3.0 HT Amp

[Humanfly]

Hi, seeking suggestions for a cheapish good value receiver/amp to run a 3.0 system for home theatre. This will power an old set of B&W 602 S3 speakers, ( 90dB/W/m) with B&W LCR600 S3 centre. I would like to utilise the TVs HDMI ARC functionality. Prefer small footprint so anything D class suitable? Room is approx. 12m x 6m.

 

[staticV3]

Hi @Humanfly! Welcome to ASR.

There are lots of cheap(ish) AVRs with HDMI ARC in and Surround out, from brands like Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony etc, but they're basically all big, heavy, inefficient Class A/B units with at least five Amplifier channels inside.

You can buy cheap, small 3-channel Class D Amps, but there won't be a good way to feed them surround sound via HDMI.

You can buy small Class D Amps with Dolby decode via HDMI ARC (WiiM Amp Pro/UniFi PowerAmp), but the most that they can do is 2.1

WiiM are currently looking into wireless Dolby surround by combining multiple of their units, so that may be a way to go in the future, but for now I'm afraid the product that you're looking for does not exist.

 

[Power Pop 23]

If you can fit an AVR.....

With no need for a subwoofer, consider a Pioneer VSX-LX305 or Onkyo TX-NR7100 AVR. Each comes with a license for Dirac Live to offer room correction tailored to your loudspeakers and listening space. They will be supported until the end of their warranty period.

A less expensive option may be a Denon/Marantz AVR that supports the $19.99 Audyssey MultEQ Editor app that Amir reviewed and considers performant. AFAIK, the AVR must support at least 7 channels of amplification.

Audyssey Room EQ Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Audyssey Room Equalization. Audyssey is standard technology in a number of Audio/Video Receivers such as the Denon AVR-X3600H I recently reviewed. The standard version in the AVR is mostly all or nothing so I downloaded the Marantz/Denon...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Humanfly]

Hi @Humanfly! Welcome to ASR.

There are lots of cheap(ish) AVRs with HDMI ARC in and Surround out, from brands like Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony etc, but they're basically all big, heavy, inefficient Class A/B units with at least five Amplifier channels inside.

You can buy cheap, small 3-channel Class D Amps, but there won't be a good way to feed them surround sound via HDMI.

You can buy small Class D Amps with Dolby decode via HDMI ARC (WiiM Amp Pro/UniFi PowerAmp), but the most that they can do is 2.1

WiiM are currently looking into wireless Dolby surround by combining multiple of their units, so that may be a way to go in the future, but for now I'm afraid the product that you're looking for does not exist.

Thanks, and thanks for the welcome. I expected as much.
Are we expecting the likes of Fosi, Aiyima, Wiim etc. to expand into Class D HT amplification or are there technical limitations?

 

[JSmith]

You can buy cheap, small 3-channel Class D Amps, but there won't be a good way to feed them surround sound via HDMI.

You can buy small Class D Amps with Dolby decode via HDMI ARC (WiiM Amp Pro/UniFi PowerAmp), but the most that they can do is 2.1

There is this basic mini 3.1 AVR, HDMI ARC, but might be a bit low on power output for the B&W 602 S3's...

AVA3.1 - Avation

3.1-Channel Low-Profile Mini-AVR with HDMI

avation.com.au

• Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz +/-3dB at 1W output into 4 or 8 Ohms
• Input Impedance: >22k ohms Line Input
• Inputs: HDMI (ARC), Line In (RCA), Optical, Bluetooth
• Subwoofer Out: RCA
• Power Output: 50W Per Channel @ 4 ohms
• Power Requirement(s): 115-120VAC, 60Hz (150W Max)
• Signal to Noise Ratio: >93dB A-weighted at 4 ohms

JSmith

 

[staticV3]

There is this basic mini 3.1 AVR, HDMI ARC, but might be a bit low on power output for the B&W 602 S3's...

AVA3.1 - Avation

3.1-Channel Low-Profile Mini-AVR with HDMI

avation.com.au

View attachment 421676




JSmith

Hmm..

 

[JSmith]

Hmm..

Well that is bloody useless! ... misleading as well to consumers.

It must just create a faux centre channel from stereo PCM.


JSmith

 

[Chrispy]

How far are you from speakers? How loud do you listen? FWIW since I looked it up https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bw-dm-602-series-3-surround-speaker-system-measurements

As to a box, an avr is hard to beat, but you may want one further up the model lineup for better power supply/amp/features.

 

[kyuu]

An option for you might be one of the entry-level JBL AVRs, such as the JBL MA510. There's a cheaper 310, but that one only has HDMI 2.0 (instead of 2.1). Could also work for you if that's not important.