2 Vs 5.1 channel amps - are they both great options for music?

[originalamit]

Hi,

I need to decide an amplifier for purely listening to music in my study room. However, i definitely need wifi and bluetooth on the amp as my source is primarily my phone. However, a friend of mine has advised that 5.1 channel amps are NOT good for listening to music. I wanted advise from this forum if 5.1 channels can indeed deliver excellent quality audio and are as good as 2 channel amps?

This is my current analysis of amps. However, i am open to other models as well as long as it sits in my price range of 20 to 30k.
1) Marantz 6006PM - 2 channel. Great reviews but no wifi or bluetooth. Costs around 29k
2) Marantz 1508 - great reviews for 5.1 channel and has wifi and bluetooth. I dont know the quality of 2 channel sound. Costs around 33k. Option B is Yamaha R-N303 5.1 channel and available for around 24k

Price difference between these is negligible

Speakers i have: B&W 685 S2 (I can get a separate sub woofer from a close friend)

If you are me and need bluetooth and wifi, which way would you choose between 2 and 5.1 channel amps?

Thanks a ton in advance!

 

[mshifi]

Go with a integrated amp like the Yamaha which has btooth connectivity and has sub out as well.

 

[originalamit]

Go with a integrated amp like the Yamaha which has btooth connectivity and has sub out as well.

which model?

 

[mshifi]

Check out the rn series depending on your budget you can choose the model. 803 is a good model

 

[MaSh]

Agree with your friend. For music listening, get a stereo amp. Any stereo amp is fine. Add a tp link Bluetooth/NFC receiver and you can have a decent setup.

TP-Link HA100

MaSh

 

[raghupb]

BT is not great for music.
It's a convenience.
You would be better off with a 2ch integrated amp.
Get a BT dongle and/or Chromecast-Audio for phone casting.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[elangoas]

Speakers i have: B&W 685 S2 (I can get a separate sub woofer from a close friend)

If you are me and need bluetooth and wifi, which way would you choose between 2 and 5.1 channel amps?

If you will have subwoofer in your set-up, and given your usage priorities, an AVR is better choice.. The most challenging part in a room is getting the low bass right in the room.. In that regard, having a subwoofer in the system gives the flexibility to re-position them in the room and lil oomph to your music..

 

[efernand1]

Hi,

I need to decide an amplifier for purely listening to music in my study room. However, i definitely need wifi and bluetooth on the amp as my source is primarily my phone. However, a friend of mine has advised that 5.1 channel amps are NOT good for listening to music. I wanted advise from this forum if 5.1 channels can indeed deliver excellent quality audio and are as good as 2 channel amps?

Everyone has different listening preferences and opinions....as for me my Marantz SR series takes care of stereo and movie needs very effectively...its all about of what kind of amplification, setup speakers and adjustments you make......if you are a keen listener to detailing ...you cant go wrong.

Hi,

This is my current analysis of amps. However, i am open to other models as well as long as it sits in my price range of 20 to 30k.
1) Marantz 6006PM - 2 channel. Great reviews but no wifi or bluetooth. Costs around 29k
2) Marantz 1508 - great reviews for 5.1 channel and has wifi and bluetooth. I dont know the quality of 2 channel sound. Costs around 33k. Option B is Yamaha R-N303 5.1 channel and available for around 24k

1) If the said amp meets your requirements of power and performance, get it and add an analog bluetooth device...
2) The Entry level of NR series....quite nice and known to even drive Dali Zensor 7 speakers...(our FM in Bengaluru used the NR series for almost 2 yrs). It has 9 band EQ for each speaker which you can adjust to your tonal preferences manually and enjoy playback.....Option B.....Yamaha is also good ...audition and decide.....

Hi,

Speakers i have: B&W 685 S2 (I can get a separate sub woofer from a close friend)

If you are me and need bluetooth and wifi, which way would you choose between 2 and 5.1 channel amps?

Thanks a ton in advance!

Speakers are good.....this is for your study room and you may not require a sub provided the content being playback is of good quality. I feel the speakers can deliver decent bass.....

Unless you are streaming radio channels over the web, wifi would be required....I have Wifi on my SR series Marantz AVR and not used it effectively yet....only used for updates...Bluetooth only if i want to play something from my cell phone.....else ...Laptop (already accessing internet through wifi) is hooked up through HDMI to AVR. I use a wireless Keyboard and Mouse and sit anywhere in the room and enjoy whatever I want from the net.

Wifi and Bluetooth which are part of the same device are not known to work at the same time....so check your actual requirements and use

The choice is yours.....decide wisely....audition .....all the best

 

[sandyboy101]

Check out the rn series depending on your budget you can choose the model. 803 is a good model

I Have the RN-803 with my older 685’s setup, I’m not very happy with the sound, even after running the YPAO correction. The sound seems a little bassy/muddled.
The 803 connectivity is the best though, which is why I got it.

 

[Akshit2111]

I remember when i had just started i only had 2 channel stereo in my mind. Just wanted to get something good for my audio needs. Until One day when i auditioned a home theater system for the first time. I was like literally blown away!! then i asked the guy to play music on the same system, which i did not like at all... Long story short comparing 2.0 and 5.1 is like apples to oranges comparison.
An entry level receiver wud not satisfy your music listening needs IN COMPARISON TO AN INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER! It may satisfy you if you dont compare it to any stereo amp
So be clear about your needs. If music is all you want then dont even look at AVRs!
and when it comes to audio Not much has changed over a decade when it comes to 2 channel amps. Save some money buy used !

 

[newlash09]

Hi Amit...it really depends on what genre of music you listen to. If you want EDM and punk and rock, go with a avr and subs. But if you are into a lot of vocals and classical. Then a dedicated 2 channel stereo amplifier will do that better.