good receiver for my setup?

[litlred515]

i was looking at either getting the denon avr1508 or avr1708 receiver. I have rti70's as mains, and i'm getting csi40 center and fx50i surrounds. i was wondering if the 1508 would be enough to power this set up or should i look at the 1708 or even 1908. I'm not worried about running any video through this since i just have a dvd player and my cable which go directly into my tv. I was looking on ecost.com and i could get the 1508 for $169, 1708 for $209 and 1908 for $239. thanks for any help in advance.

[mantis]

The Rti70's are pretty nice speakers. I suggest you get alitte better receiver. If price is a issue and video is not, looking into a used 3801 or 2 or 3 or 5. Even a nice 280 something series would do the job.

If a new one is in the cards , I would start at the 2308. If you had RM series speakers then the 1908 would be fine.

Dan

[litlred515]

so as of right now i wasnt even looking in the proper range to power my setup?

[leroyjr1]

i was looking at either getting the denon avr1508 or avr1708 receiver. I have rti70's as mains, and i'm getting csi40 center and fx50i surrounds. i was wondering if the 1508 would be enough to power this set up or should i look at the 1708 or even 1908. I'm not worried about running any video through this since i just have a dvd player and my cable which go directly into my tv. I was looking on ecost.com and i could get the 1508 for $169, 1708 for $209 and 1908 for $239. thanks for any help in advance.

I started off with the Denon 1508. Very unhappy. I did't like the way Denon rolls off there center channel highs in the 1508. The rest of the speaker sound clean and crisp and the center sounded muffled and boring. When I first got my Denon 1508 and Monitor setup I thought something was wrong with the center channel so I took it back and got another one. Same issue. Found out its how the receiver was made. Don't know about the other model Denons but I gave up on them and went with ONKYO and been happy since.

[litlred515]

okay so after looking around a little bit, i'm in between deciding on the denon 2308 ($400) and the onkyo 706($449) off of ecost i think. what do you guys think about these receivers for my setup? Any other receivers right around that price you would suggest that i'm not finding?

[litlred515]

after doing even more looking, i just cant stop since i started, i found a few more options. I am now also looking at a marantz sr6001 or 7001. What do you guys think about that compared to the onkyo and denon?

also I really have no knowledge when it comes to a preamp/amp setup so i was wondering how bad of an idea it would be to use the preouts on my current sony receiver and buying an emotiva upa-7 to powers me speakers until i can afford a better preamp? also looking at the back of the upa7 i was wondering what i would use to send a signal to my sub? would i just use the signal that i currently use from my receiver? buying the emotiva xpa5 also came to mind but right now idk if i want to spend that kind of money. thanks for any suggestions

[JohnLocke88]

If your sub is powered, you use the pre out on your receiver straight to your subwoofer. The UPA-7 is for passive speakers/subs only. for $550 you can buy one hell of an AVR, especially if you're not afraid of refurbs (which it seems you aren't). Shop Onkyo has some really good deals on refurb AVRS every once in a while (though they seem to have dried up recently).

[litlred515]

i can get the 6001 for $369 and the 7001 for $550 but i'm not really worried about any of the video capabilities on the receivers so i was thinking using the receiver i have and just buying a nice powerful amp might be the smarter way to go. What would the sound quality differences be between the marantz at 110wpc or the emotiva at 140wpc? i want to get more out of the speakers than i am currently getting.

[Kex]

For that budget, you have lots of options. Onkyo has a reputation for lots of bells and whistles. Marantz, which you mentioned, has an excellent reptution for sound. Two other options I would mention are harman/kardon and NAD. A h/k AVR254 or 354 on amazon.com should have everything you need for under $400 and $500 respectively. Power ratings are more realistic than other brands because they are rated all channels driven at the same time (not just one or two), and I like the sound a lot (comparable, perhaps to the UPA-7 in real terms, depending on your speakers and other factors). Check pricing on amazon.com.

http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?cat=REC&sType=C&prod=AVR+254
http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?cat=REC&sType=C&prod=AVR+354

