Integrated Amp as Pre-amp - Is This OK?

[dabhidh]

I have a Pioneer A-35R Integrated Amplifier and an Onkyo HT-R290 Receiver. I have been running them separately with the Pioneer being used for turntable and 2-channel digital, and the Onkyo for multichannel digital or stereo digital.

The Pioneer is connected to a set of Cambridge Soundworks speakers, the Onkyo to a set of Sony 5.1 speakers.

In the interest of simplifying things, I have connected my Pioneer to the Onkyo using the Tape 1 Record jack so that I am essentially running everything through the Onkyo and the Pioneer is functioning as a pre-amp for my turntable. Is there any risk in doing this? I have done several Google searches about the topic and most of the conversations seem to indicate that this is OK but a couple of times I have heard that it's bad for the integrated amp to be running without speakers attached. The Onkyo has an A-speaker/B-speaker option where the A's are 5.1 and the B's are stereo.

I realize that using a Pioneer A-35R as a pre-amp is probably overkill but If I wanted to get a proper phono pre-amp I'd have to sell the Pioneer to finance it, and I really don't want to do that.

 

[Oerets]

Sounds right if you are using a tape out from the Pioneer to feed the tape in on the Onkyo. Get a phono pre for the table unless you need the inputs the Pioneer will allow.



Barney

 

[punprankster]

had a pioneer a35r. i really liked it. very detailed sound, if lacking a bit on the bass side. i used it to power a pair of b&w 685 front speakers in my old home theater set up. i liked it better by itself compared to when i used it as a phono preamp hooked up to my old yamaha rx-v659 and rotel rsx-1067.
i don't know much about the onkyo but i have a feeling that the pioneer is a much better value compared to it. i wouldn't sell it for a dedicated preamp. the pioneer will give you much more flexibility than a phone preamp will.

 

[dabhidh]

Thanks, guys! I was experimenting with this setup last night and came to a surprising, if temporary conclusion. I had been listening to LP's and decided to bail on it and disconnected the Pioneer from the Onkyo and resumed playing my LP, and was stunned to find out it just didn't sound as good. So I resumed the Pioneer-as-pre-amp setup and I'm really enjoying it. I've always been satisfied with the Pioneer on its own for LPs, but putting it through the Onkyo just adds a certain something to the sound. I'll probably hang with it for a few days and switch it back to compare.