AV Receiver to serve as Hi-Fi Amplifier, is it suitable?

 

Anonymous
Currently I am using a 20-year old Technics SU-Z25 Integrated Amplifier. I am going to buy a AV Receiver to replace it.

Which one is the best:
1)Panasonic SA-XR25 Full Digital AV Receiver
2)Yamaha RX-V440 AV Receiver
3)Marantz SR4300 AV Receiver
4)Marantz PM4400 Integrated Amplifier?

I will use AV Receiver mainly to serve as Hi-Fi Amplifier, is it suitable? Anyone has good suggestion? Is full digital amplifier the best choice?
 

Hawk
Anon:

I like the Marantz for one specific reason--it has discrete amps for each channels, unlike the Yamaha (which drives all channels off of a single amplifier). I don't know anything about the Panasonic.

Going by the amount I know the Yamaha and Marantz receivers go for, I can make a couple of suggestions for better two channel listening that will be better than an AV receiver. I would strongly recommend you look at an NAD 320bee integrated amplifier. The sound is absolutely gorgeous, very rich and focused, with a superb soundstage. MSRP is $399, but it can be purchased for about $320 from Kiefs and probably Saturday Audio. This unit has been winning a lot of awards in Europe such as Product of the Year and the like.

My other suggestion is the new Cambridge Audio Azure 540 integrated amp. I have seen it priced at $349.95 and it also has that rich sound of the glory days of stereo. This is too new to be competing for any awards, but I heard one recently and it is a superb unit.

BTW, both of these integrated anps have full remote control--you can add a same brand CD player, for example, and control everything with the remote of the integrated amp.
 

Gan
are the SR4300 using separate amp for each channel.?.i've read even 5200 (the previous model) is using share power supply, means in the new x300 series they change it to discrete amp.?.
 

Hawk
Gan:

We had a thread on your question about two months ago and it was determined that the 4300 used all discrete amps, unlike some competing brands at that price level which uses a single amplifier for all channels. I know the Denon 1403 and 1603 use a single amplifier (just like the low end Yamahas), but Denon's literature says it has a discrete amplfier (note the singular). All they are really saying is that the amplifier is not on the same board as the rest of the electronics. This is somewhat bogus as you know they are attempting to mislead the consumer into thinking it has discrete amps (plural).

You will also note that most of these receivers use IC chip packs for their amplifiers instead of bi-polar transitors. This is another reason why at this price level, I think one should look at a good integrated amp for stereo music rather than get a low end AVR.
 

John A.
Anonymous asks "I will use AV Receiver mainly to serve as Hi-Fi Amplifier, is it suitable?" and I think the short answer yes, certainly, provided you get a good one. I would go for number 3 and the list, but audition it in comparison with an NAD receiver at the same price before making any decision. There is another thread where someone is doing just that.
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