As for NAD, that has become a personal favorite of mine recently, because of hugely dynamic power and amazingly tight bass output from your speakers, even without depending on the subwoofer, and excellent musicality IMO, if that is a priority (not everyone will agree with me on this one, though). If you don't need bells and whistles, as you described in your post, then this could be a priority option ... especially the T754 which I also use. Spearit Sound is a great source, and the deals are currently excellent, since the new T7_5 series is being introduced. It won't have a glimmer of HDMI, but it will have tremendous quality sound IMO! YMMV.

http://nadelectronics.com/products/av-receivers
http://www.nadelectronics.com/img/datasheets/NAD_T754.pdf
http://www.spearitsound.com/nad/T754.asp

[Kex]

... What would the sound quality differences be between the marantz at 110wpc or the emotiva at 140wpc? i want to get more out of the speakers than i am currently getting.Possibly minimal IMO. I went down this road about a year ago for very similar reasons, with 4xRT55 and 1xCS400. The RT55/RT800 are quite similar to the RTi70, AFIK. I tried a similar amplifier and was disappointed with the lack of improvement. A new receiver solved my issues instantly, with the large RT55 bursting into a whole new life, to such an extent that my rather large speakers are finally making sense: extra bass, much tighter and controlled bass, better detail, better vocals, better surround effects ... YMMV. This is not a usual choice, however, since many would still recommend external amplification as the best way to go.

[litlred515]

Such hard decisions to make. I dont plan on getting new speakers in the near future what so ever so i guess maybe the marantz 7001, h/k 354 or denon 2308 might be the way to go. And at the same time i still question myself since like i said earlier i dont need any of the video options of a new receiver but the dual or triple zone options would be nice to have. hmmmmmm decisions decisions

[Kex]

Such hard decisions to make. I dont plan on getting new speakers in the near future what so ever so i guess maybe the marantz 7001, h/k 354 or denon 2308 might be the way to go. And at the same time i still question myself since like i said earlier i dont need any of the video options of a new receiver but the dual or triple zone options would be nice to have. hmmmmmm decisions decisionsOf those three, my personal choice would be the Marantz or the h/k. I would still prefer NAD though, but that's just me, because it's probably the only one I would not feel the immediate itch to add an external amp to! I also own an older Denon BTW, the AVR3200: it's decent all right, but not as good IMO!

[litlred515]

kex thanks for all of your help, within the next week or two I will be making a purchase and post what i decide on. any other thoughts/suggestions are also appreciated

[bigred7078]

I would still prefer NAD though, but that's just me, because it's probably the only one I would not feel the immediate itch to add an external amp to!

Is the Emotiva LPA-1 the only amp you've tried?

You seem to be a very big NAD fan since you recommend them in all your posts. Why not give one of their amps a go? Just wondering cause you always explain to others that the amp you tried underwhelmed you. But that is the only experience i have ever read you post about.

[PSOVLSK]

after doing even more looking, i just cant stop since i started, i found a few more options. I am now also looking at a marantz sr6001 or 7001. What do you guys think about that compared to the onkyo and denon?

also I really have no knowledge when it comes to a preamp/amp setup so i was wondering how bad of an idea it would be to use the preouts on my current sony receiver and buying an emotiva upa-7 to powers me speakers until i can afford a better preamp? also looking at the back of the upa7 i was wondering what i would use to send a signal to my sub? would i just use the signal that i currently use from my receiver? buying the emotiva xpa5 also came to mind but right now idk if i want to spend that kind of money. thanks for any suggestions

Using the preouts of your current AVR seems the best option to me. You should be able to get a good used 5 channel amp for the $500 you're looking to spend on a new AVR. You could even get the Emotiva xpa-3 that is currently on sale and power your surrounds with the AVR. Check out Adcom also...I'm happy with mine.

[Kex]

i can get the 6001 for $369 and the 7001 for $550 but i'm not really worried about any of the video capabilities on the receivers so i was thinking using the receiver i have and just buying a nice powerful amp might be the smarter way to go. ...
If you decide you may want a new receiver, other than those already mentioned, and since Marantz seems to have caught your attention, there is currently an 8001 for sale right here, from a very reputable member, for just $575 (+ shipping etc.).

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=980941

As for the video capabilities, for many users you are quite right: there's no compelling need (other than HDMI audio capability, perhaps, for various reasons that would take a while to explain), but you might find that if you had them you would end up loving them (there are some convenience advantages etc. IMO).

