I am looking to go buy a new receiver this month, probably will have to end up ordering it since I have no real stores near here to buy one at, but I'm trying to match it to the speakers I already have, and make sure that they will be compatible, and that the speakers are not too weak for it, or that the receiver will match up with it and things like that. I have a pair of Sony SS-B1000 speakers, it says they are capable of up to 120 watts maximum input. I am looking at probably buying an Onkyo TX-8020 stereo receiver, it is rated at 50 watts per output channel, so that should mean it's 50 watts output per speaker right? I just wanted to make sure this receiver is compatible with my speakers before I buy it, or will I need new speakers? I've read about peak power and stuff, and I'm not sure what all that means. I will also be getting a CD player to hook to it, and an Audio Technica LP-120 turntable, I'll be buying all this stuff at the same time, I know the CD player and Turntable should be compatible with it, the only things I didn't understand were the speakers/receiver being compatible, thanks if you can help with this.
question before I buy a new receiver
- Thread starter Jason1979
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savatage1973
Addicted Member
The Onkyo is a good match, but also check out the new Yamaha receivers--I tend to find them a little better "bang for the buck", but that is just my opinion (that and a couple bucks will get you a cup of coffee), so take it for what it is.
The only reason I was favoring the Onkyo over the Yamaha was that the Onkyo had a dedicated phono input, and I have already ordered an Audio Technica LP 120 and I thought a receiver with a dedicated phono input is the way to go? Or do you get equal results with just going line in?
savatage1973
Addicted Member
In that case the point is moot--the AT LP 120 has a built in phono pre, so an on-board one on the receiver is not required. But, depending on the model, the Yammies have on-board phono preamps, and some of them have DACs. I just feel that the amplifier section is cleaner, but that is just me YMMV.
Okay this is probably a stupid question but what is a DAC? It has something to do with CD's right?
savatage1973
Addicted Member
A DAC is a digital to analogue converter--you can use it with a CD player (with digital output) or DVD/BLU Ray player or a computer/tablet/phone for streaming music.
ah I had hear of DAC's but never knew what they were for. I will look for a receiver with a DAC, I think that would come in handy for my CD's, although my CD player I'm getting will probably have a DAC in it. Do you need both a receiver and a CD player with a DAC? Or d you just need one of them to have a DAC?
elira
New Member
Just one of them.
is the Wolfson 192/24 DACs a good one? It's the one in the CD player I plan to buy. I do not know all the various DAC's in production today, are there a lot of various kinds, or only a few? Or should I look for a CD player with a better DAC? If you know of a better DAC let me know and I will try to find a CD player with that one in it.
savatage1973
Addicted Member
The Wolfson DAC chip is well-regarded.
All CD players (and DVD/BRD players) have a DAC to convert digital to analogue. If you use the digital output of those players, you by-pass the internal DAC and can use an external one like the one included in the Yamaha receivers or a stand-alone DAC device.
The advantage to an external DAC is that you can use other digital devices like I mentioned (computer/phone/tablet) as a source for music.
There really are only a handful of manufactures that make the actual DAC chips; however, a very critical element of "the process" is how the analogue signal is handled--the chip converts the digital to analogue, but then the analogue signal has to be brought up to standard output line level, so there is essentially a preamp stage involved after the D to A conversion, and this can have a dramatic effect on the analogue output signal.
All CD players (and DVD/BRD players) have a DAC to convert digital to analogue. If you use the digital output of those players, you by-pass the internal DAC and can use an external one like the one included in the Yamaha receivers or a stand-alone DAC device.
The advantage to an external DAC is that you can use other digital devices like I mentioned (computer/phone/tablet) as a source for music.
There really are only a handful of manufactures that make the actual DAC chips; however, a very critical element of "the process" is how the analogue signal is handled--the chip converts the digital to analogue, but then the analogue signal has to be brought up to standard output line level, so there is essentially a preamp stage involved after the D to A conversion, and this can have a dramatic effect on the analogue output signal.
yeah I think I will end up going with a Yamaha receiver, they seem probably a better choice than an Onkyo, I've read up on them since yesterday, and it gets better reviews it seems, and the CD player I was planning to get, I might end up getting for my disc player a Sony 4K UHD blu ray player, it is $300, but it says it has the ability to play back SACD's and Blu rays, and DVD audio, and of course CD's, I am going to have to read about it some more, I find it hard to believe It can play back SACD's at only a $300 disc player, does anyone know if this is true? I mean play back REAL SACD, I mean a SACD disc will play back in a regular CD player it just plays back the regular CD track, and not the SACD track. But if this thing actually plays back the SACD track, this could be a great value, I have some disc that are SACD hybrid discs, that I'd love to hear in higher quality.
savatage1973
Addicted Member
I don't know what model Sony you are looking at, but it most likely will play SACD in true SACD format--tech is getting cheaper by the minute. The primary disadvantage to these multi-drive formats is that they load slower (cue up slower), and don't give real time information on the display, but they still play, and play well. The more functions you cram into one box, the more compromises that have to be made out of space and cost considerations, but if it does what you need it to do, go for it.
Now I start my rant--so please forgive me (in advance). Hi-Rez is not all it's cracked up to be. You can only work with what you have to start with--audio or video. If it is a recording laid down on tape in the 70's, or a movie done on film in the 50's, it is what it is--there ain't no more. No amount of "upsampling" is going to "fix" what wasn't there to start with. Sure, you can re-mix, re-master, and otherwise modify it, but it is what it was at the time. Source material is ALWAYS the "limiting factor". I have collected the bulk of the "Live At The Fillmore" recordings on original vinyl from the late 60's and early 70's--and some of them sound worse than what I could do with my phone while standing in the audience--and there is NOTHING that can make them "better"--"different"--YES, but "better", not really.
Now I start my rant--so please forgive me (in advance). Hi-Rez is not all it's cracked up to be. You can only work with what you have to start with--audio or video. If it is a recording laid down on tape in the 70's, or a movie done on film in the 50's, it is what it is--there ain't no more. No amount of "upsampling" is going to "fix" what wasn't there to start with. Sure, you can re-mix, re-master, and otherwise modify it, but it is what it was at the time. Source material is ALWAYS the "limiting factor". I have collected the bulk of the "Live At The Fillmore" recordings on original vinyl from the late 60's and early 70's--and some of them sound worse than what I could do with my phone while standing in the audience--and there is NOTHING that can make them "better"--"different"--YES, but "better", not really.
you know I have thought about that too, that rock records from the 50's - the 80's are probably not going to sound any better than they do on a regular CD or on a vinyl record. I bought the new Beatles Sgt. Pepper 6 disc release and I couldn't tell any difference between the original Mono release and the new Blu ray release of the album. I don't know if I just don't have good hearing, or if there is really no difference between them. Reading the book that came with the boxset, the album was recorded on a tape, and a tape is never going to sound as good as a digital blu ray recording. So yeah kind of made me less hesitant to worry about SA-CD and all that, I will probably just get a regular CD player now, kind of ironic that the Beatles blu ray release made me not want to worry about blu ray audio releases lol.
My receiver will be here tomorrow, I just checked tracking on it, I ended up going with the Onkyo TX-8020 model. It's 50 watts per channel. I went with that since I have 120 watts maximum Sony speakers. I also have a turntable coming in the mail and it should be here by next weekend as well. I ended up getting for a turntable the Pro-ject Essential III red model. I was leaning towards a Audio Technica, but so many reviews and some people had told me the Pro-ject Essential III is the best turntable for the price I spent, so I am trusting that it will be a solid turntable. I hope they are right. I will find out next weekend 
