Not to mention daunting. I guess I'm kind of looking for the Z9's little brother.

[ExtremePC]

If you dropped the requirement for a digital connection and use the PC to do all the digital processing and fed the discrete 5.1 or 7.1 signals to a power AMP you would open up a lot more options.

[merovingian]

Originally Posted by ExtremePC

If you dropped the requirement for a digital connection and use the PC to do all the digital processing and fed the discrete 5.1 or 7.1 signals to a power AMP you would open up a lot more options.

I think I wasn't clear enough in my original post because this indeed what I meant when asking about connecting a power amp directly to a soundcard. From what I've seen, power amps always (?) take an analog connection per channel. Anyway, do you in fact have experience of this sort of setup? A good option or not? Need an especially good soundcard? I have, for example, the Rotel RMB-1075 (http://europe.rotel.com/products/specs/rmb1075.htm) in mind in this regard.

[ExtremePC]

Originally Posted by merovingian

I think I wasn't clear enough in my original post because this indeed what I meant when asking about connecting a power amp directly to a soundcard. From what I've seen, power amps always (?) take an analog connection per channel. Anyway, do you in fact have experience of this sort of setup? A good option or not? Need an especially good soundcard? I have, for example, the Rotel RMB-1075 (http://europe.rotel.com/products/specs/rmb1075.htm) in mind in this regard.

It will be fine so long as its a good soundcard and the outputs are really line level outs.