Denon, Yamaha or Marantz Receiver

[RGA]

Check your post on 3/30 "GOOD BUYS

Audi: A4 and A6 (no more sudden acceleration unless you're talking about sales)

Chrysler: Colt, Summit, Stealth (three of the best cars Chrysler never built)

Ford: Escort, Mustang, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis (a Mazda spinoff and rear drive reliability) "
There you go.

This is why Stereophile is a joke. How can one person or even a group of "professional reviewers" proclaim ANY one item as "best in class" in a field as subjective as audio? Lunacy. Do they have my ears, my preferences, my speakers, my room, etc.? Best in class? Whatever...

The quotes under Good Buys are all from Lemon-Aid not me just so you know - including what was in brackets. I know the escort in 1992 or so had some sort of Mazda link because the car itself was a vast improvement over to prior models (I had the 1990 escort which was just about as bad as my Grand Am) - By 100,000Km I only had the transmission to replace and the driver's seat(it broke - so you had to sit kinda side-ways), wheels, bearings, front end, head gasket, window roller(WTF), air conditioner. It was only after being beat up a hill by my friend's Hyundai Pony that really was the kicker to sell. Until the Honda, I thought all those repairs were just the cost of owning a vehicle so get used to it. The Japanese prove time and again in any stat anyone here wants to useor imply that they are better than EVERYONE else on an overall average of fewer defects fewer Break-Downs(which I call "falling apart" but some are too stupid to imply the difference you have to spell it out like they're 4 years old). That don't mean some guys Acura won't be an equal pile of crap or that you won't get half a million trouble free miles out of a Chevy Cavelier. On average however you're more LIKELY to have more success with the Acura or Toyota than any American Car.

Jag is better OK, I can accept it - of course they couldn't get much worse worse. All cars have improved over the last 20 years - for the bloody money they should bloody well improve no? Well except the Ford Focus and Explorer perhaps. Something tells me that if you look you'll see the same drive train in the New Grand Am as the 1994 version I had which was probably the same as the one a decade earlier. The incompetant trunk lay-out and very cheap plastic inside is similar...lots more cheap plastic body must be worth that extra 5k - I'll look at 2004 rating of the Grand Am in 2007 and see if they've improved. Reliability ratings unfortunately have a lag-time in order to assess anything usefull. So instead of the plastic falling off(ie; having problems via defect) right off the plant they've managed to ensure that less of them fall off(ie are a defect) off the line. Interestingly, they can't catch it off the line at 25,000km of use.

[Woochifer]

EVERYONE else on an overall average of fewer defects fewer Break-Downs(which I call "falling apart" but some are too stupid to imply the difference you have to spell it out like they're 4 years old).

And others are too self-righteous to differentiate between fact and exaggeration.

[RGA]

Back to Denon, Yammie and Marantz.

There is no proof beyond anecdotes that any are better than the others and you'll get support for all of them and people will have breakdowns from all of them eventually. Marantz in Canada has the best warranty of the three. The entry model is the cheapest and has more upgradablilty, is the heaviest has a physically bigger power supply.

And don't forget Onkyo. Most all like priced receivers sound pretty much the same - so features, warranty and price are what I'd be looking at in the entry level region.

These reviews are older but the GUTS as in power supplies/preamp build quality etc will give you a general idea of sound. Hi - Fi choice uses level matched blind panel listening sessions and have even had the designers of componants in to listen (kind of funny that they don't always pick their own gear as best). The mag is not the same as Home Cinema Choice - but Hi-fi choice in not available in my bookstore anymore - costs too much to import. The sight is going to want to give up to date reviews and cut their magazine sales.

Basically if it gets 3 it might be considered good 4-5 well I like loits of stuff that gets 4 over stuff they give 5 - after all it's a panel and one panel member may love something but is out voted...you might have been that one member - so 4-5 are certainly worth your attention...Most of the time they're right on what they give 3.

There are two pages. http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_l...category=MULTI