Jeff Fitz | I have narrowed down my receiver selection process down to 3 models (Yamaha RSX 1400 / Denon 2803 / Onkyo 701). Home Theater / Music use will be 50/50. I will be using Paradigm Titans/Atoms for fronts/rears. Any feelings, opinions, thoughts on any of these receivers that might be helpful in my selection process? Thanks in advance for any help. |
Anonymous | Go with the Yamaha RX-V1400 or the Marantz Sr-5300 you cant go wrong with both of them |
elitefan | Marantz receivers are great but not a good match with Paradigm. Both are laid back so not best to match them. Of the 3 you mentioned the Onkyo is the best in my opinion followed by the Denon. I would not recommend any current Yamaha's over the competition. Onkyo and Paradigm would be a very nice combination and I have had all of the brands mentioned here so I have first hand experinece with them. The Paradigms are incredible for their size and price and the 701 is a terrific receiver. I would also consider a NADt742. |
Rick | I have almost the same set up, Titans with system 3 and an Onkyo SR600. I'm thinking of upgrading the receiver and keep reading that Yamaha isn't really a great match for Paradigms because it would be too bright. Denon seems to be the highest rated and even tho I love my Onkyo I'm an audiophile newbie who's only known love is Onkyo. I'd like to see what Denons are like, and maybe also HK 525. |
twister | In Germany (hifi magazine Audio) the onkyo 701 (5 x 132 W in 4Ohm - 2 x 192 Stereo) was the testwinner. Tested better than the Denon 2803, NAD t-752, HK AVR 325. Anyway you've to try them out. |
James Chesterton | Any luck on your purchase? I am in the same boat. I have narrowed to the Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and also Marantz. I have not been on top of this market for many years and I also am looking for advice on which would be the best choice. I am using speakercraft in ceiling for surround and JBL L100t for stereo. I also need a 2 zone receiver to cover the master bdrm. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
| Add me to the list of people who are undecided too. Currently, I own a Bose Acoustimas Series 10 and want to upgrade my receiver to an A/V Reciever. I have been looking at the Onkyo, Dennon, NAD and now the Yamaha RX-V1400. I am leaning towards the Yamaha, for one because I have always owned Yamaha components but the new receiver seems to be the best compromise for options, sound and quality. I realize Yamaha did not have the high current driving capabilities in the past models, but it looks like they may have fixed it in this one. I am still open to any suggestions on which be the best brand/model to go with. Thanks. |
Hawk | James: I like the Marantz 7300 a lot. You haven't stated a budget, but the Marantz is an excellent product and you can find it for about $699 in most markets right now as the 7400 units will be shipping soon to replace it (with an increase in price due to the falling dollar in international markets). For the JBLs, you may also want to try a Yamaha 1400 as it is a bit brighter than most receivers and my experience with the JBLs is that they can be a little recessed in the upper midrange, where the Yamaha has a littel bite. Should balance each other nicely. John: Have you heard the Yamaha with the Bose? I would not think that to be a combination I would recommend. If you have heard them together and you like it, then get it. It would be the system for you. But if you haven't I suspect that both the Yamaha and the Bose would tend to exaggerate the brightness bump each has in the upper midrange (2Khz to 4Khz)--and could very easily make for a system that would be hard to listen to for any extended period of time. For the Bose, I would suggest the Onkyo TX-SR800, which you can get very reasonably these days as it is being replaced by the 801 soon. It has a more polite sound that works better with the Bose speaker system that you have IMO. |
lisa france | Please read my test report on the Denon 3803 and the Onkyo 800. the 800 could not be compared to the 3803 as far as mucis is concerned. the 3803 sounded so much better. the same woudld be true for the other receivers. |
elitefan | Lisa, I have owned the 3803 and would never recommend it to anyone. This is the brightest most sibilant receiver I have ever heard. If you want to hear "SSSSSS" constantly buy the 3803. If not look elsewhere. |
Anonymous | I'm in the midst of replacing my receiver and the choices just seem to grow. Currently, I'm comparing the Yamaha RX-V 1400 and the Harman Kardon AVR430. Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated. |
| i just purchased a yamaha RXV2400 and paradigm studio/60 v2. thinking to buy a bose AM15 for my center, surround, surround back and woofer. anybody think they're a good combination? |
Sarandon | eno do not mix bose with paradigm, that will be a ht nightmare. you want to keep the speakers the same name brand so you can have the same tonal quality sound! and tell me how you like the yamaha rx-v2400. i am in the process of buying one! |
| sara, this is my first set-up and sounds great for me, as i have compared the 2400 with tx55i, harman kardon, denon and marantz. specially when you are on budget. i use audioquest type 6 speaker cables & optilink-3. so far i have no complaints. what do you think about studio cc or cc-470? i use a front projector, so i dont really need the magneshield. |
| i am finally going to upgrade my marantz 5.1 a/v receiver (110 watts/channel) for a 6.1 7 channel. any ideas or suggestions out there would be appreciated. keep in mind the receiver will be a pre-pro for the front 3 channels as i have an acurus 200x3 for this. i use def-tech bp8 all around except for the def/tech center. i would like to keep the cost of the new receiver under $1000. with me the sound quality is everything. thanks for your help. |
