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JK_Livin22
09-13-2007, 02:02 PM
I was wondering if anyone had auditioned both or either of these receivers (Onkyo TX-875 and Yamaha RX-V3800). I hope to audition them myself in the next 3 months or so, but I live in a rural area and will have to drive a couple of hours to find a place that will have either, much less both of these receivers. If I had to give a ratio to my listening habits I would say 65 audio (live music, blues, jazz, reggae, acoustic, etc.) / 35 Home Theater. Both of these amps have a lot of similarities (TrueHD, DTS-HD, HDMI, Neural Surround Sound, etc.) but each manufacturer has other technologies that differ. I am curious as to how the technologies compare and if any are superior to the other, and if so, in what way. Onkyo has 192kHz/24bit converters, Audyssey MultEQ XT, HDMI Video Upconversion, HQV, THX Ultra 2, Theater-Dimensional, VLSC and WRAT, while Yamaha has Dolby Digital Plus, Digital ToP-ART, CINEMA DSP Digital, SILENT CINEMA and Virtual CINEMA DSP, Compressed Music Enhancer, and YPAO technologies. Ultimately, I was wondering, given my listening preferences, would any of the technologies in these receivers, make one a stronger candidate over the other...

Thanks in advance for you feedback.

(in case it makes any difference, it will most likely be connected to Wharfdale 9.5s of 9.6s)

L.J.
09-13-2007, 03:26 PM
I had a chance to audition the 805 and 2700, which are almost identical to the 875 and 3800. Both units are very nice and I would suggest you audition both if possible. I'm not gonna get all technical and will just bring out a few points I liked about each unit.

I really liked the 805, especially for music playback. The Audyssey was freakin' sweet and the adjustability on this unit is crazy. You could spend days tweaking away. The remote is laid out well and easy to use. The only thing was I kept running into problems with the 805 and actually went through 3 before giving up.

I auditioned several other units (Denon 2807, Yamaha 661, Pioneer 91) but ended up going with the Yamaha 2700. HT plackback on the Yammy was excellent. It was the best for HT, IMO, of all the units I auditioned. The GUI/OSD is really nice and I was suprised how easy it was to get the networking up and running. Lots of flexibility with this unit as well.

If I could have the music playback of the Onkyo matched with the HT playback of the Yammy, I'd be in heaven :) Just to confuse you a bit more, lastly I would say both are excellent units and you can't go wrong either way.

JK_Livin22
09-13-2007, 04:05 PM
You had trouble with 3 Onkyo receivers?! Wow. What kind of problems? Although not hooked up now, I still have an Onkyo TX-SV414PRO that I bought back in college. I always loved the rich sound from this receiver but the HT technology only has Dolby Pro Logic and 5.1 I think. That is why I "upgraded" to the Onkyo TX-SR502 which is a 6.1 receiver with Dolby Digital EX Prologic IIx. It sounds absolutely terrible! Music from the 502 is very thin sounding. I hardly ever even turn it on. I only have four speakers hooked up to it, 2 front, and 2 rear, and don't know if not having a center chanel is the problem. It is a factory refurbished unit that I bought cheap so I havn't lost much money with it, but I was very disappointed in how it sounds compared with my older Onkyo. Nothing like the 414. I've had the 414 for over 10 yrs and it blows the 502 away. I'm getting ready to switch them out until I my next one. I don't know if it has anything to do with the 502 being refurbished or if that is just a very low end Onkyo or what. Anyway, I've saved up to get the 875 but was thinking that I may give Yamaha a try since the 502 sounds so s$&#ty. To my knowledge, Onkyo does not have a reputation for having problems with their receivers, or do they? Given that you had to try 3 different ones and still were having trouble, that definitely concerns me.

