nick4433
12-10-2003, 05:37 PM
I have been reading a lot of posts lately on this board about which receiver is better and which receiver is more reliable and so on. I think buying a receiver today is very difficult because every receiver out there has all the 6.1 processing with their own DSPs and more bells and whistles. The bottom of the line Denons and Yammys offer all 6.1 processing. Even the Pioneer 812K offers DTS 96/24 and most all of these receivers scream at you with at least 100W/channel. So how is one supposed to make a decision on buying a receiver?
Well since most all of the receivers out there offer the latest in terms of processing, it becomes a non-factor when choosing a receiver. We are then left with the power a receiver has to offer and the tonal quality of different brands of receivers. Power is an absolute must for the receiver to meet the heavy demands of DD/DTS processing. I have heard many a receivers with a very weak power supply that fail to add any kind of authority to demanding movie tracks such as LOTR or AOTC. A receiver with a good power supply will more than likely provide adequate amount of power necessary for DD/DTS and do enough justice to the center channel, which reproduces all the dialogs. A receiver that can provide between 50-65W per channel (20-20,000) will be more than enough to add theatre like sound in a small to medium sized room with ease.
Next comes the tonal quality of these receivers. Tonal quality is often described by many of us as bright, warm, neutral, forward, etc. I am surprised to find out how many receivers across the board sound very similar given that one adjusts all parameters equally and not leave the Tone control settings in the hand of the sales person. There was a time when I definitely felt Yammys were brighter and a tad thinner than the Denons but not today. Most manufacturers seem to be heading towards similarity in how their receivers sound. Yet you should remember that sound is very "Subjective" and what may sound "harsh" or "bright" to my ears may sound "forward" and "punchy" to someone else's ears.
The best test for a receiver's sound capabilities is its ability to handle vocals. When people describe a receiver as being musical they are most likely describing the way vocals come across or how some instruments sound in the "mid" frequency. The highs should come across as airy and not too tinny. The lower end should produce bass notes faithfully without sounding too boomy or unnaturally loud masking other frequencies. When you listen to a recording that you like, you should really listen to every aspect of the note played and how it comes across to your ears.
Buying a receiver from a B&M pays rich dividends, as your authorized dealer should easily swap different receivers within the 30-day period so you end up with one that will truly make you happy. Internet stores might save you some money initially but not unless you know you will get the full warranty and that you are buying the right product.
Finally I will make some recommendations based truly upon my own listening tests that I have conducted with receivers in my own house.
HK AVR430: An excellent receiver with excellent amps. Very good overall for music and HT both. Provides excellent Bass Management (BM) for digital and Analog ins.
NAD T-752: A very good receiver and now discontinued which had a lot of problems early on. Provides only 5 channel amps and no BM on Analog ins. It has the preset system, which I love and cannot do without and is one of the most musical and dynamic HT performer. The new T-753 offers 6 channel amps and that will be a good buy too.
Yamaha RX-V2400: A terrific value for a receiver, which can be had for $899 authorized. The YPAO is everything and more. It can work wonders for mix and match speaker systems and unusually shaped listening rooms. Excellent HT performer and I found the mids to be somewhat weaker than the HK and NAD but a solid overall performer.
Denon 3803: This is the most popular receiver and there is a good reason why. It balances music and HT perfectly and once you get past the manual, it is actually easy to use. However it performs better for music than the Yammy and the Yammy performs better on HT than the 3803 but my nod goes to the Yammy for the YPAO feature.
In the lower rung of receivers, you won't go wrong with the Yammy 1400 (YPAO), Denon 2803 or HK 330, etc. If you are willing to live with the slightly thin reproduction of music on the Pioneer 912K then it would make a great HT receiver and offers DTS 96/24.
I wish I could try a Pioneer Elite sometime and review that but maybe in the near future. A final word on this so-called war on customer service, etc. I just have to add that between my German car and the Japanese import, my German car requires servicing more often than the Japanese car but the German car is fun to drive on any given day.
