Hello, I'm now searching for a new receiver and i've narrowed my choices to the Harman Kardon avr 430, the Yamaha RDX-v1500, the marantz 7400 and the NAD T753. I often listen more to music than see movies and my speaker set is the B&W dm603S3 in front, B&W dm 601S3 back, B&W LCR300 in Center and Mission MS8 Sub. My source is a Sony DVP-Ns705V. As i Think that the DAC's of the sony aren't great i will be using the DAC's of the receiver to listen to music, so my priority is a receiver with good dac's and musical behavior, that doesn't fault with movies. (is this possible in this prece range?) i've also heard that Vincent Sv 382 is a very good amp but information on the web is a litle scarse, if anyone has an opinion please tell me. Thanks
luis, all the receivers you listed there match fairly well with B&W since they are such a neutral sounding speaker. With that said it depends whether you like a more laid back or forward sound, the hk, marantz will have a more laid back, nad will be very neutral, and the yamaha a little flatter. In terms of music quality, I have heard that nad is better, but they are having trouble with some of their surround sound processing. All these receivers are great, and you will have to decide on your own which meets your needs and sound desires. derek
I think the Marantz is the best value based on lack of problems. The HK is good too, but not as detailed a lower end. The Yamaha would be very good for movies, but not as good as the others with music.
If you can audition these with your speakers it will help you make a decision.
thanks for your postings, i've just bougth the Harman Kardon at redcoon for 650 Euros just because its was the cheapest of the group, i haven't tryed it yet because it was bought online, but as soon as i listen to it i will post a comment. Hope i don't get disapointed.
I've been using a Yamaha RX-V1500 with my Klipsch home theater setup for the past week and it sounds great. I compared it with a Pioneer Elite 56TX and Dennon AVR 2805 for an extended period at my local dealer and the crispness and clarity of sound of the Yamaha couldn't be beat.
However, I've been told to try the HK 430 and have one on its way to my home now. I'm told it should sound better with my Klipsch RF3's on music. I'll report back next week.
anon909
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see to some your crispness and clarity of sound is Brightness. I am glad that U R happy with U R purchase goodluck
I spent the weekend with both the Yamaha RX-V1500 and the HK AVR-430. Although the Yamaha has a number of excellent features, the Harman Kardon really shines on pure music. The Yamaha is extremely clean and detailed and with a "warm" speaker arrangement, it may be your best bet.
But, I'm running all Klipsh speakers in my home theater using it about 75/25 home theater/music and I found the sound of the RX-V1500 becoming tiring after some time listening. I also found that when listening at lower volumes (like when my kids are in bed) the Yamaha felt weak in the lower and mid-range sounds.
The HK is a much smoother (IMO) sounding receiver and seems to do a better job on music with these speakers. And it's easy to listen to at lower volumes with a better overall sound.
Now... to complicate matters. I'd really like to go with the HK AVR-435 once it's available. When? Who knows... it's been delayed several times.
In the meantime, I decided to try an Onkyo TX-SR702. The Onkyo has a great setup for home theater and also sounds smoother in a pure music environment than the Yamaha. Is it better than the HK ARV-430? I think it compares very favorably in pure music mode and without question... outshines HK in setup and features for home theater. So as of now... the Onkyo TX-SR702 wins out in all around sound with the Klipsch RF-3's and associated home theater speakers.
So... when IS the HK AVR-435 coming out? And, will it outperform the Onkyo TX-SR702?
Sounds like you found the best receiver for you and that's what it's all about. I doubt if the 435 will sound any different than the 430.Onkyo's have taken a beating on this board the last couple years due to their low multichannel power ratings and some quality control issues but as a former owner of two Onkyo's I liked very much [older models] it's good to read a positive report for a change. I always liked what I called Onkyo's "dark" sound and that's exactly the term Perfect Vision magazine used to describe the 701 when they reviewed it a year ago or so. I used that term 10 years ago to descibe my Onkyo 525 which was a great pro-logic receiver. I would think from past experience that Onkyo would match better with Klipsch than Yamaha and Denon.
NAD would be my pick for mainly music. As for having adequate power you can be assured the NAD will deliver. I have had a few of their products over the years and still have one of their 2200 PE Amps from the mid 80s and that thing cranks. However be aware that they do not have the latest goodies when it comes to AV features. One of the reasons I went with the Pioneer VSX1014 was it had more features and one I really wanted was component up conversion (less wires going to my TV... simplified operation). However I still would not hesitate recommending NAD especially if you will be listening to a lot of music. NAD sound is typically warm not bright like past Yamahas I have had. Good luck! -Rick
The NAD is outright the best for music - make certain you get a V2 and buy from a recognised NAD reseller to cover for NAD's quality issues. After 2 bad T753 (hum with dolby digital) I just gave up and got a Yamaha 1400 (no comparison on music) so I got a 2 channel NAD C270 (was being discontinued) and the combination sounded nearly as good for 2 channel music as the T753 cost about $100 more. The nad produced more natural sound the Yam is flatter. The Yam does offer more processing options and you can tune it towards your listening prefernce the nad just gave a full spectrum which sounded wonderful for music. The Yam does offer remarkable virtual surround with headphones - great for watching movies late at night