L.J.
09-13-2007, 05:03 PM
You had trouble with 3 Onkyo receivers?! Wow. What kind of problems? Although not hooked up now, I still have an Onkyo TX-SV414PRO that I bought back in college. I always loved the rich sound from this receiver but the HT technology only has Dolby Pro Logic and 5.1 I think. That is why I "upgraded" to the Onkyo TX-SR502 which is a 6.1 receiver with Dolby Digital EX Prologic IIx. It sounds absolutely terrible! Music from the 502 is very thin sounding. I hardly ever even turn it on. I only have four speakers hooked up to it, 2 front, and 2 rear, and don't know if not having a center chanel is the problem. It is a factory refurbished unit that I bought cheap so I havn't lost much money with it, but I was very disappointed in how it sounds compared with my older Onkyo. Nothing like the 414. I've had the 414 for over 10 yrs and it blows the 502 away. I'm getting ready to switch them out until I my next one. I don't know if it has anything to do with the 502 being refurbished or if that is just a very low end Onkyo or what. Anyway, I've saved up to get the 875 but was thinking that I may give Yamaha a try since the 502 sounds so s$&#ty. To my knowledge, Onkyo does not have a reputation for having problems with their receivers, or do they? Given that you had to try 3 different ones and still were having trouble, that definitely concerns me.

Here's a link that lists a few of the problems. I also had a few problems with HDMI compatibility.
http://forums.audioreview.com/showpost.php?p=195838&postcount=17

You can also do a search of "Onkyo 805" and you should find more info. I started a few threads on the subject and was really disappointed because I really like the 805. I own a 603 and have had no problems with it. I think this latest batch of HDMI 1.3 units from Onkyo are kinda hit 'n miss.

On a side note, I'm curious about why pay the extra $$$ for video scaling in the 875. The diff in price between the 875 & 805 is about what.....$500 or so. I'd rather drop down to the 805 and pick up a BR or HD player. Just a thought.

musicman1999
09-13-2007, 05:37 PM
Are you more concerned with the feature set or with sound quality? You say it will be mostly music,why not take a look at the Cambridge Audio 640r,it should easily top either of those 2 for music and equal them for film.It does have a very thin set of features,they spent the money on making it sound great not on a bunch of features that you may or maynot ever use.You wont be disapointed.

bill

JK_Livin22
09-13-2007, 06:04 PM
...
On a side note, I'm curious about why pay the extra $$$ for video scaling in the 875. The diff in price between the 875 & 805 is about what.....$500 or so. I'd rather drop down to the 805 and pick up a BR or HD player. Just a thought.

I will be much more educated on the subject before I make my final buying decision, but at this point, I am admittedly somewhat ignorant on much of the technology. I have read a couple of articles that say some DVD players can upconvert to almost 1080p, and definitely to 1080i. I have a fairly large DVD collection and therefore would rather optimize the quality of those as apposed to purchasing a BR or HD DVD player and re-purchasing my DVDs in a new format. With my limited knowledge, I was thinking that the HQV would give me the best movie quality for my standard DVDs that I already own. I realize that even with upconvert, the quality will not be quite as good as the BR and HD, but from what I have read, its pretty close.

L.J.
09-14-2007, 07:49 AM
I will be much more educated on the subject before I make my final buying decision, but at this point, I am admittedly somewhat ignorant on much of the technology. I have read a couple of articles that say some DVD players can upconvert to almost 1080p, and definitely to 1080i. I have a fairly large DVD collection and therefore would rather optimize the quality of those as apposed to purchasing a BR or HD DVD player and re-purchasing my DVDs in a new format. With my limited knowledge, I was thinking that the HQV would give me the best movie quality for my standard DVDs that I already own. I realize that even with upconvert, the quality will not be quite as good as the BR and HD, but from what I have read, its pretty close.

Well besides playing HD movies, many of the BR/HD-DVD players do an excellent job at scaling standard DVDs as well. I've read good things about the players that use the REON chip. My thinking was that scaling in the AVR would be good for those that watch alot of standard def TV or older VHS movies. I guess it all comes down to preference. I am no videophile and I just wonder how much of a noticeable difference video scaling in the 875 or comparable AVR would make over a good DVD player, if any.

I own about 400 or so DVD's and don't plan on replacing my entire collection either. Some titles I will though.....like Pirates or Spiderman, since these are some of my favorites and I think are worth the double dip. I own about 35 or so BR and most are new releases.

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 08:31 AM
[QUOTE=L.J.]Here's a link that lists a few of the problems. I also had a few problems with HDMI compatibility.
http://forums.audioreview.com/showpost.php?p=195838&postcount=17

I followed the link and read the post. I don't want to be a guinea pig for the 875 and was wondering if it would be useful to try and contact Onkyo (customer support?) to see if they could advise me on whether or not they had fixed the pauses and noises that they stated were "not a problem". That sounds like something that would definitely get under my skin after a while.

