AR.com DIY's w/Panasonic Digital Receiver (w/pics) [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Rob H
01-06-2005, 08:13 PM
Last weekend I purchased a Panasonic XR25 digital receiver to try out with my AR.com DIY speakers. As those who frequent Audio Asylum and Audio Circle will know, there has been LOTS of discussion of these receivers being used in 2-channel audio setups. Many were claiming audio equal to, or better, than some very high end equipment. The XR25 is a discontinued model which I was able to buy locally for $199.00 (!). For $199.00, and the store letting me know that, should the Panasonic not be a good match with my speakers, I could return it...I figured it was a low risk purchase. My previous receiver was a Denon DRA685 (100 wpc) stereo receiver. The DIY's sounded very good with the Denon, albeit a little bright. One of the concerns I had prior to purchasing the Pany, was the "bright" treble some had described with these digital amps. I've only had the Pany since last weekend, so it hasn't really been broken in (some claim huge amounts of break in hours needed for these receivers). Well...how does it sound? Very good! Extremely clean sound...no background noise whatsoever. The treble is actually toned down compared to my Denon. Still detailed, just more balanced. This is possibly due to better bass management with the Pany (than with the Denon)...a topic Ed Frias discussed recently on another post. The Pany is rated at 100 wpc into 6 ohms. Most speculate it is approximately 75wpc into 8 ohms. My listenng room is very large. The Pany can still power the DIY's to fairly loud listening levels. NO distortion no matter how loud you increase the volume. I am VERY pleased with the DIY/Pany combination. I have ordered a PS Audio Power Punch power cord to replace the stock Pany cord. Most discussions of these receivers mention this as a positive upgrade.

As a side note, I've continued to tweak my AR.coms (that's half the fun of building these speakers). T-nuts have been installed so I can remove the drivers without fear of "stripping" holes. I've removed the Poly Fil and installed the half inch foam pads (supplied by Madisound with their version of the kit) to the top, sides and back of the cabinets. I've also installed a piece of Acousta Stuff (from Parts Express) behind the woofer...along the back of the cabinet. In my listening environment, this combination of dampening sounds very good.

I've enjoyed finding great sounding audio equipment for reasonable (i.e., cheap) prices. The DIY's definately fit that category and continue to please with their excellent sound.The Panasonic digital amps are another great buy in audio. The two together are a great match.

MCH
01-09-2005, 09:47 AM
I had tried this Panny also with my AR.diys. It is quite impressive. I think I would go to the XR70 if I were to buy. Or even better yet the JVC F10. Which is getting lots of accolades. It is a hybrid digital/tube. I don't remember if it physically has a tube; but it is suppose to emulate the warmthness of tube sound. Quite inexpensive. Checkout the Audio Circle for some input on digital recievers.
Loving my ARdiys also.

bcass
02-28-2005, 11:51 AM
[...]
I've enjoyed finding great sounding audio equipment for reasonable (i.e., cheap) prices. The DIY's definately fit that category and continue to please with their excellent sound.The Panasonic digital amps are another great buy in audio. The two together are a great match.

Yahoo! A person after my own heart. :-) I also have the same goal in mind - low price/high quality (who doesn't?). So, I also had stumbled onto the Panasonic SA-XR's that were reviewed quite a bit on AudioCircle.com. I was convinced that I wanted either the SA-XR45 or SA-XR70 until I started posting about it here. There are some here that are not convinced that these receivers are the best in their price range. I'm still leaning toward buying the Panasonic though - it just can't be that bad if so many audiophiles have raved about it. One would think it would have gone through a lot of scrutiny from people who are used to Denon, Yamaha, NAD, etc.

Thanks for the pics of your system. I want to build the DIYs too. Did you build the speaker cabinets yourself, or did you buy them premade? I think I'd like to buy them rather than goof up 3 or 4 of them to get 2 good ones. ;-)

I am glad to hear that you have the same setup that I'm thinking of doing and that you like the sound. What kind of music do you listen to?

Thanks!
Bryan

Rob H
03-02-2005, 01:01 AM
Bryan,

I purchased the kits from Madisound, which included the cabinets. I did have a woodworker countersink the driver holes to flush mount the drivers. This improved the appearance of the speakers, and most claim this also improves the treble response.

As you are probably aware, both the XR45 (which would have been my first choice) and the XR25 are discontinued. A local retailer had an open box XR25, which I purchased. The XR45 gets most of the accolades, but I am more than pleased with the XR25.

Those who claim the Pany's are not the best for the money I doubt have ever actually heard one. It may be difficult to accept the fact that a product this inexpensive and unassuming can sound so good. Speaker manufacturer Newform Research has some interesting comments on their web page about digital amps, and the Panasonic in particular. One of their newsletters ( Aug. 03) is devoted to the Pansonic amps.

As to what styles of music I like...it varies. I am a classic rock fan, but most classic rock is poorly recorded. The AR.coms are very revealing. Good recordings sound great. Poor recordings don't. I find myself searching for cds which are recorded well, and which I enjoy the music of.

Most Steely Dan cds sound great. Other discs I enjoy (both music and recording quality on) have been the Cowboy Junkies, Bruce Cockburn, Al Stewart, Lindsey Buckingham, etc. Jazz artists such as Diana Krall and Bela Fleck also sound great.

I'm constantly tweaking the AR.coms...changing the amount of Polyfill to see what affect it has on the sound. I would highly recommend adding T-nuts to the underside of the screw holes so that woofers and tweeters can be removed without fear of "stripping" the holes.

Enjoy.

Rob