Does anyone own either of these two receivers? Im looking to purchase one of them but Im wondering if they are worth the investment. On paper the 8030 for $315 to my door seems like a steal, but its only a great deal if the unit performs. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
hT nEwBiE
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I own it, but im not sure how good it is because my speakers suck so im tryin to find new ones ill tell ya then. It seems awsome to me its got lots of dsp's and sound modes and stuff.7.1 ch in 6.1 out and its got a cool LCD remote.
I have the JVC 7020 (bought refurb from Overstock.com a year ago) and have done a bit of investigation into its sonic performance.
Need to start off by saying it is a fine sounding receiver for DD/DTS surround. As long as not compared to higher-end units (e.g. Denon 3803), you won't be disappointed as far as the theatrical experience goes.
I did some close listening using a couple test CDs to check frequency response; this was done with my ears, not a sound pressure meter, so I don' t make any claims as to quantitative measure. However I found that the 7020 did not produce any audible output at frequencies below 40 Hz , nor above 14 kHz. My daughter does hear to 20 kHz, and there was nothing at all, even juicing the volume.
Yet JVC rates the 7020 in a range between 20 to 20 kHz, so my interpretation is that, while the analog amplifier section does cover the audible frequency range, the DACs and DSP used do not. Or, were engineered to ignore these "shoulder frequencies" to better concentrate on the middle-range where most of the sound content is situated.
So the conclusion is that JVC did a good job in producing good surround sound, but there are some sonic compromises (to hit the price point). For this price point, the JVC sound pretty darn good, and offers a comprehensive list of functions.
That said, I formerly considered upgrading to the 8030 as it offers USB connectivity and a source direct mode (which I expect would avoid the lack of output at low and high frequencies as the DSP and DAC is shut off) , however I suspect it won't provide much difference in perceived suround sound quality as the power supply and components used are of similar quality to the 7020.