Boy, you guys were right.

[MacLeod]

Ive been stubbornly looking at Sony receivers and was about to buy a 100x5 model for $180! Smokin' deal I thought.

Then I noticed the .7% THD! :eek:

Now I know in the $200 range youre not going to get perfect quality, but surely you can find better specs than that!

Back to the drawing board. Denon maybe?

Well I will still use Sony for all video and other electronics, just not for amplification!

[dragon1952]

Technically speaking, anything under 1% THD or so is supposedly inaudible. However, in the case of the Sony you were looking at, it's a way to boost the published power ratings and make them seem more than they really are. In actuality the power ratings on that box are probably closer to 60WPC (if that) at a THD of .08.
The other amps you mentioned that rated at 100WPC at .08THD would probably rate at 130-140WPC with a THD of .7 if they chose to rate them that way. But if I'm not mistaken, almost all of the bottom of the line receivers from Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, etc are probably rated in the same manner as the one you were considering. Most people want to see that 100WPC and the manufacturers will rig the ratings to reflect that by using a higher THD figure or rate the power into 6ohms vs 8, or whatever.

[MacLeod]

Very true. I believe it has a rating of like .08 at 50 watts.

Ive since been looking at the other brands $200 offering and youre right, theyre all in the 1% range. Except for the Onkyo. Its at .08%.

I know from car audio that numbers dont mean much but it just suprised me how high these were. A .7% THD would get laughed at in CA.

False alarm I guess. :o

[PolkThug]

That Sony you were looking at doesn't have a high-current amp. (The oinks, hk's, etc, do)

[Jstas]

Go check out the TX-SR502 and TX-SR602 HT recievers from Onkyo. Very favorable specs and pretty affordable too at less than $400 in most places for either specimen. The 502 can be had for about $225 which isn't bad at all.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

The THD isn't really ti thing you're worried most about anyway...the IM distortion is the stuff that you can really hear...

I'm not sure which receiver you were looking at, but the ES line from Sony is good stuff...

[TroyD]

THD, even at .7% is relatively meaningless. Carver's amp's specs are published at .5%.

The lower you go into the FR, the more tolerant the ear becomes to THD. Most subs have outrageously high THD.

BDT

[LuSh]

Do yourself a favor and throw out the numbers they usually mean bunk anyways. The THD ratings are laughable to begin with, that .07THD rating is usually at a perfect frequency pitch, its when the amp starts to clip and go over 1% that makes it mid fi.

Also, please throw out the wattage ratings. I own an 80 watt amp that would destroy my friends 140 watts per channel Marantez, the majority of whats published now in manuals are the best possible results for problems that existed in the 1970's. Most true high end companys no longer focus on meaningless problems long ago solved. Instead they look towards advancing the state of the art.

[MacLeod]

This (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-Surround-Sound-Receiver--STR-DE597-/sem/rpsm/oid/90107/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) is the Sony I was looking at. 100x6 for $170.

This is something I need to get used to. In CA, assuming its a major brand, an amp rated at 100 watts will put out AT LEAST that amoung and probably more. But it appears that in HA, an amp rated at 100 watts may actually only put out half that on a real world level. Hmmmm.

Im looking to get Monitor 50's when the wifes tax return comes in (assuming its big enough) and those are gonna need a good bit more than 50 watts to push em properly; right?

I thought about just getting this (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo-Stereo-Receiver--TX-8511-/sem/rpsm/oid/8482/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) Onk 100x2 stereo receiver and being done with it. Who need all that new fangled 7.1 anyway. Besides, Ill save money on surround speakers! :D

[George Grand]

I think it's been established that humanoids can detect as little as .5% THD, and you'd be hard pressed to find a Carver SS amp with printed specs that DON'T read "not more than .5% THD."

M-500t is the cleanest on paper, at no more than .15%.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

[Mjr7531]

But c'mon... the movie experience! :p
Look for open box, I got my pioneer on open box, glad I did, no dif, and just changed the return policy.

[LuSh]

That sony will put out no more then 20 watts per channel all channels driven with less then 1% distortion. I really don't have time to explain myself, just get over the numbers they never add up. Do yourself a favor buy a NAD intergrated Amp rated at 50watts per channel. Tell me if you hear the difference.

ps. You will.

[keith allen]

I like Denon gear...maybe you will too.

[Danny Tse]

I second the Onkyo TX-8511....great piece of mainstream componentry.

The Onkyo SR502 is available at J&R for $229.00 shipped. On January 21 (Friday), for one day only, it was available for $200.00 shipped. Brand-new in box from an authorized dealer.

FWIW, the new Onkyo SR503 is coming out at $300.00, with more power (80 watts X 6) and automatic room calibration with microphone. The SR503 will no longer be the entry level home theater receiver from Onkyo....that model will be the SR303, which is a 5.1 model with S-Video up-conversion and 70 watts X 5. The MSRP of the SR303 is $200.00.

[madmax]

IMD (intermodulation distortion) is a more meaningful spec. We perceive this odd order distortion far more redily than THD (total harmonic distortion).
madmax

[spwuinmk67]

Originally posted by MacLeod
This (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-Surround-Sound-Receiver--STR-DE597-/sem/rpsm/oid/90107/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) is the Sony I was looking at. 100x6 for $170.

This is something I need to get used to. In CA, assuming its a major brand, an amp rated at 100 watts will put out AT LEAST that amoung and probably more. But it appears that in HA, an amp rated at 100 watts may actually only put out half that on a real world level. Hmmmm.

Im looking to get Monitor 50's when the wifes tax return comes in (assuming its big enough) and those are gonna need a good bit more than 50 watts to push em properly; right?

I thought about just getting this (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo-Stereo-Receiver--TX-8511-/sem/rpsm/oid/8482/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) Onk 100x2 stereo receiver and being done with it. Who need all that new fangled 7.1 anyway. Besides, Ill save money on surround speakers! :D

And you wonder why it took so long for the MM6's, and why you can't get the new compaxals...:D :p

[MacLeod]

LOL!

Well this was initiated by my wife. We watch a lot of movies and she wants a good HT setup. So most of this will be paid for by her as funds permit. Im on my own for my truck system! :(