Advice on pairing a external amp with the Yamaha RX-A3060

[JSpring_Guest]

90% of time I feel my RX-A3060 is a fine performer on daily tasks. Unfortunately, the other 10% of the time when I want some more extreme forms of music at volume much louder volume, I feel like it's missing the magic was contained in my first Yamaha from the 90s. It's really hard to quantify without using flowery and poetic language. My current setup is as follows.

Yamaha RX-A3060
2 Klipsch RF-7 II 1
Klipsch RC-64 II
2 Klipsch RP-250S
2 SVS PC-2000

It looks like the Emotiva XPA Gen3 might be a good match.
Does anyone here already have one of these amps paired with the RX-A3060?

[knucklehead]

Those Klipsch speakers you own are very efficient. I hear it all the time that Klipsch speakers are 'power hungry' - well they ain't! 95db efficient is 95db efficient. More power will give you more SPL but your ears will be ringing long before your 3060 runs out of juice unless you're trying to power them inside a big arena. If the 3060 isn't giving you what you think it should I doubt you'll find it with an external amp. Did you use that other Yamaha with the current speakers?

You need to quantify what's missing before you throw money at a problem that may well lay somewhere else.

[JSpring_Guest]

The issue is when on the rare occassion I want to get the volume to around 80db to 85db, the speakers start to get harsh sounding and not as smooth in the mid range. This starts when the amp reads -16.0db on display. There is a definite timbre change.

[beardedalbatross]

If the info on crutchfield is accurate, your speakers put out 101db with 1 watt of power.

[knucklehead]

This sounds like a room/sound interaction problem. Have you run YPAO yet? YPAO is engaged even in two channel unless you're in direct mode. There is no processing (no room correction -subs - etc) when you use direct mode. I think every brand has some form of direct audio mode. I use direct mode with my bedroom Yamaha AVR.

FWIW whenever I visit my nephew that has a 5.1 Klipsch setup I get the same impression when he cranks it up. Those compression drivers just don't agree with my ears. I like a smooth laid back top end.

[JSpring_Guest]

YPAO was run and is active.

[novisnick]

Feb 26, 2017 20:57:02 GMT -5 JSpring_Guest said:

YPAO was run and is active.

Your Yamaha should have plenty of good power for two channel stereo playback. Set the 3060 to Straight and dance your two main stereo speakers to there best sound. This should be all that needs be done for optimal playback. After setting the main speakers is when you should run YPAO. Just two cents from a guy thats loved and still owns Yamaha gear. My 3020 sounds wonderful, it has the Burr Brown DAC that I enjoy greatly. Your unit has the Sebre  which is lacking IMHO. Many prefer it, I haven't heard Yamahas implementation of said DAC so I can't comment on it. 

[JSpring_Guest]

I never use anything beside straight. The DSPs always sound weird.

[leonski]

Look at the test data for this receiver from Sound+Vision.

Amp might put out 150x2 @8 for 2 channels, but by the time you add up to 5 speakers or more, the power is dropping like a ROCK.
No mention made of 4 ohm power. My impression is the piece has a marginal PS. And I'll bet it runs HOT.

www.soundandvision.com/content/yamaha-aventage-rx-a3060-av-receiver-review-test-bench

I would experiment with speaker setup. Proper spacing from the front wall and the sides helps.
THAN and only than would I experiment with a more powerful amp. Tests of this speaker say they'll handle plenty.
Not that you can substitute a reviewers thoughts for what YOU see and value. And be aware of distortion which will cause other problems.