Advice on Stereo Receiver

[ggreen01720]

I plan to purchase a stereo & speakers for my living room, I not an audiophile per say but I do enjoy quality sound. I'm leaning towards Bose 201 Series bookshelf speakers and need a receiver. Most of the receivers on the market come equipped with surround sound, I'd prefer not to pay for this feature since I would never use it. I've been looking at both the Sony STR-DE197 and Onkyo TX-8011 receivers...they are priced relatively cheap ($149). The reviews on these receivers are all over the map, some people recommend them highly and others call them crap. Can anyone in this forum give some advice as to whether either the Sony or Onkyo are quality recievers or should I be looking at something else?



Thanks in advance.

[PAT.P]

ggreen01720 I would choose Onkyo over Sony.There also Marantz,Pioneer,Sansui these would be the vintage stuff I would get (I have these ) On the new stuff I would look at the Yamaha ,Nad,H/K,Denon.At this time of year try to get display model,save you alot of money.My 2 cent.

[ThePhilbert]

If you have the extra scratch, check out what Outlaw Audio has.
It seems like an interisting piece. I was thinking about buying one for
my sister.

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

[paul_pci]

You'll get a difference of opinion here too. If you want to stay away from crap then don't buy Bose or a Sony Receiver. Consider, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, or Harmon Kardon receivers and broaden your search for speakers. First thing you want to do is settle on a budget first and then narrow product choices. Because speakers are the number one variable when it comes to sound quality, we usually recommend proportioning your budget mostly toward speakers, especially since the aforementioned receiver brands are fairly close in quality.

[ggreen01720]

You'll get a difference of opinion here too. If you want to stay away from crap then don't buy Bose or a Sony Receiver. Consider, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, or Harmon Kardon receivers and broaden your search for speakers. First thing you want to do is settle on a budget first and then narrow product choices. Because speakers are the number one variable when it comes to sound quality, we usually recommend proportioning your budget mostly toward speakers, especially since the aforementioned receiver brands are fairly close in quality.


Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. I'm not surprised to hear the criticism of the Sony receiver, but I am surprised to hear you say Bose and crap in the same sentence. I thought Bose made quality products?

[markw]

They do. And so do many other companies as well. The main difference is that Bose charges way too much for their name for what they offer. Virtually any other company offers a heckuva LOT more bang for the buck.

Likewise, Sony ain't what it once was, particularly their entry level products.

From your love of Sony and Bose, I'd say you are a victim of their marketing campaign. I suggest you lurk around some audio forums and read some of the past threads on these items before becoming too enamoured with them. Who knows? You might even find some alternatives to consider.

[GMichael]

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. I'm not surprised to hear the criticism of the Sony receiver, but I am surprised to hear you say Bose and crap in the same sentence. I thought Bose made quality products?

Here are a few 2 channel receivers from Yamaha. Happy hunting.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/receivers/RX_series.htm

I would lean away from the Bose also. They spend more on advertising than on the system itself. They are better than your average clock radio but you can do much better for less cash somewhere else.

There are many good brands to choose from. Here are just a few, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, NAD, Outlaw, Pioneer, ....

[noddin0ff]

If you let people know your anticipated budget, space requirements, and music preferences, you'll likely find yourself inundated with excellent recommendations!

[markw]

If you let people know your anticipated budget, space requirements, and music preferences, you'll likely find yourself inundated with excellent recommendations!Where he is. In some parts of the world, these two names are all that's known.

Not all products are available all over the world. And, even if they are, not all prices are comparable.

[ggreen01720]

If you let people know your anticipated budget, space requirements, and music preferences, you'll likely find yourself inundated with excellent recommendations!

Sorry, I should've provided the forum with more information. I'm buying a new stereo for a large living room (20' x 30'). The stereo will be shared across my family so it will be used for pop, rock and even classical at times. I don't want the stereo to take up a lot of space, so a 2-channel receiver, cd player and bookshelf speakers are what I am leaning towards. I'm thinking about spending $500, which I know isn't a lot, but we don't need a high end system either.

BTW: I'll plead guilty on being taken in on the Bose marketing, but I am aware that Sony makes subpar equipment. I've done some shopping, not a lot....Circuit City and Best Buy carry the Sony and Onkyo 2-channel receivers which is why I brought them up.

[ggreen01720]

There are many good brands to choose from. Here are just a few, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, NAD, Outlaw, Pioneer, ....


I saw a Denon DRA-395 on Amazon for $239 which is an excellent price as the receiver lists for $349. I saw a Denon at Tweeter this afternoon and I noticed there are no front panel preset buttons, to get to a desired station you have to cycle (up or down) to the appropriate preset channel rather than just pushing a single button. Not sure I like that.

