Home Theater Receivers

[DonEmmel]

All,
I am currently using a Sony STR-DE875 to power my Polk speakers. I have the CS245i Center, RT55i Fronts, RT35i Rears and a PSW-450 sub. I have heard that Polk speakers don't seem to work well with Sony amps. Any truth to that? Who makes a quality home theater receiver that works well with Polk speakers?

Don

[LiquidSound]

Denon and Onkyo work with polk very well....so I'm told.

[nascarmann]

HK, Yamaha, Marantz to name a few more!

KING YAMAHA

[juice21]

maybe it's just the sony amps that don't work. ;) (sorry, not a sony fan here...)

i am running a denon 3801 and i think it mates very well with my polks. all the above mentioned recs. are good suggestions. get out there and demo some, listen to what YOU like, that's what matters.

have fun and welcome to the forum...:D

keep us updated in your search, if you decide to find a new rec.

[mantis]

If you do like Sony receivers there is really only one line to consider,
Its the ES line.The 3 and 5 ES receivers are very warm and clean sounding.Got good Dynamic power as well, I',m not a Sony receiver fan as I find alot I don't care for with them, but for sound quality alone, they can be Impressive.

Remember these few words I post(as other's do as well)Listen, your ears don't lie,they like what they like, you can try to like others that you think you like but in the end or at the end of the day,your ears will deside for you.Answers await you.

[jpepster]

Today i purchased a yamaha rxv430. It does not sound well with my rt 40's.and center 175.
NO subwoofer or rears. My old sony that is not 5.1 sounds better then the yamaha. Onlything is i can't hook up my center with the sony. But the Yamaha might go back tomorrow. I put it in all the field modes and i don't like the sound.
More bass with the Sony. Oh well!

[Frank Z]

I am using a Pioneer Elite VSX-37TX and the sound is fantastic.

[CapnWacky]

I would highly recommend HK - AVR 125, 225, 325 etc.

[gidrah]

I went from a Sony DPL (model forgotten) to a JVC RXV-9010VBK. My Polks are much happier and sound much better.

[haroo]

:D "sweeeeeet"

[mantis]

Its no easy task to find the right receiver.1st and formost id sound quality,then features.Sometimes this doesn't go hand and hand.
I'm in sort of the same boat as you needing a new receiver.I'm in a crossroads where there are 3 in my view.
1)the B&K avr307 soon to be 507.I love the current Receiver but waiting for the new one.Pioneer Elite vsx49tx,killer sounding and loade with features.then there's the Rotel which I feel sounds amazing,but lacks in features that I would want,like powered 7.1.They don't supply you with amps for 7.1, you need to purchase a 2 channel external amp.That kinda sucks.With that in mind ,no Powered 2nd zone, not really Important when I move but I use it today.It also has a lack of Imputs,still enough for what I'm going to do with it but no room for more gear down the road.The sound quality keeps it in my sights.
Good luck dude,get your demo on and experience receiver world of pain.

[Ron-P]

I started with a Sony DE 575 (I think). Then, upgraded to a Marantz SR5000. The difference, night and day. Just added (last week) 3 Adcoms using the pre-outs on the Marantz for the mains and center, bi-amped, the difference, night and day over the Marantz.

Stay away from Sony unless you go with their ES line, the DE and DB are turds.


Peace Out~:D

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

SONY SUCKS!!!!!!

[matthew_2]

HK125, 225,325...What? Is there an HK325? I thaught it was still the 320. info please!

[phuz]

No 325 or 525 yet. Keep an eye out for em though.

[fort]

Denon or Onkyo...

setup: Onkyo TX-SR600, cs245i x2, rt35i x2, rt25i x2, HSU-VTF2

[scottvamp]

Denon or Onkyo...
I agree, my picks--awesome recievers for the $.:cool:

[jpepster]

I currently am looking at the denon 1602 for 100 more then the yamaha rxv430. I hear it is alittle more powerful. I will see.

