Will sound be better if I upgrade JVC 6042 receiver to Yamaha HTRS 5730S?

[sip]

Does upgrading JVC 6042 receiver to Yamaha HTRS 5730S make sense. The JVC is rated at 100watts channel @ 0.8 THD at 8 ohms whereas the Yamaha is 100watts channel @ 0.t THD at 6 ohms. So Yamaha's power is lower at 8 ohms. Should I keep the JVC considering the apparent lower power or get the Yamaha?

[midfiguy]

Hey Sip,

I wouldn't give too much creedence to the power ratings. I think the only way you're going to know if it's going to sound better is if you hook it up yourself and listen, for the following reasons:

A. "Sound better" is a subjective term. What sounds better to me may infact sound worse to you.
B. The room you listen to music/movies in may have a big impact on how your system sounds on each reciever
C. More power / particular brand doesn't always mean better sound. It's just a trial and error thing in most cases. (of course, I wouldn't go out and compare a $150 Sony to a $3000 B&K reciever, but you get my point).

[kexodusc]

I'm tempted to think the Yamaha might actually have a bit more "real power", and a few higher quality components, but unless the Yamaha has significantly newer processing features (Pro-Logic II, DTS/DD Ex/ES for 6.1 or 7.1) I don't think your going to notice much improvement if any.
You might wish to save your money for a better receiver, buy used to stretch your money further, or maybe look at upgrading speakers instead, speakers will almost always produce a bigger change in sound than differences between amps/receivers.

Anything about the JVC receiver you don't like?

[bargainseeker]

I have three alternatives to suggest to either the JVC RX-6042 or the Yamaha HTR-5730. I recommend these over either one for their amplifier quality, video inputs, video switching and speaker terminals.

The first is the Onkyo TX-SR502 (http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=TX-SR502&class=Receiver&p=i). It is available as a factory reconditioned model with manufacturer's warranty for $149 from J&R (http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4014530). I bought a factory reconditioned Onkyo receiver for my mother-in-law two years ago and she has had no problems with it despite daily use. Based on these reviews (http://www.audioreview.com/A-V+Receivers/Onkyo/PRD_302794_2718crx.aspx), others have had similar good experiences. I have since bought another Onkyo receiver for myself. In my opinion, Onkyo products are so reliable that factory reconditioned models are a safe bet.

The second alternative is the Yamaha HTR-5650 (http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/HTIB/HTR5650.htm). It is available brand new for $199 at J&R (http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3712408). The Yamaha HTR-5650 is last year's model which is comparable to this year's HTR-5750. Since Yamaha products must be purchased from an authorized dealer (http://www.yamaha.com/yec/customer/dealer.aspx) to have a valid warranty, it is important to buy one from an authorized dealer such as J&R. I could not find specific reviews on the HTR-5650, but reviews on the HTR-5550 are here (http://www.audioreview.com/A-V+Receivers/Yamaha/PRD_130572_2718crx.aspx) and reviews on the HTR-5750 are here (http://www.audioreview.com/A-V+Receivers/Yamaha/PRD_321521_2718crx.aspx). In my experience, Yamaha and Onkyo receivers are comparable in quality and performance.

The third alternative is the Denon AVR-485 (http://www.usa.denon.com/catalog/pdfs/AVR485.pdf). It is available as a factory reconditioned model for $186 from eCost (http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=502544) with free shipping. eCost is an authorized Denon dealer for factory reconditioned models. There is a review of the Denon AVR-485 here (http://www.audioreview.com/amplification/a-v-receivers/Denon/PRD_324538_2718crx.aspx). I don't have any personal experience with Denon receivers but can recommend them based on the experiences I have read from others.