NEED Receiver Help!! for Klipsch RF1, SS5, RC25, KSW10

 

Dan
I am looking for help on selecting receiver that would best match my Klipsch speakers. I have 2 floorstanding RF1, 2 side/rear SS5, Center RC25, Sub KSW10. i believe they are all 8 ohm. I am not sure of what brand and at what power level would optimize these to sound their best. Because I am not sure what level I need for these speakers I have been looking at many receivers:Pioneer: elite VSX43Tx, D912K, Denon AVR1804,2803, Sony:STRDA1000ES, STRDE995, Harman Kardon AVR325, 525. I do about 80/20 movies to music. If it matters it will be used with a mitsubishi progressive scan 8040 DVD, and a 65" mitsubishi platinum. Thanks for any help!
 

elitefan
For Klipsch to sound their best and to help tame their brightness you need a mellow receiver like the Elites and H/K's. NAD and Marantz also work well with Klipsch. I would stay away from both Sony and Denon as both tend to be a bit bright and thin sounding. Sony has very poor power supplies as well. Listen to as many as possible bit I think you'll find the Elite and H/K much better match than the others.
 

Dan
Thanks for the help. I probably will go with the Elite.
 

geekboy
Dan, I just noticed that you have the Sony STRDE995 on your list. I always told myself, never buy Sony unless the model number ends in ES. Okay, so I didn't take my advice and bought the STRDE995/B and had it hooked up to my Paradigm Reference bipolars for about 1 hour before disconnecting it, returning to the store and telling them "this thing doesn't work with my speakers". (actual quote)

Seriously though, the system is TOTALLY underrated in power. They claim 110W per channel into 7 channels... I don't think so. My Kenwood (KR-V990D) with 105W x 5 was MUCH MORE powerful than that Sony.

After returning the Sony STRDE995/B, I turned right around and went to CostCo (after shopping around) and bought the Harman/Kardon AVR 525. I like it. (I like Pioneer Elite products too, but always wanted H/K.-) This was just at the right price ($649) at the right time (bad luck with Sony STRDE995/B).
 

geekboy
I wrote: My Kenwood (KR-V990D) with 105W x 5 was MUCH MORE powerful than that Sony.

Correction: I think the KR-V990D was actually 105W x 2 for L/R, 105W x 1 for Center, and 70x2 for the surround channels.
 

Dan
Yeah I have been looking at those 2 all night still can't decide. Pioneer elite VSX43Tx or HK AVR525
 

geekboy
Dan, you're between a rock and two great receivers. I had Klipsch CF2s before -- the 1996 models -- and upgraded to Paradigm Eclipse/Bipolars. I don't know... Elite or H/K... They are so close in inputs/outputs... both 2 component video in and 1 component video out... both with 4 digital in (2 coax/2 optial) and 2 digital out (optical)...

You're only option is to go by weight. :-)

Elite is 39lbs.

H/K 525 is 44.09 lbs.

Hmmm...
 

Dan
I have looked around this posting board and a lot of people say match bright Klipsch with H/K or Elite. Any reliabiltiy advantage?
 

Al Holland
You can go with B&K 307 or 507 if you want to spend that much.
 

New member
Username: Luigif1

Post Number: 2
Registered: 12-2003
What about the reliability of the H/K overheating?? Does this only happen with refurbished models?
 

New member
Username: Geekboy

Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2003
I haven't had any problems with overheating, but, since 1996, I've treated my Mid-Fi equipment better than most. I bought a new rack in 1996 which was an A/V "enclosed" / "glass-door". I had just bought my Kenwood KR-V990D. I had overheating problems -- even with the Kenwood's fan. So I spent some money and bought a Salamandar Systems Archetype-5 rack. It's an "open" rack and I like its look.

Having said that, I haven't had any heat related problems with any of my equipment. My H/K 525 runs warm but not hot. It's on the top of the rack right now (because I still have my Kenwood KR-V990D in the rack). I think I'll leave it there -- 'cause I'm lazy and don't want to adjust the shelves!