[Drowning_Fish]

Yeah I'm new to all this hehehe I have a pair of Polk Audio RT1000i's...fantastic, except for the fact that I only have an old Akai stereo amplifier (35W x 2). No where near enough juice ;)

I am looking to buy either an Onkyo TXDS494 (100W per channel), a Pioneer VSX-D510 (100W per channel) or something similar. I gave up on the Denon AVR-1802 because it cost alot more and only had 80W per channel.

Anyone out there had any experience with any of the above mentioned models? Any recommendations/suggestions or personal experiences will be greatly appreciated.

Comeon, help out the newbie :D

[TroyD]

I wouldn't discount the Denon....80wpc will drive your 1000's quite nicely....

[Drowning_Fish]

Hmmm I might consider a Denon AVR-1602 (70W per channel)..as the 1802 is beyond my price range. I am only 18 years old here hehehe :D

I am really favouring the Onkyo at the moment. I have to buy one of them before the end of the month, so I don't have much time.

anyways..bed time..its 4.30am here. I hope there'll be lots more replies when I wake up.

[STUFFMD]

I went from a sony reciever to the Onkyo 797. The difference was awsome and dramatic. I have had the Oink for about 6 months now and am still amazed by the flexibility of the unit. The THX mode and Dolby 2 are awsome for movies. If you shop around you can find the unit for around $850. Lists for over a grand. Cheapest online is around $999. You definately should audition for yourself, but make sure you are listening and comparing with similar speakers hooked up, dealers like to hook better speakers up to their most expensive units, and you don't end up compareing apples to apples.
Peace. Stuff MD :u )

[jpepster]

I am looking at the Denon 1802 myself. I just have r40's for main and i175 for center. I currently have the yamaha rxv430. I need alittle more time with this receiver before i decide to return it. The denon1802 has more power then the yamaha
and the denon 1602. Well $499.00 is alot for me too! But i will consider that model. There are cheaper then that online, but not a denon authorized seller.

[Drowning_Fish]

Just something I forgot to mention...My room is 6x6x3 metres, so I looking for a HTR with a little more power simply because my room is very large.

For all your americans (I am in Australia) my room is roughly 19.7x19.7x9.8 feet.

Also I am looking not to spend more than AU$900 (which today is equal to US$512).

Oh yeah..today I found an older (but still good) Yamaha RXV620 (90W per channel). I guess I am simply looking for advice on which brand(s) I should be looking at. I don't want something that's gonna break or just not be upto scratch.

[GuitarheadCA]

Drowning fish,

I'm a big Onkyo fan, I've owned three of them, and loved every one. For your 512 American dollars, I would take a step up from the 494 (It's been discontinued anyways) and go for the new SR600. Lots of clean power and well built.

PS, you're not the only one on the forum that's 18

GuitarheadCA


--------------------------------
Monster Power 3500
Onkyo TXDS898
Onkyo S555
Onkyo C370
Polk RTi70s
Polk RTi38s
Polk CSi40
Polk PSW550

[robpass]

hey drowning fish.. same problem! I'm 19, in oz, and just bought RT1000i mains. I've got an old yamaha CR 640 amp - (anyone date back that old?!) It lacks grunt, and has clicks and pops sometimes on one channel. But it makes me cringe to think what its going to do to the speaker!

Considering onkyo, denon, etc. and NAD. I'm told NAD is quite a good brand when going for the 'no bells and whistles' models - very basic and quality designs.. But they're $$ expensive! Yamaha I like, tho they seem to be too focussed on all the extras. I want grunt. 120W per channel with a dynamic sound. Only care about 2 channel at this stage. And the budgets the same - about US$450, or ~ $800 Australian.

[jmasterj]

Iv'e got RT1000's in front, a CS245i center, with FX300i's in the
rear. Power from a Sony STR-DB1070. 100w/6. If you're looking for
a nice receiver at a reasonable price try this . The 1070 is
not a high-end receiver, but it offers a lot of value for the money. I
looked at Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, and HK. Just couldn't justify the
extra $100-$400. Nothing wrong with a Sony....

[jpepster]

I'm considering either the denon 1802 or yamaha rxv630. Same price, but the yama has 6 channel.
I have not heard the denon yet, but the yamaha. It is all about opinion. I have the 430 yamaha which is too
low end and i have to turn it up to listen to my r 40's. so i will go with middle line receiver. Don't know as too choice yet.

