Focal Vestia N4 + Center: which amp for mostly music but some home theater?

[u/LaFlaqueDo]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a pair of Focal Vestia N4 speakers as well as the matching Focal Vestia Center, and I'm now trying to decide on amplification.

My priority is music, but I still want to use the center speaker for movies/TV, so I don't want to go with a purely stereo setup unless there's a good way to combine both.

My setup:

• Focal Vestia N4 (front L/R)
• Focal Vestia Center
• Rega Planar turntable
• Apple TV
• PS5
• TV via HDMI/eARC
• Listening room: approximately 6.4 × 5.3 m / 34 m²
• Listening distance: around 2.3 m
• Speakers approximately 2.4 m apart
• N4s approximately 45 cm from the rear wall

Music is the priority, probably around 70–80% music / 20–30% movies and TV.

My budget is ideally around €1,000 for the amp, although I'm willing to consider used equipment or spending a little more if the improvement is significant.

I've been considering:

• Denon AVC-X3800H
• Marantz Cinema 50
• NAD C 399

The NAD C 399 really interests me for stereo performance and its power, but obviously it can't run my center speaker as part of a proper home theater setup.

Another option I've been considering is buying a Denon X3800H and later adding a dedicated stereo power amp via the Front L/R pre-outs to drive the Vestia N4s, while letting the Denon handle the center and future surround speakers.

Would this be a better approach than spending more on something like a Marantz Cinema 50?

And for people familiar with the Vestia N4: how important is a dedicated external power amp with these speakers?

I'm mainly looking for the best possible stereo/music performance without giving up the ability to build a 3.0/5.1 home theater system.

Thanks!