New reciver or pre amp For B&W speakers?

[Peppered]

I have to turn my reciver up to 65 or 70 to hear the center channel. So i was thinking of getting one with more amps or a pre amp.
I am not to good when it comes to Audio stuff.
I am not sure what or how to use a pre amp if that is a better way to go.

[Railgun]

Which speakers? What`s your current amp? What`s the source material and what`s the listening mode? What`s your budget? So much information missing here...

[sdifox]

Did you ever calibrate your receiver?

[Peppered]

B&W 683's for the front, 686 for the side and center.
It a Onkyo but at work and cant rember the model #. One HDMI port is brok so I may just get a new reciver two. But it may be better getting a mid range reciver and a pre amp. I am not sure of that.

And yes I calibrated it several time's and tweaked it after.

I just cant stand having a hard time hearing the center channel.

[Railgun]

Go somewhere to audition at least your speakers as setup with the 686 in center then swap for an HTM62. A proper center may make the difference.

Also, where are you in relation to the center and what's its position (vertical/horizontal)?

As for the amp, how did you calibrate it?

As a matter of preference, after calibration, I bumped the center 4dB.

Onkyo 5008 with CM5s in front and a CM Center and it's fine. I calibrated with Audyssey but mine uses XT32. Older versions don't sound all that great IMHO and may be your issue.

[boomhower]

You likely to have to spend big money to get a noticeable change in sound level, like doubling the wattage and that isn't cheap. Most receivers put out 70-90 watts at 8ohms. You'd have to double that to get a noticeable change in output level. Your speakers are efficient so either you have an issue with your receiver or you like your music really really loud.

[Peppered]

Ok the heck with it, I will just buy a sound bar or maybe try our Orb speakers, they wont be what my front or side are in quality but I should be able to hear the dialouge good if not i can send them back.
I checked out the centers for B&W speakers even though they make very good speakers they lack on the center speakers unless you go to the very high end ones maybe.

I should be moving somtime the first of the year nothing certain but for sure but I would bet on it if I had to.

I will be making a lot more money, get a bonus every quarter and my wife should have here disablity coming in too.

I plan on geting a smaller home and solor pannels to help reduce the cost when I retire

I want to have a home theater this will be a room with a projector and the hirer end audio separte room with a cheap HD tv to watch normal tv show and news. Or have it allin one room and use a drop down screen for the Projector.

I will have Parigram or somthing simular for fronts and centers keep the B&W fronts for the b channel to listen to stero or the radio.

This will take sime time to save for. But I thank you for all the input

[brainhulk]

if your receiver has pre-amp outputs you could do what i did and buy an emotiva xpa-5. I use it to bi amp b&w 805's and an htm4, they sound beautiful

[Peppered]

That kinda the problem I don't like why should I need to run a amp the get good sound out of the center channel.
For cost savings I may have to go this way. But it is said that they cant make a center that goes with my fronts that doesn't require this.

[sdifox]

HTM61 is supposed to be the centre matched to 683 mains. Notice how the centre has a 5" and a 6.5". In contrast, 686 has one 5"