Torn between THX and quality: Kenwood vs Denon, etc...

[Yipching]

I have the overwhelming urge to get a new receiver, and I am greatly drawn to the features and the THX stamp on the Kenwood 8070. It's available new on the web for like $330.00. Maybe it's the fact that it seems like such an awesome deal that's making me lean that way...

On the other hand, everyone seems to agree the Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha and H/K are all better quality systems than Kenwood and the like, and the Denon AVR-785 is comparably priced to the Kenwood. Should I push the whole THX certification thing out of my mind and go with Denon?

Thanks.

[JSE]

I have the overwhelming urge to get a new receiver, and I am greatly drawn to the features and the THX stamp on the Kenwood 8070. It's available new on the web for like $330.00. Maybe it's the fact that it seems like such an awesome deal that's making me lean that way...

On the other hand, everyone seems to agree the Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha and H/K are all better quality systems than Kenwood and the like, and the Denon AVR-785 is comparably priced to the Kenwood. Should I push the whole THX certification thing out of my mind and go with Denon?

Thanks.


Yes.

JSE

[Lord Nikon]

Ick, Kenwood.... no comparison to Denon! :)

[eqm]

the Kenwood is, at best, a polished turd. Denon would beat the living pants off ANYTHING kenwood could come up, including the sovereign lineup. what a pile of k-rap that kenwood shizz is.

[markw]

...times four.

This should show that buying a THX logo to put on their stuff doesn't buy quality. All it buys is a certification of meeting minimum standards which are generally exceeded by comparably priced units.

[nick4433]

the Kenwood is, at best, a polished turd. Denon would beat the living pants off ANYTHING kenwood could come up, including the sovereign lineup. what a pile of k-rap that kenwood shizz is.

Well I cannot dispute with that that kind of logic or wisdom or both. However, I can tell you that the Kenwood you ask about is a very decent performer. It has a SHARC 32 bit processor and Kenwood has always offered very decent amps.
Do yourself a favor and go to Good Guys if you have one closer to your house and buy both as they have a very generous return policy. Hook them up in your own house and try them out and see which one you like better.
Since THX is a factor here, try the THX modes out too. Just because someone says not to do so does not mean you sacrifice your listening pleasure. Maybe you will come to a conclusion that THX is just a badge and is full of crap.
I recommend you do a side by side comparison and only then determine what is best for you.
I am using a Pioneer 2012K as a prepro which has THX but I very rarely or rather never care for THX. For me it's just a logo on my gear but may mean more for you.
Good luck!

[topspeed]

Hehe...man, you guys are harsh!

Yip,
Yes, there is THX decoding, however the vast majority of the time a THX stamp is pure marketing. Companies pay Georgie Boy a handsome fee for the right to use his stamp of approval which, as others have noted, simply means the unit meets certain minimum standards for performance. Big whoop. It's lucrative as Hell for Lucas and a sham for the consumer. Don't get seduced. Like Nick suggested, compare them side by side and buy whichever sounds best to you and/or has the features you want. I'd also do some research to see which is more reliable.

Good luck.

[JSE]

In terms of reliability, many if not most would probably agree Yamaha is king.

JSE

[kexodusc]

Yipching:
I've seen more than a few decent performing, good value receivers from the likes of Sony, Pioneer, and Kenwood. They're not all bad.
That being said, I'd expect the Denon's to be an a whole 'nuther level when it comes to quality and sound. I could be wrong, having yet to demo both units you're looking at.

My own 2 cents - the single best value in receivers today at any price is the Yamaha RX-V650 or HTR-5760 (same thing basically) around $330-$360. I guess Denon and H/K would be close runner ups, but Yamaha's been on a roll with their receivers for a few years now. My old neighbour bought the 5760 for about $330 and we put it head to head against the RX-V1400 in my system. I was incredibly surprised at how much juice the 5760 can actually deliver without starting to sound a bit choked up like my old Marantz receivers did.
I'd definitely give that unit a try.
I had the Denon AVR-2803 in my home for a few weeks, too...and spent some time recently playing with the AVR-1905 (which I believe is the exact same alternative model to the 785). Denon makes a pretty fine receiver these days, I don't think you could go wrong there.

[Yipching]

Guys, thanks for all the feedback. I'm definitely taking a good look at the Yamaha 5760 and the Denon 785/1905... Unfortunately for me, there aren't a whole lot of places in my area (that I'm aware of) that sell decent receivers where I could go for a listen.

I stopped into my local Best Buy, and it looked like the shelves had been ravaged, leaving only a tattered few older model amps from Sony and KLH. Annoying.

[JSE]

Guys, thanks for all the feedback. I'm definitely taking a good look at the Yamaha 5670 and the Denon 785/1905... Unfortunately for me, there aren't a whole lot of places in my area (that I'm aware of) that sell decent receivers where I could go for a listen.

I stopped into my local Best Buy, and it looked like the shelves had been ravaged, leaving only a tattered few older model amps from Sony and KLH. Annoying.


Best Buy will carry the Yamaha 5760, not the RX-V650. The RX-V line is strickly for non mass-merchant B&M stores. Although the only real differences are small cosmetic changes and the model numbers.

JSE

[kfalls]

I agree, go with the Denon. There's nothing really wrong with Kenwood, I consider them high on the "low-fi" list. Many receivers in this price range use IC outputs instead of discrete components. I believe this compromises sound quality and reliability since IC can't dissipate heat as easily and increases the possibility of distortion.

Although I'm not a real fan of THX certification, I believe at one time it had some validity. THX certification provided some standardization of parameters and hardware specifications for the transition of DLP/AC3(DD) from the movie theater to the home. The consumer wanted the same impact and effects they heard in theater. What they received from earlier Pro-Logic and AC3 receivers fell short of the mark, or hit all around it. Lucas addressed the problem and provided stardards manufacturers could follow to "guarantee" theater-like sound in the home. I don't think there's as much of a difference now than before, so the THX certification doesn't mean as much.

In this price range I would be more concerned about the power supply and build quality than THX certification. Yamaha has just added THX certification to several of their receivers in the past couple of years. Would I buy a Z-9 over a 2400 because of the difference in THX Select and THX Ultra? Probably not.

[Yipching]

In this price range I would be more concerned about the power supply and build quality than THX certification..

Yes, I definitely don't want to take a step backward. I have a Harman Kardon amplifier currently that I bought maybe 5 years ago, and it has performed flawlessly. I want to make sure that I'm truly getting an upgrade in terms of performance and features (for example, it has no digital inputs) and I'd hope to find one built equally as well. The H/K is solid, heavy, and has a lot of punch for being rated at, I believe, only 55 watts per channel. But the surround sound on the thing sucks; there are no adjustments for levels of the center/surround channels etc. It's sorta like when you buy a bottom end camera and don't have the ability to adjust the exposure at all or focus manually! Anyways, I am supposed to be working right now... yah, sure... working! ;-)