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Thread: B&K receivers

  1. #1
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    B&K receivers

    Anyone know much about B&K receivers? I heard some are upgradable or have motherboards, like a PC, in them to add things on them in the future. I was looking at the AVR 507. Any info on them would be great!

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    New B&K Owner

    Quote Originally Posted by AZHT
    Anyone know much about B&K receivers? I heard some are upgradable or have motherboards, like a PC, in them to add things on them in the future. I was looking at the AVR 507. Any info on them would be great!
    I have owned the AVR 507 for several months now and only have good things to report. I previously owned an Onkyo 898 for over 3 years and was very happy with it. A co-worker of mine offered his B&K 202 for sale, and loaned it to me to audition. After 2-3 weeks of A/B comparisons, both on my own and with others, it was very clear that the B&K was in a completely different league. The sound was simply amazing in comparison to my Onkyo. IMHO, the B&K sounds MUCH better on both audio and home theater. Other things that appeared to be superior were build quality, upgradeable design, and the programmable remote. The remote is actually a Home Theater Master MX700. Look around for reviews on it and you'll discover it's a good match for such a quality receiver.

    Before purchasing the 202, I came across a good deal on EBay on the 507 and made the leap. I did extensive research on various message boards and audio web sites before making my decision. All had mostly positive things to say about the unit. If you are interested in learning more, here are a few sites to help get you started:

    http://b16.ezboard.com/faussiedvdandhtforumfrm40
    http://www.hometheaterspot.com/htsth...?Cat=&Board=bk
    http://www.bkcomp.com/avr507.asp

    As far as your question, yes, they are upgradeable. Both software and hardware upgrades are periodically offered. Not sure about a motherboard?

    Good luck! Hope my babbling helps.
    Last edited by bkulish; 07-04-2004 at 08:17 AM.

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    B&K make very well respected products. As noted, their build quality is excellent and I can personally attest to their durability. They just go and go and go. They are often compared to Rotel in that they are relatively affordable yet offer very good bang for the buck. The B&K sound is a tad warmer than Rotel, so consider that when system matching.

    Good stuff and a very safe bet.

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    Thanks for the info.
    Topspeed, what do you all mean when you say the B&K is warmer than a Rotel? What should I be hearing to let me know if the sound is warmer or not?
    Thanks!

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    Quote Originally Posted by AZHT
    Thanks for the info.
    Topspeed, what do you all mean when you say the B&K is warmer than a Rotel? What should I be hearing to let me know if the sound is warmer or not?
    Thanks!
    The treble response is going to be a little softer, maybe even rolled-off although nothing like old tubes. You'll find that high frequencies won't be as "in your face" and won't be as sibilant. In some cases, "warmer" also means the mids will have a soft focus in that the details may not be as apparent.

    Personally, I find warmer sounding amps to be more natural and musically satisfying. Then again, system synergy is really paramount because personally I wouldn't match a warm sounding amp with say, Vandersteens. Those things are laid back enough as it is.

    Hope this helps.

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    Quote Originally Posted by topspeed
    The treble response is going to be a little softer, maybe even rolled-off although nothing like old tubes. You'll find that high frequencies won't be as "in your face" and won't be as sibilant. In some cases, "warmer" also means the mids will have a soft focus in that the details may not be as apparent.

    Personally, I find warmer sounding amps to be more natural and musically satisfying. Then again, system synergy is really paramount because personally I wouldn't match a warm sounding amp with say, Vandersteens. Those things are laid back enough as it is.

    Hope this helps.
    Topspeed -
    So if pairing with either Paradigm Sudio's or B&W 603/604's would B&K or Rotel be a better fit? Right now I have Paradigm 9seMKII's but uprading them obviously. Just doing in 2 steps due to cost.

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    Quote Originally Posted by AZHT
    Topspeed -
    So if pairing with either Paradigm Sudio's or B&W 603/604's would B&K or Rotel be a better fit?
    You tell me. I think either amp would be a good match. If you find the 600 series to be competitors with the Studio's, you're ahead of the game price wise because the Paradigm's natural foe would be the pricer 700 series. Admittedly, the 600's and 700's are voiced comparably.

    FWIW, when I switched to B&W CDM 7NT's, I initially tried driving them with my trusty B&K ST140. This was a giant killer and is still highly respected. However, the revealing nature of the B&W's highlighted a certain fuzziness to the sound that I frankly hadn't noticed before. The B&K which had served faithfully for 15 years went on e-bay (where I recovered 60% of my initial expense; a testament to B&K's reputation) and was replaced with a PS Audio HCA2. Again, it's all about system synergy.

    Rotel and B&W share the same NA distributor so you'll see them paired almost exclusively at hi-fi shops. They complement each other nicely but don't rule out other possibilities. Today's B&K's will undoubtedly sound even better than the late, great ST140 so definitely give them a go. Most shops carrying this level of equipment will allow a home demo and both amps are readily available so pick your speaker first and then demo both amps and buy what sounds best. You really can't go wrong with either of your speaker or amp choices.

    Good luck and buy what moves you.

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