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| I would like to seek help from you guys. I have a pair of B&W DM601s3 front, B&W DM302 rear, Yamaha YST-SW300 sub and a dolby prologic receiver. (No center speaker but planning to add one). I want to upgrade to 6.1 channel surround without spilling off my B&Ws. Please recommend a $500-$600 receiver from either Marantz, Onkyo or Denon (these are the only available in my place, Cebu, Philippines). I know you're more experienced on this than me. Please help. Thanks in advance. |
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| Dong, out of the three receivers you mentioned, my experience has been between the various things you are planning to do with it. For example, I have a harman kardon 320 and Jamo speakers, I feel they could have put a little more power into the receiver, especially in comparing the brother brands (onkyo, denon, etc...) of the same class. But I feel that it lacks in the center channel on movies, so I'm constantly turning the receiver up to hear than down , because the effects. So, I recently switched to the Klipsch reference line of speakers and that helped. With B & W speakers I don't see that problem. I think it depends on how much power you want and what you're looking for. I heard that the Marantz has a really nice center channel output for movies, kind of like they made it for that, versus making the receiver primarily for music. Your onkyo and denon will give you more power per channel though. So, that is a tough call. Good luck. |
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dong rodriguez | Thanks Jackson. But one thing bothers me is the fact that B&W speakers are a bit tougher to drive, according to some reviews. Reviewers recommend specific kind of receiver for them to sound good. I just want to know if either of the Marantz, Onkyo or Denon at $500-$600 can drive DM601s3 and perform its duty well, 'cause I believe receiver and speakers should be match to sound good. |
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Hawk | Dong: Tough to help you since I don't know the cost of receivers there in Cebu. However, I have the 601s (earlier version) and they can be a bit on the hungry side, you as a general rule you want to provide the most power (think in terms of current, not watts per channel). Problem with so many receivers is that they don't tell the truth about their power. See what Sound & Vision discovered in testing receivers: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3401/ratevsac.htm However, from the list of receivers you have listed, I recommend a Marantz 7300. It is a real standout with your speakers and I know it can be had here for about $650 here in the States. My real recommendation is that you seek out an NAD 742. It is rated at 50 wpc x 5, but they are really powerful watts (dynamic headroom of well over 100 wpc). I can guarantee you that more current is flowing from the NAD's 50 than another receiver's 100 wpc. Best of all, it has the same pre/pro section as the bigger NAD receivers. I know that NAD is available in the Phillipines, so you may need to seek them out. It is a killer combo with the B+Ws and you should easily be able to get one within your budget. |
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dong rodriguez | Thank you Hawk. But is NAD742 carries the 6.1 channel of DD and DTS? Another thing is Im not sure if I can find it here. How about Onkyo. Some says Onkyo receivers deliver real high current. Can you comment on this? What about Yamaha? If I utilize the 601 at the rear (left and right) and the 302 at center rear, what do you think is good for front L,C,R? |
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Hawk | I think the only thing the NAD is lacking is the 6.1 sound. Sorry I took you down a wrong path. As I always say, "One size does not fit all." We will find the right receiver for you. I originally went looking to buy an Onkyo 797 about a year ago, but when I started to compare it to other receivers, I was really disappointed in the sound and I began to look at as many receivers as I could. Of the brands you suggest, I would rank them as follows: 1. Marantz x300 Series: Warm, but clear. Very musical. Very high quality sound. Best match with the B+Ws. 2. Denon xx03 Series: A bit dry, but very detailed and clean sounding. Very good match with the B+Ws. 3. Onkyo x00 or x01 Series: Nice receiver, but has a mediocre power supply, which robs it of its punch. Sounds comparitively thin, but it is adequate. Adequate match with B+Ws. 4. Yamaha x30 or x40 Series: Very clean sounding, but over-emphasis on high frequencies. Very bright sound can be fatiguing. Lousy power supplies are too small to make anything close to the rated power. I really don't think these receivers have enough guts to properly drive the B+Ws. In sum, I return to my original recommendation for the Marantz 7300, which I think is a special receiver. I think you would be very happy with it and the B+Ws. If you can't afford the 7300, check out the 6300. It will do nicely, too. Dong, I hope this helps. |
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dong rodriguez | Ok Hawk. Now I have an idea what to buy. Your effort was highly appreciated. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. |