What is good amp for home theater/stereo system?

Home HiFi System advice.. 'What Amp to use' ? (Cerwin Vega! XLS 215)?

• Hi all, need some help/info :/ Im looking to buy a new home HiFi system... the speakers of choice are a pair Cerwin Vega XLS-215 and an active Cerwin sub.. probably the CVHF-A18S or similar... If poss i would like to also run a pair of Cerwin XLS-6 Bookshelf speakers in the system. My question is what sort of amp do i need to run this system?? Can i use a powerfull integrated amp or should i use a pre amp/power amp combination? Problem is i need an amp that has a sub out and the option of 4 channels.. or do i just use 2 separate power amps? What advise/suggestions would people give me? My amp/s budget will be £1,500 ish Thanks in advance :)

• Answer:

  I'm trying to work out what you want, but it's a little confusing. Why do you feel the need for a subwoofer? Few subwoofers work well with music and if you have a decent pair of speakers to begin with, you shouldn't need one anyway. My Jamo Concert 11's can rattle windows and even walls, with no problems at all What are the extra pair of speakers for? If they're in another room, then that makes sense. If they're in the same room as the main speakers, then that's pointless. Stereo only has two channels. You won't get a pre / power combo for £1,500. Not new, anyway. Finally, why on earth do you want the Cerwin Vega! XLS 215 in the first place? They are have a coarse, ill-defined sound, woolly bass and they are grossly over hyped. For starters, don't believe the alleged power rating - the 500 wpc is P.M.P.O. (Peak Music Power Output), which is is a meaningless figure, taken as the speakers are on the point of failing. The actual power handling is around 40 - 50 wpc R.M.S. @ 0.1% T.H.D. Their low frequency extension is only 36Hz and that's at -10Db. Any decent floor-standers can get lower than that. The Cerwin Vega! range are outperformed by just about any other speaker brand you care to name - they aren't serious hi-fi speakers at all.