L.J.
09-14-2007, 09:32 AM
I followed the link and read the post. I don't want to be a guinea pig for the 875 and was wondering if it would be useful to try and contact Onkyo (customer support?) to see if they could advise me on whether or not they had fixed the pauses and noises that they stated were "not a problem". That sounds like something that would definitely get under my skin after a while.

It wouldn't hurt to give them a call. Not sure what can be done about the pause while signals change. What's worse is that if your watching HDTV in DD and the commercials are in stereo you will get the pause each time the signal goes from 5.1 to stereo and so on. I heard this could be fixed by keeping Pro Logic engaged but I'm not sure about that since I never really tried it out.

There were also some sync issues with TV viewing as well.

My main concern was the speaker popping though. Last I heard it was an amp related issue and could be fixed by taking your unit to an authorized dealer. I have really read into it so I don't know how much truth there is in that. Onkyo clearly states in a flyer that comes with the units that the popping sound may be present and it is not a malfunction. Every unit has this issue going all the way up to the 905 and I even read the Integra line (cousins) has this as well. I went through 3 805's and had these issues with every one of them. Some have stated that they had no such issues and others claimed it was due to overheating and that a fan blowing over the unit fixed the problem for them, while others said it was PS3 related.

I have had no such issues with my 2700 or any of the other units I auditioned.

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 03:15 PM
...
My main concern was the speaker popping though. Last I heard it was an amp related issue and could be fixed by taking your unit to an authorized dealer. I have really read into it so I don't know how much truth there is in that. Onkyo clearly states in a flyer that comes with the units that the popping sound may be present and it is not a malfunction. Every unit has this issue going all the way up to the 905 and I even read the Integra line (cousins) has this as well. I went through 3 805's and had these issues with every one of them. Some have stated that they had no such issues and others claimed it was due to overheating and that a fan blowing over the unit fixed the problem for them, while others said it was PS3 related.

I have had no such issues with my 2700 or any of the other units I auditioned.

Yeah, the popping is what would bother me the most. If the Integra's (I have an old Integra CD Changer and love it) are doing it too, then I would be very skeptical that it's an issue that has been, or will soon be rectified on the Onkyos. That stinks, as I mentioned that I will probably be using it 60 to 65 % of the time for music, and was pleased to hear that you felt the Onkyo had excellent audio for music. Again, I certainly hope to audition both of these and perhaps one or two others if I have the opportunity to do so (maybe even the Cambridge Audio Azur 640 that was mentioned; although I don't have enough knowledge to understand how it could compete or actually be better (regarding Home Theater) than the others without having THX or similar technology.

My biggest concern with auditioning equipment is that most retailers usually carry one or the other of these brands but not both. I feel that it would be somewhat difficult to adequately asses which unit sounded better if you listened to one that was connected to B&Ws and then drove 20 minutes across town before you listened to the other connected to Monitors. For that reason, I wonder whether or not it is even worth making a 4+ hour round trip to try and compare several receivers, if they are not all located at the same dealer and hooked up to the same equipment.

musicman1999
09-14-2007, 03:38 PM
I had a Cambridge in my home for almost a week and i can tell you it sounded very good.I am not that familiar with Onkyo,i have a friend with an older Integra,and i have heard several Yamaha recievers and the Yamaha might stay with it for HT but for music the Yamaha or Onkyo will not even be close to the 640r and you said you did about 65% music.You owe yourself a lesson.

bill

L.J.
09-14-2007, 03:46 PM
Yeah, the popping is what would bother me the most. If the Integra's (I have an old Integra CD Changer and love it) are doing it too, then I would be very skeptical that it's an issue that has been, or will soon be rectified on the Onkyos. That stinks, as I mentioned that I will probably be using it 60 to 65 % of the time for music, and was pleased to hear that you felt the Onkyo had excellent audio for music. Again, I certainly hope to audition both of these and perhaps one or two others if I have the opportunity to do so (maybe even the Cambridge Audio Azur 640 that was mentioned; although I don't have enough knowledge to understand how it could compete or actually be better (regarding Home Theater) than the others without having THX or similar technology.

