[rockdrummer]

Hello!!  I'm going to order a V2 kit from GR Research eventually.  I only have a receiver and am looking to upgrade my amp. 

I came across a thread talking about Virtue Audio One, Two, etc.  Checked them out because I was stoked at the affordability.  Price is a factor for me right now.  Does anyone currently use the One or Two as an amp alone while using a separate preamp?  I know it is possible, but not prefered.  I will need this to be in my Home Theater being that I don't have a separate room for 2 channel.  I know the V2 I will get is very sensitive and good quality low-watt amps are used frequently with that brand. 

I'm new to the scene, and I'm shying away from my earlier decision to get an Emotiva amp.  I will probably end up with a receiver to amp to speaker configuration.  I'm also researching buffers.  Don't know what they do other than improve the sound.  Thanks for any and all help, looking forward to learning.

Ben

[eclein]

I do...I use a TWO.2 with a Grant Fidelity Tube DAC-09 DAC/Pre...works great, sounds excellent. Ask anybody who is doing it that way as there are a bunch of us...they sound better without the volume knob imo. If you can find a TWO.2 with Auricaps jump on it, get the 30/130 Power supply unless you want to do batteries and sit back and enjoy those new speakers...I bet that combo will rock...my DAC/ Pre cost like $200 and has supplied me an abundance of features working with the TWO.2.....I run a TWO with a Piano and old JBL's...love it!!!
 Mine also does the tube buffer thing and all that is, is adding the tonal qualities of a tube into the mix...I love the golden tones of tubes but love the power of SS so its the best of both and alot cheaper...I'm not cheap, just poor...LOL....enjoy

[rockdrummer]

I read in the FAQ on Virtue's website that you can leave the volume knob at 75% or you can jump it from inside.  There is possible noise between tracks, but it doesn't mention if that will disappear during music reproduction. 

Which one do you do?

B

[Rclark]

 One of the neat features is the preamp built in, and to be fair, it is very very nice sounding. But if you have a preamp that is capable of higher performance, all you need to do is jumper switch. it takes 2 seconds. Yes, you will get increased performance, if your preamp is better than what is included in the amp, but yes, it sounds fabulous engaged. In my setup, I found greater performance by disengaging it.

 I think these are (and future versions of them) amazing amps that by virtue (heh) of their small size but extremely burly output are perfect at a desktop as the ultimate standalone, as they are as a power amp only in a main system.


 I would think a One or Two (Unless you have a lot of sources, and if you can't control all those sources at your preamp, or if you want to have a tube buffer built directly inside your amp chassis, a TWO is the best amp, and really a ONE can't be far behind, if at all), a One or Two with a V2 would be a very desireable system. Especially for a rock drummer.

[rockdrummer]

I think I'm stuck. I know the pre in a virtue amp will be better than a basic marantz receiver.  But I need to have these speakers be mains in my home theater. So I don't think there is a way to use the one or two as a fully integrated amp while using the receiver to control surround sound, etc.

From what I hear, I would love to use it as a pre also, but I don't know how. AVRs have direct mode but I don't think it would work with every source if I use the V2s for every source.

Thanks so much, I may have a tough decision to make.

[eclein]

I use mine with the jumper changed.
 
I am sure that many pre-amps these days have Home Theater BiPass or something that will let you do what your trying to do. I use two systems, the pre-amp has two outputs so one goes to a SS amp and the other to a tube amp, I used to have it setup so I could run my 5.1 and 2.1 with the same speakers-I forget exactly how I set it up back then, now I just have three different setups in the same room...overkill but fun!!!

[WC]

I think I'm stuck. I know the pre in a virtue amp will be better than a basic marantz receiver.  But I need to have these speakers be mains in my home theater. So I don't think there is a way to use the one or two as a fully integrated amp while using the receiver to control surround sound, etc.

From what I hear, I would love to use it as a pre also, but I don't know how. AVRs have direct mode but I don't think it would work with every source if I use the V2s for every source.

Thanks so much, I may have a tough decision to make.

I guess it depends on which Virtue amps you are looking at the: the small Virtue (One, TWO, or THREE) or the Sensation. The Sensation amps have three inputs and don't have a defeatable volume control. The Virtue amps have one or two inputs in the case of the THREE, with a defeatable volume control. For integration with a HT setup the smaller Virtue amps are a better match. Does your AVR have any preamp outputs? If no, then you are looking at using some sort of speaker wire switch box if you want to share the V2's. If yes, then your options are to have an amp with two inputs, such as the THREE, one set of inputs from the AVR and the other from a preamp or you could get a preamp with a home theater bypass setting so the signal switching would be done in the preamp, with a single set of outputs going to the amp.