HK avr635 and Marantz sr-8500

[krabby5]

According to their respective websites, they both have an MSPR of $1299us

But I can get the HK for $647 shipped (im guessing refurb at 6th ave), but the cheapest I've seen for the Marantz is $999 + shipping for a refurb..

Is it because there are so many more HK's than Marantz?

[adam2434]

That has to be a refurb price, and it's a good one at that. Many folks get theirs direct from HK.
http://www.harmanaudio.com/search_browse/default.asp?brand=HK&market=HOM&sp=S&cat=REC

I'm sure the Marantz is nice, but that HK is such a good deal, I'd go for it. It would be my top reco right now for a friend or family member who had a $700 receiver budget.

[2+2]

Krabby, although the recommendation to go with what you like based on an audition, I will throw in the following...my recommendation is that if you have a relatively bright speaker, go with HK...if you have a laid back speaker, go with Marantz....preamp of the HK I have is really warm sounding so I dont think it is an optimal match with laid back speakers (it makes some recordings sound absolutely fantastic and others unlistenable)....Marantz, while considered by many to be warm sounding as well, is not as laid back as HK.

[gregure]

I would sing the praises of the Marantz SR8500 any day of the week. It's a superb sounding unit. Lots of power, a true torroidal transformer, and easily capable of driving lower impedance speakers with ease, and still sounding good. I tested a Denon AVR3806 on some 4 ohm speakers, and switching back and forth between that and the Marantz SR8500. The difference was literally night and day. The Denon sounded harsh, veiled, constricted and like a super-compressed MP3 recording. The Marantz immediately opened up the sound, sounding richer, warmer and with none of the constriction of the Denon. Granted, this is not an HK comparison, but the Marantz is a superb piece for music. There is only a $300 difference between the Marantz and the Denon (the Marantz actually normally retails for $1499-so $999 is also a great deal), but there was a huge audible difference. Comparatively, the SR8500 was only slightly inferior to the B&K AVR 507 S2 when comparing back and forth. That's a difference of $2000!!! Need I say more?