My biggest concern with auditioning equipment is that most retailers usually carry one or the other of these brands but not both. I feel that it would be somewhat difficult to adequately asses which unit sounded better if you listened to one that was connected to B&Ws and then drove 20 minutes across town before you listened to the other connected to Monitors. For that reason, I wonder whether or not it is even worth making a 4+ hour round trip to try and compare several receivers, if they are not all located at the same dealer and hooked up to the same equipment.

I auditioned all my units, 7 total, at home and spent a little time with each unit. It took me about 3 months to finally settle on something. At one point, I had 3 units in my house at once. I agree that you can find gear out there that puts more focus on SQ vs. features as Musicman mentioned. I really have no experience with these though so I really can't comment. In the end, the Yamaha came the closest to what I was looking for. I've been toying with the idea of separating my music & HT playback though.

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 03:56 PM
If you were going to watch a live music concert on DVD, would you get better sound by watching it/listening to it on a receiver that excelled at music quality or a receiver that excelled at Home Theater?
Do you think I should start a new thread for this question?

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 04:16 PM
I auditioned all my units, 7 total, at home and spent a little time with each unit. It took me about 3 months to finally settle on something. At one point, I had 3 units in my house at once. I agree that you can find gear out there that puts more focus on SQ vs. features as Musicman mentioned. I really have no experience with these though so I really can't comment. In the end, the Yamaha came the closest to what I was looking for. I've been toying with the idea of separating my music & HT playback though.

I would love to do the same if I lived closer to retailers, but being several hours away, it would cost me quite a bit of money (either on shipping or gas) to get the equipment back and forth... especially if I too had to try several different units from the same manufacturer. But I guess ultimately I am going to have to audition at least my top two choices at home while hooked up to my other equipment in order to really be able to determine which one is going to sound best to me. How long are you typically allowed to keep a unit before you run the risk of having trouble returning it? Having to pay for two receivers would be a pretty big bummer...

L.J.
09-14-2007, 04:23 PM
I would love to do the same if I lived closer to retailers, but being several hours away, it would cost me quite a bit of money (either on shipping or gas) to get the equipment back and forth... especially if I too had to try several different units from the same manufacturer. But I guess ultimately I am going to have to audition at least my top two choices at home while hooked up to my other equipment in order to really be able to determine which one is going to sound best to me. How long are you typically allowed to keep a unit before you run the risk of having trouble returning it? Having to pay for two receivers would be a pretty big bummer...

In most cases 30 days.

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 04:24 PM
I had a Cambridge in my home for almost a week and i can tell you it sounded very good.I am not that familiar with Onkyo,i have a friend with an older Integra,and i have heard several Yamaha recievers and the Yamaha might stay with it for HT but for music the Yamaha or Onkyo will not even be close to the 640r and you said you did about 65% music.You owe yourself a lesson.

bill

You definitely have sparked my interest in Cambridge. I wondering though, as I consider Yamaha and Onkyo to be comparable manufacturers, is there a competitor of Cambridge that manufactures a comparable receiver in the same price range that would serve as a good comparison for the Azur 640?

L.J.
09-14-2007, 04:31 PM
I had a Cambridge in my home for almost a week and i can tell you it sounded very good.I am not that familiar with Onkyo,i have a friend with an older Integra,and i have heard several Yamaha recievers and the Yamaha might stay with it for HT but for music the Yamaha or Onkyo will not even be close to the 640r and you said you did about 65% music.You owe yourself a lesson.

bill

Geez your makin' me wanna go pick one up :)

Actually I've been toying with the idea of picking up an integrated with HT passthrough. When I was auditioning gear I started to realize that my taste for music & HT are kinda different. The Yammy is excellent with HT and although not 100% what I was looking for, for music, it is pretty close.......but I'm still a little interested in improving music playback.

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 04:49 PM
The ratio is probably more like 60/40, but still definitely skewed to the music side. L.J.'s last post gave me a great idea. If I am able to audition these and agree that the Cambridge is exceedingly superior in music playback that would most likely be my choice. Given that HT is not my #1 priority, I'm sure that the HT quality of the Azur would be more than fine for now, and if I decide later that it isn't, I can add another unit that has THX, etc., for HT down the road. Again, I am a bit of novice, and am not clear on whether or not you can have two separate receivers both hooked up to the same speakers.