[mantis]

I will give a vote for Denon,
for the money you want to spend ,Denon won't steer you wrong, they make a solid nice sounding receiver.Denon and Polk speaker go together like peanut butter and jelly.
I liked it for over a year now,I own the 3801.I have rt series all the way around.

[jpepster]

It seems that Denon and Yamaha are great products. Most salesman here say choice the Yamaha over denon.
Today i went with denon 1802. I will hook it up later. I'm sure i can tell the difference i hope from the yamaha 430 i returned.

[rlightfoot]

I Love my 1802. It does a lot for an entry level AV receiver. In fact, I like it so much, I've been seriously considering upgrading to the 3802.

However, the 1802 is plenty receiver at this point for my 18x20 room

[Drowning_Fish]

I finally made a decision. I went with a slighty older yamaha model as I saved alot of money...the RX-V620 (90Wx5).

My opinion: AMAZING! :D
..for both music and movies :D

I learnt something, just because something is a little older doesn't mean it wont work as well.

[nascarmann]

I learnt something, just because something is a little older doesn't mean it wont work as well.

Couldn't agree more......;) Love all my Yammie stuff:D

[mantis]

Let me add something about a/v receiver's......you can't keep current to save your life .As soon as your current, they bright something out new.It's just the way of things.
Buying a last years model at a good price is a good thing.I want to say......to hell with the new formats........But they just keep coming.
Good job

[robpass]

well i'm going with a new model, old styling. Seriously upping the budget but stepping out for the NAD c370. Figure its got all the grunt plus a bit, and it'll last.

I'm yet to own the rest of an av system and even if i did i'd have no plave to set up theatre properly. I never watch tv anyway. So for now, i'm a dedicated 2 channel listener, and i'd rather do the 2 channel thing in style. WHen i have the money for theatre, i'll do that in style too! first i gotta find a house...

[Marcusm]

Recently bought an HK AVR-320. Great match for RD-40's and the CS-175i. However, I need advice as to what amp I should hook up to it to upgrade to 7.1 channel sound.

[HBombToo]

Marcusm, I have the 520 which is 7.1 and don't think the 320 can do it. If i understand your question, you need to upgrade the avr.

Regards

[Marcusm]

In regards to the HK AVR 320, actually it is capable of both 6.1/7.1 so long as it is coupled with an amplifier. It also came with another remote for dual room control. I believe the main difference between the 320 and the 520 is the increased wattage, among other features. With its listening modes, I hear no difference between "Hall 1" and "Hall 2". All in all, for 500 bucks, it was great value for the $$.

Enjoy

[HBombToo]

I didn't realize that. OK, the Outlaw, model 770 is a 7 channel, 200Wrms per channel and is very good. I know this because I bought 1 and have been very pleased. 5 year warranty and purchase directly over the internet.

http://www.outlawaudio.com//products.html

Good luck

[Marcusm]

Thanks for the advice, but $1799, ouch! Ive spent too much as it is. :p

[jdavy]

I am very happy with the Karmon Kardon AVR7000. You might take a look at the AVR8000 (newer model) Also check http://www.audioreview.com/

[brettw22]

Mantis,

Did you ever receive my email about a week ago? I hadn't seen this post as of then and sent you an email detailing my system and asking for your opinion. I hit the email link in your profile here, so I'm assuming that it went through ok.

Lemme know.

B

[scotta2z]

I've got an Onkyo 777(eBAY for $350) to replace my Onkyo 5?5 (refurbished for <$200). I must say that Onkyo is a great brand, upper mid range end, but not quite in the big leagues. Haven't had any problems with either and they both are run at college levels often (gave the old one to my pops and he loves it).

One note though, in the past years, Onkyo knows its name and has jumped its prices up. I just hope they do not get too full of themselves and end up like Sony. I still reccommend them though, but you have to keep an eye out for the right bargain.

good luck,
AZ

[lkj858]

Anyone tried the pioneer 811s? I'm planing to buy one about $299.99 plus shipping and tax. It has great features and all the latest formats but I don't know if it will mix well with my RT800i and CS245i.
Any feedback would be most welcome.
Thnaks

[fireshoes]

Personally I'd steer clear of anything by Pioneer that's not Elite. Then again, I wouldn't be buying a $299 receiver either. I doubt you would be very happy with the sound quality when you match it to nice speakers like what you have.