Amazon also has a Yamaha RX-396, an older discontinued model from my understanding, for $170...this is (or was) a $300 receiver. Sounds like a great deal also.

Is the Yamaha a good choice?

What about bookshelf speakers??

[topspeed]

The next time you're in BB, check out Athena's ASB1(?). Neat little standmount for not a lot of coin. If you can find a real audio store, you should consider Paradigm's Titan or the Epos ELS3. Personally, I like the Epos ($300 from audioadvisor.com) as it's a terrific little speaker with excellent accuracy and tonality. It isn't as bright as the Titan, but it's a few more dollars, too.

For a receiver, I'd seriously consider going vintage. For one, the tuners are usually better and let's be honest, most of the mass market stuff you buy for $200 is built to be disposable. A refurbished Marantz 2230 or 2275b is built like a tank and will bring years of enjoyment. My 2230 is over 30 years old and sounds better than my Denon 3803 with music. Besides, they look cool as hell. Other well respected vintage receivers can be had from Fisher, Sansui, and Pioneer.

Hope this helps.

[kexodusc]

Gotta agree with Topspeed...used gear saves a ton of money. Most audiophiles take great care of their stuff. If it's more than a few years old chances are it's been treated with respect.
You can find a lot quality, used receivers for not very much money that will more than get you started. Ebay and Audiogon are great places to look.

[daviethek]

As usual great advice from the more experienced members. My 2 cents is don't worry about the lack of convenience of buying everything at one place. If you are after the best sound for your 500.00, you can definately do it but you have to be spread the money around. Consider it a challenge.

Used receiver is a great idea. Better by far than the entry level products you mentioned. Look for outdated AV receivers from the 90's. I saw a lot of used Yamaha at my local stereo shop gone home theater shop. People are upgrading. These go cheap and they sound good. 200.00 should get you a fine used product in that type of receiver or in a clean vintage unit. The Denon you mentioned is a decent stereo only unit.

Look for over-performing small speakers.Athena was mentioned. I heard a couple of lower end Mission 2-ways when a local retailer used to sell them, and they blew away everyting in the store ( including all Bose products ) .

Get some interconects other than the cheap plastic ones supplied with new produts. NewKonceptz has interconnects for 6.00 each and they sound good. Parts express has good cheap speaker wire in any gauge. Best of luck, dk

[dean_martin]

You may be able to get a little better quality and better sound going with an integrated amp. If you select an integrated amp, you can add a seperate tuner later. Tuners go for cheap on eBay.

Spearit Sound has refurbished Cambridge Audio A500 rc (remote control) integrateds for $249. The guys there are great and they will probably test the unit for you before they ship it out if you ask. They may offer free shipping as well, plus you'll either get the manufacturer's warranty or Spearit Sound's 90 day warranty. Here's the link to their used, demos and specials page. Scroll down to "integrated amps". Email them or give them a call. (I'm not affiliated with them, but I just purchased from them and was impressed with their service and prices.)

http://www.spearitsound.com/specials.htm

Then, go to www.upscaleaudio.com and check out their specials page. They have a brand new sealed pair of Acoustic Energy Aegis One bookshelf speakers. I've had a pair of these for several years now. They've worked well with an NAD stereo receiver, an NAD integrated amp, a pre amp/power amp combo and a Jolida tubed integrated. They were highly rated entry-level speakers about 6 years ago. They've been replaced with a new model and upscale has them for $199. They have a soft dome tweeter so they don't have the harsh sound in the treble that many inexpensive bookshelf speakers have. They also have decent bass and a lush midrange. Follow the link to their demos and specials page and scroll down to speakers.

http://www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=31

If you can bargain for free shipping from both places, you'll be left with $52. Round up another $30 and get one of those $80 Toshiba dvd/cd players from best buy. You'll be off to a good start. When you're ready to add a tuner, you can get all the info you need on used tuners from www.fmtunerinfo.com. (I got all my tuners except one off eBay. Something like a Yamaha T-70 can be had for $50-75 and will perform better than most, if not all, tuners found in $200 receivers.)

You can go to www.ecoustics.com to their reviews section for reviews of the Cambridge Audio A500 and the Acoustic Energy Aegis Ones. You can also check audioreview's reviews.

Putting a system together on a tight budget can be a challenge, but it can be fun too, if you're aware of the resource tools on the web. I think the Cambridge Audio and Acoustic Energy combo will mate really well.

[ggreen01720]

You may be able to get a little better quality and better sound ......


Thanks dean_martin,

you certainly spent some time and energy putting this togother for me. It is much appreciated. You've given me a lot of direction and a lot to think about.