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 04:53 PM
L.J.,

Is there a good source for getting a quick education on integrated receivers, HT passthrough, etc.?

L.J.
09-14-2007, 04:58 PM
The ratio is probably more like 60/40, but still definitely skewed to the music side. L.J.'s last post gave me a great idea. If I am able to audition these and agree that the Cambridge is exceedingly superior in music playback that would most likely be my choice. Given that HT is not my #1 priority, I'm sure that the HT quality of the Azur would be more than fine for now, and if I decide later that it isn't, I can add another unit that has THX, etc., for HT down the road. Again, I am a bit of novice, and am not clear on whether or not you can have two separate receivers both hooked up to the same speakers.

If your main concern is music, then the Cambridge should be enough. I trust Musicmans opinion on this 100%.

My ratio is more like 70% HT/Gaming 30% music, but is starting to change. I spend alot more time listening to music lately so this ratio is starting to change.

L.J.
09-14-2007, 05:10 PM
L.J.,

Is there a good source for getting a quick education on integrated receivers, HT passthrough, etc.?

This thread breaks it down.

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=21947&highlight=ht+passthrough

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 05:29 PM
If your main concern is music, then the Cambridge should be enough. I trust Musicmans opinion on this 100%.


Yeah me too. But if his enthusiasm isn't enough, check out these reviews (most are very positive, with only a few exceptions)...

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets/documents/HomeCinemaChoiceJune07640Rlicensedreprint.pdf

http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/azur640c_e.html

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=62&article_id=2247&page_number=4&print_page=y

http://www.tech.co.uk/home-entertainment/home-cinema/home-cinema-separates/av-amps-and-receivers/review/cambridge-audio-azur-640r

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/cambridge_audio_azur_640r.htm

http://www.audio-advisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CA640R

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 05:36 PM
Yeah me too. But if his enthusiasm isn't enough, check out these reviews (most are very positive, with only a few exceptions)...

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets/documents/HomeCinemaChoiceJune07640Rlicensedreprint.pdf

http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/azur640c_e.html

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=62&article_id=2247&page_number=4&print_page=y

http://www.tech.co.uk/home-entertainment/home-cinema/home-cinema-separates/av-amps-and-receivers/review/cambridge-audio-azur-640r

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/cambridge_audio_azur_640r.htm

http://www.audio-advisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CA640R


Sorry the second link (http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/azur640c_e.html) is to an Azur CD player, not the 640r receiver...

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 05:40 PM
Here is a link to a page that has links to about a dozen reviews on the 640r.

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/product_reviews.php?PID=139&Title=Azur+640R+7.1+HDMI+AV+Receiver

JK_Livin22
09-14-2007, 06:56 PM
Geez your makin' me wanna go pick one up :)

Actually I've been toying with the idea of picking up an integrated with HT passthrough. When I was auditioning gear I started to realize that my taste for music & HT are kinda different. The Yammy is excellent with HT and although not 100% what I was looking for, for music, it is pretty close.......but I'm still a little interested in improving music playback.

Okay, I followed the link on HT passthrough and think I have a pretty good grasp on it. From my understanding you wouldn't want or need the second receiver to have HT correct? If this is right, then a two channel receiver like the Azur 840A would be a seemingly good choice. If I understand this note from the Cambridge Audio website correctly "Fixed level inputs allow the 840A to provide the front channel amplification when integrated with home cinema systems that use an AV processor" indicates that this unit has HT passthrough. I am understanding that correctly? Here is the link to that page:
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=111&Title=Azur%20840A%20Class%20XD%E2%84%A2%20%3Cbr%3E Integrated%20Amplifier

Can you determine if the less expensive models (740A or 640A) have HT passthrough?

musicman1999
09-14-2007, 07:47 PM
You definitely have sparked my interest in Cambridge. I wondering though, as I consider Yamaha and Onkyo to be comparable manufacturers, is there a competitor of Cambridge that manufactures a comparable receiver in the same price range that would serve as a good comparison for the Azur 640?