[dbournival]

I Have a Onkyo 595 (75w) that drives Rt1000i Front, Cs400i Center, and Rt35i Rears. In a 22x14 room. I does the job very well. I got it for $260.00 refurburished from Ubid.com. It was supposed to have a 90 day warranty but when I received it the warranty was for a year.

[mhw58]

I also have an Onkyo 595 receiver and I'm driving SDA1-C's
as fronts, SDA 2's as rears, CS400i center and 450 sub.
The 595 handles movies and music very well.
Onkyo is great.
Mike

[deq15]

Forget all that HT circuit city, wiz crap it is all garbage - the Sony, Denon, Yamaha, Kenwood, Onkyo - havent heard the pioneer elite or the HK but here is the best way -- get a digital decoder so that you can control all 6 channels with one knob, get a carver 5 ch. HT amp and a powered sub - done. time you are done the cost is the same as buying "receiver" but you can wind it all the way up - clean, Zero distortion - unless your speakers cant take it - no noise its the best way.

[deq15]

Of course someone is going to come in here and throw names around like Sunfire, Lexicon and a couple others and send this into discussion that involves thousands more that you are talkin here. Look into the sunfire theater grand series and the like bu sunfire - they can be "reachable" via Ebay and it is better than anything CC sell by far

[deq15]

Spend the money if you can - you wont be dissapointed. I tried the nickel and dime game too - some would say I still do - but Good stuff lasts and sounds good forever. Buy Carver stuff on Ebay - the value is tremendous

[goingganzo]

when i replave my onkyo 787 i will be doghing so with the b&k Reference 30 and the Reference 7270 i think that will be good for the next upgrade

[RBagbanly]

Tried HK with Polks (RTi70, R50) and Boses (601, 701). HK and Boses sound good together, but with Polks sound was a little bright to me.

Got a Kenwood VR-6070 THX select (cheapest THX receiver I could find). With RTi70 music is OK, but movies - knocks out of socks instantly. Like it.

RB

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

old stuff is great...as long as u take care of it...someone can buy the same thing, same day, same year and 15 years later can work fine and look great and the other one could be cut in half and not work at all...considering its cut in half...lol! but receivers...i like denon...they mate good wit polks. but yamaha is good for the money...they have clean amps...(but a bright sound) and is really well built. you can buy a htr-5460 i think for 300 or so... 100 x 5, .06 thd, 20-20!

[rwrvpem]

I have a Denon 4802 hooked to my RT2000i's and the sound is fantastic. My center channel is a CS400i and my surrounds are FX500's. I plan to add my old RT600i's as rear surrounds once I move into the new house. All in all, I am extremely happy with the combination. The 4802 was a bit expensive, but I am happy with the results. (I went from a Sony STR DE945 that sounded alright at the time, but when I hooked up the Denon, what a difference!)

Try listening to as many different receeivers as you can and see what you like. When you find a brand you like, buy the best model you can afford (that way you won't wish you got that one extra option).

Also, try adjusting the speaker placement. Alot can be remedied by moving speakers around. Getting a setup disc and sound meter also helps.

Good luck and hope you find the right combo.

Rick

[jdavy]

If you can afford it, get a Harmon Kardon AVR-8000 and rock your house.

[nico]

Hello everyone, since you guys are on the subject of home theater receivers I need to start a poll between the sony 4es and the denon 3802. According to crutchfield's comparison chart they are pretty close. Same power ratings on all channels, price ETC... Please share some of your HONEST opinions and HELP me decide which of these receivers I should buy. Thank you NICO.