ek | Eno - I just bought the RXV2400 and I have the Bose AM 15 for my speakers. I don't like the sound. I have an old rxv594 and this produces far better quality sound. Don't know why. I am trading in my RXV2400 for something else (just don't know what yet). I was very happy with my Yamaha 595 but very unhappy with the new 2400. |
EnO | ek, problems could be on the speakers. i dont know why, but evertime i go to the A/V shop and ask them about bose and they told me to forget about bose ![]() and i end up exchanged my 60 v2 for the new v3 with extra $150. the v2, i got them for $915. but a lot of things that need to be concerned. at this level, i'm having probs with wiring. dunno which cable to buy. thinking to upgrade from audioquest type-6 into AQ CV-6 with the ixos banana plugs. sara, i am happy with this yamaha, specially on the auto set-up since i dunno much about setting up. also, with less money, i can get more features on the yamaha (THX select, 7.1, more power) compare to others at range $700-$900. |
Bob Jackson | I just replaced an onkyo sr600 with a Yahama rxv2400 coupled with four boston vr950, boston 600 series sub and a boston vr920 center. I am a total noobe and hate to admit i really can't tell the difference. I have not had a chance to really test it out, the report so far is as follows: 1. Setup with the rxv2400 is really sweet and easy, seems to go a little light on the bass. 2. Not sure if the THX cert is really worth it. 3. Kinda pricy $950.00, but I want to keep it for a while. 4. After movie night and a chance to listen some music, I will be able to judge if it is a good mating. Opinions on the receiver and speaker matings would be appreciated. I liked the Marantz but it was running really hot in the store. Olli |
Anonymous | Iwas thinking of upgradeing my Onkyo 600 to a 7 or 800 possibley the 900.It surprises me that the Dennon 3803 ie as cheap as 800.00 dollars on line and the Onkyo Tx NR 900 is around 1,000.00.Their both 110 per channel. Ive always heard Dennon is top of the line so you would have thought it would cost more.Is Onkyo turning outto be alittle better made than people realized?Im happy with the the quality of my Onkyo just looking for alittle more power.Apreciate feed back |
| hi i just purchased a yamaha 5660 receiver i have jbl northridge tower nd310's I like the sound but i,m considering returning them and either purchasing a 7.1 denon 2803 or upgrading to the yamaha 5590.Can anyone give me some insight on these receivers?I enjoy watching movies and listening to music. |
HOLMES CANON | i think that bob jackson needs to get a hearing test...but what do i know. |
Anonymous | Any receiver that would massacre "Peace Train" is not welcome in my house. BJ |
Enrique Nashuano | Several people are creating a buzz about Onkyo. I have run various systems with Onkyo and believe it is a great buy and a wise music/movie choice. Upgrading an Onkyo 600 to a 701 or 800 would be an ideal situation for any movie buff. The discrete amplification and boost to power are tremendously worth it. I run a 900 right now and it's comfortable affects and easy on screen menuing while being totally operatable are a true match for any DVD. Also it's semi-active matrixing in 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1 renderings are truly compatible to any speaker system. I would recommend a base of the 701, because of it's stages of discrete capability, on-screen menus, remote capabilities, and power. However, Harmon Kardon makes some of the technology which Onkyo uses, and keeping this in mind, is incredibly comparable yet with different features and (sometimes) less power than Onkyo's in different stages. Soon with DVI video switching to be incorporated with component, Harmon Kardon makes an excellent choice when using an HD TV. This will result in a very comparable market where high-current power is present in numerous choices depending on your love for media. |
Hawk | ek: Unfortunately, the Yamahas of the past few years have a brightness to their sound caused by an emphasis in the upper midrange (2-4 Khz band), which is done to make DVDs sound more exciting, but music playback really suffers. Your Bose also has a bump in the same range, so it is very understandable why you don't like the sound of your system as the combination exaggerates this emphasis. Such an emphasis will cause listener fatigue. For your Bose speakers, I would recommend you look into a Pioneer Elite or a Harman/Kardon. They will be a better choice to match with your Bose system. I also like the Marantz 7300 a lot, and you should be able to find a good deal on one as they are being closed out for a newer model. Good luck! |
louie | I thinking of getting the new sr7400 online, http://www.taxfreeelectronics.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=11&Product_ID=892&CATID=4 (USD$699) http://shop.store.yahoo.com/authorizedelectronics/marantzsr7400.html (USD$739) http://shop.store.yahoo.com/bestprice-store/marantzsr7400.html (USD$759) http://shop.store.yahoo.com/topsellers/marantzsr7400.html (USD$765) anyone know where can I get better deal than the above link? for speaker, where can I buy the Monitor B4, B2, BC and asw100 package online? 'sara internation. inc' do best for USD$1200+- |
Anonymous | Can anyone tell me if you can use Bose 301 speakers with the acoustimas 10 system? Will this damage anything or sound bad? I have a 6.1 receiver and I am using the acoustimas 10. Can I hook up my Bose center channel to get the full sound of 6.1? Thanks for the future suggestions! |
James Chapdelaine Unregistered guest | I have just upgraded my reciever from an Onkyo 595 to the new 801. The network capability totally sold me. I have all Polk except for the sub which is a velodyne. My question is that I am very unhappy with the front speakers. They have an internal amp that does seemingly nothing and the volume control effects nothing. Does anyone have suggestions. I love the center channel and the dipole rears, |