Some folks have had the heat problem, but it is more than likely due to placement of the receiver. It needs "breathing" room as does many other High Current Amplifiers. I never recommend putting these inside an enclosed anything... unless it has air handling systems built-in which will suck in cool air and exhaust the warm air.
 

IPC
Unregistered guest
I am looking for a similar setup with klipsch didn't know if the extra $200 for the 630 is worth it over the 43tx?
 

New member
Username: Geekboy

Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2003
IPC, if it's any consolation, I don't know either. I like the Elite 45TX better and it's probably more comparable to the H/K AVR 630. I know that next time, I'll be taking a look at Elite (again)... that's if I DON'T hit the lottery and buy all separates.
 

New member
Username: Luigif1

Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2003
My room is 11' x 22' 8ft ceilings is the HK430 enough to fill the room? how does the real wattage compare HK630 to 45tx? I've hear harman underestimates and Pioneer over estimates??
 

New member
Username: Luigif1

Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2003
Klipsch with 43tx or HK 525 or HK 630 what sounds the best for movies?
 

New member
Username: Geekboy

Post Number: 7
Registered: 12-2003
Dan, I haven't heard both of them. I have the H/K 525 and do own Klipsch CF2s (but have never hooked them up to my H/K). My viewing area is 18x18 but is part of the great room and is really 18x30. I have a 11'4" (flat) ceiling with some plant shelves on one side at 8' (running up to 11'4").

For power, generally, yes. Harman super-underestimates power where Pioneer Elite isn't as bad as the rest of them (like Sony).. I think Pioneer does a good job at rating their power. (Sony likes to rate their power with one or two channels driven into 8ohms with a 1Khz signal... pure garbage!) The H/K 525 when tested... showed it was at +100W all channels driven when it was at rated output, so, they do underestimate their power... being more conservative than the rest. I don't think Pioneer Elite is guilty of overestimating as their amps generally come in at advertised power.

Again, Dan, you're in a tough spot to choose between those two receivers (43tx/45tx and AVR525/630). I'd like either!

The AVR525/630 has a bettwer power supply. The 43TX only consumes 600W and the AVR525, for example, consumes 1,040W @ full power (all channels driven - 45Amps). The AVR630 is 1000W @ full power (all channels drive - 50 Amps). That tells me the power supply is better in the H/K than in the Elite's.
 

New member
Username: Hawk

Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2003
I think too much is made of the heat generated by a receiver on this forum. A receiver that runs hot is not necessarily over-heating. It just means that the amp section is biased toward Class A operation, which means less distortion. It is the receivers biased to Class B operation that run on the cooler side, but this is merely a design choice and inherently has nothing to do with quality or reliability. Many of the comments I see where people complain about their new HT receiver running hot are new to HT receivers. Perhaps they had a stereo receiver before. But the fact is that 5, 6 or seven amps are going to run hotter than two!

H/Ks tend to run warmer than many other receivers simply because they are biased toward Class A operation, but they are designed to operate at a higher temperature. There are just not that many which have failed because of heat, and it is no reason to worry unless the receiver is shutting down. If it is shutting down, I would look at the speakers first before I would believe that the receiver had a problem. That is, do the speakers have an appropriate impedence for that receiver? Many times they don't as buyers are not told how to match a receiver with the speakers. This is because most salespeople are simply "order takers."

Both the H/K and the Pioneer Elite are good products, and like all receivers, each may have an occasional clunker (see other threads on this site), but that doesn't mean either has a serious reliability issue. Both are a good match with Klipsch speakers.
 

New member
Username: Geekboy

Post Number: 20
Registered: 12-2003
Hawk, right as usual. Heat is normal. Even my dream receiver, the B&K 507, generates enough heat to warm a small house when at full power. So just operating your receiver at high power outputs will generate a lot of heat.
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