The same goes for receivers, if you bought it from a good authorized dealer, he will take care of you at his level without you even talking to a customer service department. I never had to but at the same time I can ask my dealer to "borrow" equipment for testing and he'd never say no (LOL)!
I thought I'd start this thread for some of you to make additions and add your own experience in this matter and make audio buying an a fairly easy choice for this forum members.
Well since most all of the receivers out there offer the latest in terms of processing, it becomes a non-factor when choosing a receiver. We are then left with the power a receiver has to offer and the tonal quality of different brands of receivers. Power is an absolute must for the receiver to meet the heavy demands of DD/DTS processing. I have heard many a receivers with a very weak power supply that fail to add any kind of authority to demanding movie tracks such as LOTR or AOTC. A receiver with a good power supply will more than likely provide adequate amount of power necessary for DD/DTS and do enough justice to the center channel, which reproduces all the dialogs. A receiver that can provide between 50-65W per channel (20-20,000) will be more than enough to add theatre like sound in a small to medium sized room with ease.
Next comes the tonal quality of these receivers. Tonal quality is often described by many of us as bright, warm, neutral, forward, etc. I am surprised to find out how many receivers across the board sound very similar given that one adjusts all parameters equally and not leave the Tone control settings in the hand of the sales person. There was a time when I definitely felt Yammys were brighter and a tad thinner than the Denons but not today. Most manufacturers seem to be heading towards similarity in how their receivers sound. Yet you should remember that sound is very "Subjective" and what may sound "harsh" or "bright" to my ears may sound "forward" and "punchy" to someone else's ears.
The best test for a receiver's sound capabilities is its ability to handle vocals. When people describe a receiver as being musical they are most likely describing the way vocals come across or how some instruments sound in the "mid" frequency. The highs should come across as airy and not too tinny. The lower end should produce bass notes faithfully without sounding too boomy or unnaturally loud masking other frequencies. When you listen to a recording that you like, you should really listen to every aspect of the note played and how it comes across to your ears.
Buying a receiver from a B&M pays rich dividends, as your authorized dealer should easily swap different receivers within the 30-day period so you end up with one that will truly make you happy. Internet stores might save you some money initially but not unless you know you will get the full warranty and that you are buying the right product.
Finally I will make some recommendations based truly upon my own listening tests that I have conducted with receivers in my own house.
HK AVR430: An excellent receiver with excellent amps. Very good overall for music and HT both. Provides excellent Bass Management (BM) for digital and Analog ins.
NAD T-752: A very good receiver and now discontinued which had a lot of problems early on. Provides only 5 channel amps and no BM on Analog ins. It has the preset system, which I love and cannot do without and is one of the most musical and dynamic HT performer. The new T-753 offers 6 channel amps and that will be a good buy too.
Yamaha RX-V2400: A terrific value for a receiver, which can be had for $899 authorized. The YPAO is everything and more. It can work wonders for mix and match speaker systems and unusually shaped listening rooms. Excellent HT performer and I found the mids to be somewhat weaker than the HK and NAD but a solid overall performer.
Denon 3803: This is the most popular receiver and there is a good reason why. It balances music and HT perfectly and once you get past the manual, it is actually easy to use. However it performs better for music than the Yammy and the Yammy performs better on HT than the 3803 but my nod goes to the Yammy for the YPAO feature.
In the lower rung of receivers, you won't go wrong with the Yammy 1400 (YPAO), Denon 2803 or HK 330, etc. If you are willing to live with the slightly thin reproduction of music on the Pioneer 912K then it would make a great HT receiver and offers DTS 96/24.
I wish I could try a Pioneer Elite sometime and review that but maybe in the near future. A final word on this so-called war on customer service, etc. I just have to add that between my German car and the Japanese import, my German car requires servicing more often than the Japanese car but the German car is fun to drive on any given day.
The same goes for receivers, if you bought it from a good authorized dealer, he will take care of you at his level without you even talking to a customer service department. I never had to but at the same time I can ask my dealer to "borrow" equipment for testing and he'd never say no (LOL)!
I thought I'd start this thread for some of you to make additions and add your own experience in this matter and make audio buying an a fairly easy choice for this forum members.