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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 42 Registered: Jul-05 | Hey all, Recently sold my Athenas and my yammie htr-5790, I bought the Fluance SX-HTB+ and was looking at some receivers to match it with. 50/50 for music and movies. The ones ive considered follows: Pioneer Elite 52x $500 from ebay thats all so far, I must have THX select/7.1 with a component video upconversion. The calibration I do on my own so thats not a challange. Stay within the $500 range. All suggestions are welcome Thanks Eric |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2049 Registered: Mar-05 | sold your Athenas for Fluance??? What Athenas did you have, out of curiousity? If you can get a Pio 52 for $500 I'd probably stick with that since THX is so important for you. Ever looked at the Pio 1015? Should save you $100-200 bucks, would help pay for a good sub if you need one. |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 43 Registered: Jul-05 | I had two AS-F1, AS-C1 and two AS-R1's. I have looked at the 1015 but it just seems like its build quality is kinda shakey, I dunno I do need a new sub though. The athenas were good, but I have heard Fluance and I was able to get good money for the sale of my yammie and speakers. Let me ask you this; I've use the THX post processing surround mode and grew fond of it, is it really worth shelling out the extra cash? I really do need to have component upconversion, I have way to many things and a 27 sharp doesnt have enough inputs. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2050 Registered: Mar-05 | I really believe that the SQ you get from any receiver or amp is way the hell beyond any electronic processing modes like THX, this to me is a very trivial feature that I would never go out of my way to get---of course I do about 70-80% music on my system and the movies I watch are not special FX laden action flicks so for me, investing in real state of the art HT technology would be a total waste of money. Your priorities may be different from mine though, since you do 50/50 HT to music and I don't know what your tastes in movies is like. I can tell you for sure though that if you have to choose between a THX-less receiver and a decent sub versus a THX receiver and a bad sub, I am sure you'd get more enjoyment out of the first route. My suggestion would be the Panny xr55 pure digital receiver, $230 shipped from Amazon.com and the Hsu STF-2 sub, $400. I'm pretty sure the Panny does have component upconversion, but it probably does not have quite as many other connections on the back as the Elite 52...check and see if it does or does not for your needs. If it does have enough, I'd be willing to bet it'll get equal or better SQ than the Elite. The only hesitation I'd have is that the Fluance SX-HTB is known to be bright, and bright speakers do not go well with pure digital receivers. The Elite on the other hand is supposed to be a warm receiver. You could always go to Circuit City and pick up the Panny for an in-home listen though to be sure...it's a truly marvelous little thing. |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 44 Registered: Jul-05 | Yes that is what I have read about fluance too, but when I listened to them on a Yamaha receiver out of the box the sound was great, after 2 days of playing them they sounded like DANG GOLD! I watch a lot of action, dts movies. I like Indiana Jones type, with great music and great sound effects. Ive read about that receiver but I had a panny dvd player and it was complete crap, maybe i just got the lemon one but its shaken my trust in yammie. How is the build quality on the Elites? |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2053 Registered: Mar-05 | The Elites are supposed to be decent build quality I think. That Panny digital receiver is something else, but you really have to be sure that you use it with speakers that can deliver a solid midrange or else it's likely to sound thin because so much more of the upper frequencies come through in the all-digital format than in analog...just unbelievable detail which is IDEAL for HT but might be fatiguing for music without some good mids to balance it out. |
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Silver Member Username: TpizzlePost Number: 377 Registered: Apr-05 | im curious to know if you think the fluance sounds better than the Athenas, or if your just getting a great deal and can make money off making the trade? what was your experience with the Athena system? |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 45 Registered: Jul-05 | I liked the athenas a lot, but I was able to make a good profit from the sale of them, The Fluance and Athens with the same Yamaha receiver sound very good. I liked the Fluance alittle better because the highs were more clear, however the mids on the athenas were more detailed. Overall I like Fluance better because of the construction, price, sound and looks. Athenas sound great, look alittle funky though. I did end up buying the VSX-52TX from ebay, i found it cheaper than a 1015 brand new. I'll post a review when I get them and set everything up. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2099 Registered: Mar-05 | > I did end up buying the VSX-52TX from ebay, i found it cheaper than a 1015 brand new. Wow, that is a sweet deal then! > I'll post a review when I get them and set everything up. Look forward to reading that one. I'm sure the Elite will blow away your old Yammie hands down. |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 46 Registered: Jul-05 | I hope so! I just got the notification from UPS from fluance, the whole package weights 100lbs...wow thats freakin heavy. The vsx-52tx looks really comparable spec wise with my old yammie, pretty much all the same stuff, just by a different company. I hope the sound is a lot more neutral than the yammies Can't wait to get my new equipment.....its sad though, my room looks naked without the speakers lol |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2108 Registered: Mar-05 | Yammies are known to be bright, Elite is said to be warm along the lines of Marantz, so I think you're getting about the two sides of the spectrum there. > its sad though, my room looks naked without the speakers lol yeah, my wife would be in tears...of happiness that is! LOL |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 47 Registered: Jul-05 | L0L i got rid of my girlfriend after she pushed the power button on my system......LOL well i did get rid of her but not for that reason. hehe |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2112 Registered: Mar-05 | you're single? mmm, those were the days... |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 48 Registered: Jul-05 | hahaha im living those days edster, my new love is my surround sound system. I can turn her on when ever I want, her ouput is great, I can mute her when shes too loud and shes never a poo about anything. |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 49 Registered: Jul-05 | Hey all, Just a quick update, got the Fluance SX-HTB+ today from Fluance and my god was it heavy! Speakers look very well made, very heavy, good finish and a good front baffle. Still waiting on the Elite VSX-52TX, that should come tomorow. So far I like Fluance a lot, but I can't wait to hear how they sound. Ill update again when I get my receiver. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2253 Registered: Mar-05 | Please do update us, I've always been curious about Fluance. It's too bad you don't still have the Athenas for some quick A/B testing...can you borrow any of your friends' good speakers by any chance? |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 51 Registered: Jul-05 | actually I do have some as-b1's left that I didnt sell to the guy, so I can do some a/b tests but it will be a bookshelf against a tower which is somewhat on different plains of audio. Receiver should come in tomorow and I have nothing to do except audition all day if it does. Ill be back! |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2262 Registered: Mar-05 | well if you use a low pass filter on the towers it will be somewhat more comparable I think...just curious how they compare since I have heard a few people say the Fluance towers are bright. |
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Bronze Member Username: RsxmanPost Number: 54 Registered: Jul-05 | Review is up for anyone who was following this, you can find it here, https://www.ecoustics.com/cgi-bin/bbs/show.pl?tpc=1&post=465053#POST465053 |