Much Needed Help and Advice About an XPA 7 and Denon 5308

[armk]

I currently have a Denon 5308 receiver. HT Labs rated it at around 200 watts x 2 channels driven and 140 x 5 and x 7 channels driven. My speakers are B&W 683 S2's, B&W HTM 1 S2, and DS3's. I also have a sub.

I really want to get an XPA 7 but am not sure how much difference it will make. My usage is 50% music and 50% movies. Don't own an spl meter but I do like to listen pretty loud - usually around -15 to -20 on the receiver however I am always afraid to drive it too hard so don't go above that too often.

My questions:

1. Does anyone know if the 5308's pre-amp will provide enough current to drive the XPA 7? I am a bit of a noob so I don't know how to interpret what Audioholics stated:  "I measured a maximum of 3.8Vrms out (<0.1% THD + N) with a maximum allowable input of 8Vrms (<0.1% THD + N) though preamp gain was a bit lower than I’d expect to see which was in this case only 13dB. You may find the necessity to boast source level via the inputs should you couple this receiver with an external amp that is also low voltage gain."

2. The 5308 offers automatic bi-amping in the OSD but I am wondering if the settings I select in the amp section transfer to the pre-amp outputs? In other words, the 5308 allows the user to select the Amp Assign-2 connections to bi-amp the Front speakers this is done by using the Surround Back channel amplifiers and re-routes them to bi-amp the mains. Is this the same for the pre-amp outputs?

3. Has anyone experienced hum in using their receiver as a pre-amp connect to an XPA and if so is there a fix and is it expensive thereby adding to the overall cost consideration? 

4. While I don't expect night and day difference, will I notice enough of a difference to justify not only the cost of buying the XPA 7 and interconnects but also having to take everything out of my home theater stand so that I can turn it upside down and reinforce it because it is already drooping and couldn't support the additional weight without this additional reinforcement? I notice that two channel is pretty stout on the XPA 7 - about double what the 5308 puts out.

Your timely assistance would be greatly appreciated because if I move forward - I would like to do it during the sale. Thanks much!!!

My system:

Sony 850C 65" 1080p TV

Denon 5308 Receiver

Denon DNP 720ae Network Player

Denon 5910ci (1080p upgraded but use primarily for CD playback)

Oppo 103

Panamax Power Conditioner

B&W 683S2, HTM 61S2, DS3, and ASW 1000

[armk]

ALSO...if the pre-amp section mirrors the amp section in terms of assignments and I want to bi-amp my fronts and center and power them through the XPA 7 - then does that render the amps in my receiver useless and how would I power the rears? I don't know from a "channel" standpoint how this works? I'll have 7 amps in the receiver but because of how I assign the outputs - I'm not sure this gives me any channels left for the surrounds. Does that make sense?

[jasong7319]

You should buy the XPA-7 since it's currently on sale and strictly use your Denon as a pre-amp. You should notice a difference with the added clean power of the XPA-7.

I had the Denon AVR-5803 and I noticed a difference with the Emotiva monoblocks.

[creimes]

Some will say a receiver's power is good enough, maybe for some who don't turn the volume past 3 but the authority behind the sound when using a separate power amplifier is just awesome, especially if the volume tends to get on the higher side, distortion from under powering speakers has a higher risk of damaging them compared to more clean power.

Just looked at your receiver, wow that is one expensive unit haha, seems to be one of the better receiver's out there, the last receiver I owned was a Yamaha RXV-1065 and now owning the XMC-1 and external amps I will never have any desire to go back to an all in one unit, though your receiver should run more power than what mine did, still I enjoy my separates

Chad

[dally]

The xpa-7 has fairly high voltage gain @29db so I don't think you'll have any trouble driving it to full power with your Denon. As far as bi amping, it's a simple matter of using a splitter if the internal connections don't apply to the pre-outs. As far as will you hear a difference? Only you can say. I will say that compared to the xpa-7, your Denon still has a pretty wimpy amplifier section. Nice for an AVR, but it's still an AVR . as far as hum, hard to say, it's usually a pretty easy fix though. Depends on your components and how they interact.

[dally]

The best way I've found to fix hum in a system is to ground the components chassis together. So in your case, you would loosen a screw on the case of your Denon, get a short piece of small gauge wire, strip the ends, wrap the end around the screw and tighten. Then connect the other end to a chassis screw on the XPA-7. This usually cures 95% of hum.

[Gary Cook]

Amongst many AVR's over the years I've had a Denon 3805 and a 3808 and the most improvement came from adding the XPA-5. An external power amp in my view is a must for any decent HT set up. Quality power amplifiers never go out of date, last years/decades and save future expenditure if buying AVR's as you can choose one with all the features needed but not pay added extra for high powered internal power amplifiers. It also opens up the opportunity for separate processors and/or pre amps.


Cheers
Gary

[garbulky]

Well it's true your Denon is pretty high end. But look so is the freaking XPA-7. It's a beast and a half. A good power amp section will help. And if I'm not incorrect the Denon should be able to handle surround duties should you want to biamp.
HAVING SAID THAT: The unused power of the XPA-7, quite a bit of it, goes to the channels that need it. So for instance all 7 channels driven TO THE MAX it gives you an aamzing 200 watts per channel. But in reality even with 7 channels each of the surround channels will use VERY little power. Maybe a few watts. Which basically leaves the amps power suply coasting and being able to use the power where it matters. So if you look at the specs it delivers a whopping 500 watts per channel with two channels driven which is essentially what will happen in home theater. And that's in 8 ohms. Most speakers dip below that and something tells me the power output is significantly higer in 4 ohms. (They didn't list it). But they did mention it can put out a whopping 2000 watts of four ohm power....
Which...is insane.
This comes from its 1700 VA transformer. The second biggest unit Emotiva uses only surpassed by the XPR series. And also a nice healthy 120,000 microfarads of capacitance. This is essentially a tank.

So all of which to say.. you may not need to bi amp hehe. You'll have so much power you wouldn't know what to do with it. Power coming out of your ears. Power spilling over, where's the mop?



That type of power. And yeah it will give you a huge benefit over the reciever1. The biggest being when your next upgrade comes, you can dump all that money you spend in to the amps on the reciever and get an excellent pre-pro standalone processor instead.