[mantis]

2 be straight with you, they both have a good sound.Sony ES is nice.I like there receivers for warm sound quality.The Denon is much better in terms of set up ,ease of use, Multiroom...etc.The Denon also has a warm sound.they both are nice but the Denon is better In My opnion...for rt line Polks All day.:)

[nico]

Thanks Mantis. Anyone else out there want to give me your 2 cents? I really appreciate it NICO

[jmasterj]

Hi nico,

welcome to the forum, my 2 cents: I have a Sony STR- DB 1070 it
is now called STR-DA2ES. It's nice, haven't had any problems with
it for $699. I think it's a good value. I really like the two sets of
multi-channel inputs. I have both a SACD, and a DVD-Audio player.
I really like it for home theater. I added a Carver TFM-35x 250x2
power amp to the main speakers ( RT1000's) and it really opened them up for 2 channel listening. Think about what you want the
receiver to do, and what other components you plan to have in your system. I don't need multi-room capability. I don't need to be
on the cutting edge of new format developments. The more I listen to my system the more I like it. All things considered I would
buy it again.

[nico]

Thanks for your 2 cents jmasterj I really appreciate it. Another question for you. My speaker set up is 2 RT55i's for fronts, CS400i for center and 2 RTi38's for rears and an Infinity il100 sub. Do you think the Sony 4es will match with them well? They work well with my current receiver (str945) which is going in the bedroom for my wife. She thinks I play my music and movies too loud in the living room so I'm going to make her own home theater in the bedroom. She's going to buy me the 4es or the 3802 which ever one I decide on for an early x'mas gift. Although it will cost me to build her a walk way from the front of our house to the the front door and do a little bit of painting in the dining room and spare bedroom. Do you guys think it's worth it? Anyway, feel free to send me some comments and suggestions. NICO

[paulbakerjr]

Que Paso Nico?
Good luck in your quest for a new receiver. The ES models are pretty good. Haven't have much experiences with either Denon or Sony. I did'nt have any with Onkyo brand until I purchased the 797 model. After some tweeking, I'm very pleased with it.




Kenwood Sovereign DV-5900M
400 disc changer
Onkyo TX-DS797
Kenwood 2 channel amp 260w
Sony 32" trinitron
CS400I center channel
AR1212 Subwoofer
RTI70 fronts

[nico]

Thanks Paul. I finally made a decision and got the 4ES and I'm really happy with it. My polk sounded better than with the other unit. This thing is a tank! I think it weighs 44LBS. I just watched WINDTALKERS and it sounded great. I did a noise test with this unit by choosing CD without playing any CD and turned the volume up and as the volume got louder I started hearing hisses coming from the speakers. Does anybody know what causes this? Is it the harmonic distortion? Any input would be greatly appreciated. NICO

[joe logston]

here is a link that haves sony 5es receiver on sale
http://amsound.com/av_receivers.html
its $899

[Jargan04]

Here is my question. I hve Polk R40 in front R15 in back and cs175i for a center. I have $600 to spend for a reciver. I'am looking at the Pioneer VSXD811S, Pioneer VSX41 ELITE, Denon AVR1803, Sony ES STR-DA1ES ,and the Yamaha HTR-5490. Which is the best reciver out of those. I have to buy a new reciver in the next 2days so I need to know soon.Any advice is welcome.

[capitan100]

Nico- i have the V555-ES receiver, and I love it a lot. I have the same problem as you where I can hear a faint hissing noise when I turn the volume up with no cd. It is not really noticeable unless I turn it way up. It really doesn't bother me, but I'd like to fix it anyways. I have talked to good guys about it and they said it can be fixed and it has been occuring on some ES models. I just haven't had the time nor want to part with my receiver for any period of time.

[nico]

Thanks I also went to good guys and talked to someone extensively regarding the hissing. We actually listened to different receivers ie. DENON, YAMAHA, and even their PARASOUND amp. and they all had the hissing when we tested them. So he says that it is normal for all unit to have some hissing. NICO

[Dr. Spec]

Nico:

The hissing is inherent noise being produced by the amplifier. All amps, no matter how well built, produce some noise. The key is how much noise do they produce compared to the gain they provide. This is known as the signal to noise ratio or S/N for short. If you were actually playing a music source at that volume setting, it would be so loud that the background hissing would be completely inaudible. S/N ratios of around 100 dB are typical for quality audio components. In short, it's nothing to worry about.

Doc

[nico]

Thanks Doc that makes me feell a lot better. NICO