Maybe NAD could be close.

bill

musicman1999
09-14-2007, 08:07 PM
Okay, I followed the link on HT passthrough and think I have a pretty good grasp on it. From my understanding you wouldn't want or need the second receiver to have HT correct? If this is right, then a two channel receiver like the Azur 840A would be a seemingly good choice. If I understand this note from the Cambridge Audio website correctly "Fixed level inputs allow the 840A to provide the front channel amplification when integrated with home cinema systems that use an AV processor" indicates that this unit has HT passthrough. I am understanding that correctly? Here is the link to that page:
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=111&Title=Azur%20840A%20Class%20XD%E2%84%A2%20%3Cbr%3E Integrated%20Amplifier

Can you determine if the less expensive models (740A or 640A) have HT passthrough?

If i understand HT passthrough the main advantage it gives you is setting the input from the reciever at a specific volumn and that makes it easier to balance the speaker levels for HT.It can be done without the passthrough but you need to make sure the volumn on the integrated is exactly the same each time you use it.
Am i converting some people to Cambridge? Good news,i have used several pieces of their gear and it is well built and sounds very good,it may not be as easy to find as the mass market stuff but worth seeking out.
A friend of mine has the 840A and it is a world class amp.

bill

JK_Livin22
09-15-2007, 05:51 AM
I would really love to pair the 840A with the Yamaha 3800 (or, while I'm wishing, the RX-Z11...11.1 surround; the speakers alone would break me). Unfortunately my bank account will only allow me but just so much play money, so I am leaning hard towards the 640r, and maybe can upgrade to separate units for music and HT in a few years. All of the reviews on the 640r were very impressive (as was the one I read on the 840A). I've found a dealer on the east coast US that has the 640r in black or silver for about $1300 and offers free shipping.

http://www.spearitsound.com/Cambridge_Audio/cambridge_audio_640r.asp

ldgibson76
09-15-2007, 12:23 PM
Hello JK_Livin22.

When it comes to music playback and HT responsibilities such as switching, upconverting, upscaling, decoding, calibration, multi-zone/room, etc....., and you are looking for the best of all worlds, but music playback/sound quality is the virtue. As you stated in a previous post, music playback will make up 60-65% of the usage. Therefore, I would suggest, being that the Cambridge Azur 640R was mentioned as an alternative......and recognizing that it's very limited in it's HT capabilities, The Marantz SR series AV Receivers offer alot of value and performance. Please do yourself a favor a research the Marantz SR7001 or 8001. You can actually read an article on the 8001. See
www.hometheatermag.com/floorloudspeakers/507tannoy/ and http://www.avguide.com/products/product-3899/
Although the reviews are specfically about the 8001, for the most part, the 7001 shares the same features but for around $500 less. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the the Marantz is the only solution, but it's a product worthy of consideration.
And to Musicman1999 and L.J.,....how could you two not mention the Marantz product when the first thing "JK_Livin22" stated was that 60-65% of the use would be music playback?!! I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion.
"JK_Livin22" Check out the Marantz if you can! You won't be disappointed.

L.J.
09-15-2007, 02:11 PM
And to Musicman1999 and L.J.,....how could you two not mention the Marantz product when the first thing "JK_Livin22" stated was that 60-65% of the use would be music playback?!! I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Well this is a open forum and the whole point is for members to chime in with there thoughts. How could I suggest Marantz when I've never heard or owned any Marantz products. I've read good things about Marantz, but I have no reason to put Marantz on the top of my suggestion list. I was able to give my thoughts on what I have experience with and so did Musicman.

ldgibson76
09-15-2007, 05:58 PM
Well this is a open forum and the whole point is for members to chime in with there thoughts. How could I suggest Marantz when I've never heard or owned any Marantz products. I've read good things about Marantz, but I have no reason to put Marantz on the top of my suggestion list. I was able to give my thoughts on what I have experience with and so did Musicman.

Point taken. But I do believe that I stated that everyone has an opinion. And yes, that is what the forum is for. Didn't mean to offend. I have had experience with the Yamaha product...I own an RX-V3000. And as you know, I own a Marantz SR9300 Receiver. The company I work for has beta tested the Onkyo products. So I try to be objective when I "chime in" to the forum. I think everyone brings a unique perspective. So L.J. and Musicman, I digress. But I stand by my opinion regarding the Marantz SR7/8001.

Regards.

musicman1999
09-15-2007, 06:06 PM
Hello JK_Livin22.