Otherwise, your idea of adding an external amplifier to your existing receiver is also a good one IMO, and should work quite well. You have lot's of choices!

[litlred515]

so i think i've made my decision and going with an emotiva amp. i dont like the idea of going with the xpa3 and running my rears off of my crappy receiver. So i could buy the Upa7 right now or i could wait and put a little more money in and buy the xpa5 when they get them back in stock. Now my question is about the power. I know it's better to overpower your speakers than it is to underpower them but for my setup would the xpa5 just be a little overkill? Would i be just as satisfied with the upa7 powering them? Is it really worth the extra money in my setup?

[Kex]

so i think i've made my decision and going with an emotiva amp. i dont like the idea of going with the xpa3 and running my rears off of my crappy receiver. So i could buy the Upa7 right now or i could wait and put a little more money in and buy the xpa5 when they get them back in stock. Now my question is about the power. I know it's better to overpower your speakers than it is to underpower them but for my setup would the xpa5 just be a little overkill? Would i be just as satisfied with the upa7 powering them? Is it really worth the extra money in my setup?
There are others with more experience of Emotiva that can give you a better answer on this one, but here's my opinion in the meantime, FWIW.

I would expect the UPA-7 to be a substantial improvement on the Sony alone, but if you can, I would prefer to wait for an XPA-5.

Some people are more than happy with the UPA-7, and your speakers are not particularly hard to drive, but there have been a few disappointments, given the marketing blurb, and extraordinary reviews, which may be raising expectations to unreasonable levels. I bet there are even a few who would still recommend the XPA-3 you mentioned rather than the UPA-7 for HT use, but the XPA-5 is probably still the best option of the three. I don't think you'll make a mistake with any of these, though.

Also, those speakers, with the right power, just might frighten you with how good the bass can be. YMMV of course, but it's probably worth a try IMO, especially with the good resale value of Emotiva gear thus far.

P.S. make sure you have all the pre-outs you need on your receiver, not just a subwoofer pre-out!

[litlred515]

damn, i was wrong, since you wrote that kex i double checked and what i thought were pre outs on my receiver are actually multi channel inputs. totally kills that plan, back to the drawing board now

[PSOVLSK]

You might follow this thread and see what kind of results bevo gets. If it works it would be an easy, inexpensive solution.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76916

[Kex]

damn, i was wrong, since you wrote that kex i double checked and what i thought were pre outs on my receiver are actually multi channel inputs. totally kills that plan, back to the drawing board nowI was afraid of that, and since you didn't mention a model number that I could find to check, I thought I would point it out, just in case. Glad you caught it in time. You still have good options IMO, so no regrets!

[litlred515]

so i made a decision on what to get and went and ordered the marantz sr6001 refurbished for $380. Not as high as i was originally looking but when thinking about it this was a relatively inexpensive upgrade over my old POS sony receiver and it has the pre outs on it for when down the line i go with a separate amp. so what do you guys think about my choice?

[Kex]

so i made a decision on what to get and went and ordered the marantz sr6001 refurbished for $380. Not as high as i was originally looking but when thinking about it this was a relatively inexpensive upgrade over my old POS sony receiver and it has the pre outs on it for when down the line i go with a separate amp. so what do you guys think about my choice?
Marantz seems to attract the same kind of loyalty as users of the harman/kardon brand IMO. Their owners seem very loyal to that particular sound. You should be very happy with your purchase, but you won't know for sure until you get it hooked up!

[mudgod]

If you decide you may want a new receiver, other than those already mentioned, and since Marantz seems to have caught your attention, there is currently an 8001 for sale right here, from a very reputable member, for just $575 (+ shipping etc.).

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=980941

As for the video capabilities, for many users you are quite right: there's no compelling need (other than HDMI audio capability, perhaps, for various reasons that would take a while to explain), but you might find that if you had them you would end up loving them (there are some convenience advantages etc. IMO).

Otherwise, your idea of adding an external amplifier to your existing receiver is also a good one IMO, and should work quite well. You have lot's of choices!

Hi
I tried searching the Classifieds forums and didn't find the seller for the SR8001, could you point me in the right direction