Thank you.

[dean_martin]

You're welcome. It was just one option that may have even been too specific. I think coming up with the right equipment match myself is an interesting part of this hobby.

For example, I noticed you asked about a Yamaha stereo receiver and Bose speakers. I have a friend who swears by his Yamaha electronics and Bose speakers. His system sounds good to me. Many say that Bose is not worth the asking price, but my friend got his discounted at a Bose outlet store.

Speedy and others recommended a vintage receiver from Marantz. I have a friend who's a music teacher that bought his Marantz receiver new in the 70's and it's still going strong. He recently bought some Infinity speakers for it from Circuit City and he's very pleased.

I have an NAD C340 integrated amp with NHT Superone speakers in my bedroom that I think sound great together.

My son has a Cambridge Audio Azur 540 integrated amp (newer line than the A500) with Polk RTi25 speakers from Circuit City that sound good together.

All of the above can be found within your budget, but you may have to look a little harder and get a little lucky if you're in need of a cd player too.

[ggreen01720]

For example, I noticed you asked about a Yamaha stereo receiver and Bose speakers. I have a friend who swears by his Yamaha electronics and Bose speakers. His system sounds good to me. Many say that Bose is not worth the asking price, but my friend got his discounted at a Bose outlet store.

I read the reviews on on the Acoustic Energy speakers, did a bit of my own research, and placed an order this afternoon. Upscaleaudio wouldn't budge on the shipping (they told me they are being sold at cost), but that's OK, the $500 budget is more of a guideline anyways. I'm very excited about what everyone had to say about these speakers.

I am still leaning towards buying the Yamaha RX-396 receiver from Amazon, I haven't heard any negative comments about this product. I'm looking to save space and would prefer not to have both the amp & tuner as well as the CD player and I wonder if my ears will be able to discern any difference anyways.

[dean_martin]

Happy listening! Post your impressions when you put everything together. Some accessories you might need to consider are speaker wire and speaker stands. The AEs (and most bookshelf speakers) will perform best on stands that place the tweeter at ear level. "Bookshelf" is really a misnomer. Speaker wire can be bought by the spool in an assortment of colors at Radioshack for cheap. Don't be shy about asking questions regarding speaker placement or anything else once you get everything in house.

[ggreen01720]

Happy listening!.


Will do! It won't be until after Christmas, this is a family present to be wrapped and put under the tree. I am still on the fence regarding the amp, I saw a picture of the Cambridge Audio A500RC and its fairly small and elegant. I'll need to work this out.

Thanks again for all your time and help.

[cciaffone]

Check out the Yamaha RX-777 at Vann's (online at www.vanns.com). They
have the RX-777 two-channel receiver marked down from $599 to $349. It's
known as a solid receiver, and rated at about 100 watts per channel.
Compare to a Denon 685.

[ggreen01720]

Check out the Yamaha RX-777 at Vann's (online at www.vanns.com). They
have the RX-777 two-channel receiver marked down from $599 to $349. It's
known as a solid receiver, and rated at about 100 watts per channel.
Compare to a Denon 685.

cciaffone,

help me here...the main difference between the Yamaha RX-396, RX-496, RX-596, and RX-777, seems to be amplification (Watts) other than the Yamaha Digital ToP-Art Technology (whatever that is) available on the 596 & 777.

Do I really need the 100 Watts for the Cambridge Audio A500 speakers...being that they are on the small side to begin with?

[accastil]

if its stereo sound you are looking for, go for a harman kardon or marantz receiver and pair it with either mordaunt short or jbl speakers.

[ggreen01720]

Before I buy, I'm on the fence between the Yamaha RX-396 or the Harman Kardon HK 3380 to go with the Cambridge Audio A500 speakers...any advice?

Is the 50 Watts per channel of the RX-396 sufficient? I won't be blasting anything so it seems like it should be more than enough.

I've heard recommendations for Harman Kardon but I read a review that the 3380 wasn't up to par with their more expensive equipment.

[GMichael]

Before I buy, I'm on the fence between the Yamaha RX-396 or the Harman Kardon HK 3380 to go with the Cambridge Audio A500 speakers...any advice?

Is the 50 Watts per channel of the RX-396 sufficient? I won't be blasting anything so it seems like it should be more than enough.

I've heard recommendations for Harman Kardon but I read a review that the 3380 wasn't up to par with their more expensive equipment.

Depends on what means the most to you. The HK's tend to have a slightly better sound than the Yammies in 2 chanel stereo. But the Yammies have a lower return rate, fewer defects. As long as you get it with the warranty this is really a non-issue. Do they both have all the features you want them to have?

50 watts should be plenty loud for either of them.