When it comes to music playback and HT responsibilities such as switching, upconverting, upscaling, decoding, calibration, multi-zone/room, etc....., and you are looking for the best of all worlds, but music playback/sound quality is the virtue. As you stated in a previous post, music playback will make up 60-65% of the usage. Therefore, I would suggest, being that the Cambridge Azur 640R was mentioned as an alternative......and recognizing that it's very limited in it's HT capabilities, The Marantz SR series AV Receivers offer alot of value and performance. Please do yourself a favor a research the Marantz SR7001 or 8001. You can actually read an article on the 8001. See
www.hometheatermag.com/floorloudspeakers/507tannoy/ and http://www.avguide.com/products/product-3899/
Although the reviews are specfically about the 8001, for the most part, the 7001 shares the same features but for around $500 less. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the the Marantz is the only solution, but it's a product worthy of consideration.
And to Musicman1999 and L.J.,....how could you two not mention the Marantz product when the first thing "JK_Livin22" stated was that 60-65% of the use would be music playback?!! I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion.
"JK_Livin22" Check out the Marantz if you can! You won't be disappointed.

Why do you think that the 640R is vey limited? Have you heard the Cambridge? It is not limited where it counts.As for the Marantz, when i bought my Cambridge it was to replace a Marantz.Not to say Marantz are not decent products,they are,but in my personal opinion
they just don't sound as good as the Cambridge.
Don't take my word,go listen to one,perhaps they will take your Marantz on trade.

bill

McCode
09-17-2007, 07:34 PM
I own the RX-V3000 and have waited years for an acceptable replacement (I'm a yammy fan). I know they had the RX-V3300 but they removed functionality. So I am eager for the RX-V3800 but have been waiting for reviews. I don't expect any issues, I've owned many Yamaha products with no problems.

I did just finish reading a full review of the Onkyo TX-SR875 in the 10/2007 (newest) issue of Sound&Vision. In general it got a great review and was tagged S&V Certified and Recommended. They did mention that it runs very hot.

Me I'm still waiting for the RX-V3800 review.

ldgibson76
09-17-2007, 09:06 PM
Why do you think that the 640R is vey limited? Have you heard the Cambridge? It is not limited where it counts.As for the Marantz, when i bought my Cambridge it was to replace a Marantz.Not to say Marantz are not decent products,they are,but in my personal opinion
they just don't sound as good as the Cambridge.
Don't take my word,go listen to one,perhaps they will take your Marantz on trade.

bill

As a matter of fact, I have had the pleasure of listening to the Azur 640R. And without a doubt, it's a great sounding av receiver. And I may have been a little too strong on my description of the 640 being "limited". It has as much functionality as any receiver out there excluding the newly introduced '08 models (latest HDMI technology). Am I partial to the Marantz product? Absolutely!
And I will be the first to admit if the Cambridge produces a better product than Marantz. both manufacturers are highly regarded in the industry. Marantz, has been around a long time. Heritage, longevity, and high quality are all synonomys with the Marantz name. Cambridge has it's history also. High end sound at reasonable prices. I am familiar with both products. I own a CA Azur 640C v.2. An awesome CD player. Bottom line....both are good products. You've made your point. It's definitely a receiver to consider.:idea:

Regards.

musicman1999
09-18-2007, 05:25 AM
I had a chance to hear the 840c not long ago. Wow,very nice.


bill

ldgibson76
09-18-2007, 11:46 AM
I had a chance to hear the 840c not long ago. Wow,very nice.


bill

Hello Bill.

It's funny that you mentioned the 840C. A couple of weeks ago, I was watching one on eBay to see how much it would sell for. I was very close to bidding for it. By the time I was ready to take the plunge, someone won it! To the tune of $1200.00. Now that transport is on a completely different level. The older I become, the more I appreciate audio. I thought the 640C would be enough for me....and without question, it's a nice cd player, but I crave more. I'm currently on the lookout for an higher-end player. Audiogon.com, here I come!

ldgibson76

musicman1999
09-18-2007, 01:15 PM
You know i agree,the older i get i find that my musical taste has changed greatly over the years and it seems to change as my gear gets better. I recently changed an Arcam player for a Sim Audio and it is very good, it never ends you improve one piece and then you need to improve something else.

bill