Receiver Recommendation

[chaoticasj]

I am starting the process of upgrading my home audio system and I am looking for a recommendation on a receiver.

For my main speakers, I have purchased a set of RTi12s from the Polk ebay store. My current receiver doesn't have the power to drive them, and it is lacking preamp outs. I do have an Adcom GFA-555ii amplifier to drive those once I get a new receiver. I'm hoping to have find a CSi3 or CSi5 for the center. The system is in a greatroom, and the living room area is about 16'x24'. TV is on a 16' side. I am currently running 5.1, but would like to switch to 7.1.

Regarding my equipment to connect, I have a Blu-ray player over HDMI and a wii over component, so I don't need a ton of inputs.

I've been focusing on the Onkyo receivers as they seem to be well liked and considered a good value. Based on this, I was looking at the RC180/NR807 and they seemed to have a decent feature set, though a review by HomeTheaterMag shows that it only delivers 30wpc all channels driven. I'll use the external amp for the RTi12s, but i'm concerned about having enough power for the center. I was considering stepping up to the nr1007, as I have read on forums (no test results) where people state that it will deliver it's rated power on all channels. I am very interested to try out the Audyssey 9.1, but I'm not sure if I am just trying to talk myself into the 1007...

The NR1007 is already stretching how much I want to spend. I am a little concerned about spending that much money on it and having a new HDMI revision on its way out with new models this year.

Does anyone have some feedback on the NR807/NR1007 comparison? Are there some other models that would be more appropriate to consider?

[polkfarmboy]

Give me a 1007 over an 8 anyday

I have a csi5 that I am getting rid of soon but I think a csi3 will sound awefull with 12's

[TNRabbit]

A used Sunfire Ultimate Receiver can be had for $800, give or take. Helluva receiver. Check ebay or audiogon.

[Huck344]

Welcome to the forum.

Regarding the speakers, the RTi12's are great. How high is the ceiling? I would most likely suggest the CSi5, but it is a huge speaker.

Personally, I think you will be fine with the NR807. It's vastly cheaper than the NR1007. You will already be powering your fronts with the Adcom. In my opinion, the 807 should have enough power to run your center (your surrounds don't use much). But, if you end up feeling that your center isn't getting enough power, you can always buy a nice used monoblock amp at a later date. The 807 has enough power to run your surrounds and rears.

What type of budget are you looking at? What are you looking at for your surrounds and rears?

[LuSh]

All Channels Driven tests are a horrible way to judge output power from a receiver and I would recommend listening to the receiver as opposed to buying one off of a ACD test. These tests are misleading. For further research google "All Channel Driven Tests", there is enough already out there to read as to why these tests are meaningless.

[nooshinjohn]

Make certain that any Reciever you aquire has PRE-OUT capability... This is essential for adding external power amps.

[chaoticasj]

My ceiling is only 8'. I read some posts (on this forum I think) suggesting that the CSi3 was better suited to the RTi12s because they both use the 5-1/4" driver. I could fit the CSi5 no problem. Not to fall into the "bigger is better" trap, but I was leaning towards the 5. I just want to get the receiver first, because I can't even use the 12s until I do. I did borrow some equipment from a friend so that I could hear them with the Adcom, but only with 2 channel so far.

From what I can tell, the 807 won't let me run 9 channels even if two of them are driven externally. Regarding budget, the street price of the 807 was initially more than I wanted to spend until I started looking into specs. So I'm looking for something in the streetprice range of the RC180 to the NR1007. (I'm not sure if this forum allows discussion of non-MSRP prices)

I definitely need some input on the surrounds. Looking for either 2 or 4.

polkfarmboy, why do you suggest the 1007 over the 807?

[cnh]

Because the 1007 has more features and a more ROBUST transformer and more raw POWER than the 807. But as someone says above....if the Adcom is running the fronts I don't think you'll have any problems with the 807 plus there have been some other bench tests done on the 807 that are at odds with Home Theater on its power ratings.

For a fuller discussion of this problem refer to the voluminous information provided by LuSh who 'really' hates all channels driven as a legitimate stat! Another stat I think he dislikes has been a standard at Harman Kardon for years....the Instantaneous (H.C.) Dynamic current peak....ex. +/- 35 amps or 60 amps, or? Onkyo also provided such a figure for a while. What it actually means is open to question since most wall sockets have a 15 amp limit?

cnh

[wutadumsn23]

Make certain that any Reciever you aquire has PRE-OUT capability... This is essential for adding external power amps.

+1

Because the 1007 has more features and a more ROBUST transformer and more raw POWER than the 807. But as someone says above....if the Adcom is running the fronts I don't think you'll have any problems with the 807 plus there have been some other bench tests done on the 807 that are at odds with Home Theater on its power ratings.cnh

+2

These guys have you headed in the right direction.

-Jeff

[digitalvideo]

Make sure you also look into the Pioneer Elite recievers - SC-05, SC-07, SC-09, SC-25, SC-27 which I believe will beat any Onkyo in it's respected class for sound. You can get some great deals on last year's Pio Elite recievers too.

http://hometheatermag.com/receivers/..._av_receiver/#

[LuSh]

I really believe people purchase many items via online now without listening to gear and it's kind of disappointing as many half truths become full truths and paper doesn't always transcend into real world performance. Listening use to be the only way one could be sure, the more you listened the more you learned about this hobby. Now people seem to read and become experts, not peeling back the information a little more and searching a little deeper. I usually (or at least try) keep my yap shut about most of the stuff but the ACD test and current tests really make me go bonkers.

The ACD test is the most insanely neglectful (yes I said neglectful) test ever invented to convince readers that their magazine does a more comprehensive review of equipment then the other guy. The ACD test was designed to make you believe you could measure true output power of the receiver. There are numerous glaring holes in this specification.
Music, movies, media...the content is a series of rolling hills, the ACD test is a flat line test. The rolling hills represent impedance, thermal output, wattage, current. An All Channels Driven test is the absolute antithesis (DIRECT OPPOSITE) of the real world.

- No receiver or amplifier on the planet is designed or should be designed to output equal power to all channels under the exact same impedance. I would recommend buying a receiver/amplifier that outputs the highest rated wattage if your considering using 5 of the exact same speakers and listening to pink noise tests as your primary source of music. Music/Movies are a series of peaks and dips through a number of speakers. Buy a product that can swing current/power from one speaker to another as quickly as possible.

- Thermal output is never measured. If a manufacture wants to look good on these tests they can engineer a product which might look good on such tests at the risk of long term reliability as thermal output could be higher causing more stress to the power supply. Worse, they might spec well but sound terrible at that specification as too much stress is put on the transformer with not enough heat sink to cope.

- Varying impedance swings are usually never measured. No speaker on a planet is a 8/6/4 ohm at all times. The ACD tests don't take into account how a receiver copes with swings in impedance, which is the very essence of how the two interact. One manufacture might look good at 8ohms, but he will completely fall apart at lower impedance loads.

So what's important then? SNR, Output impedance, damping factor, slew rates? No...take a dynamic piece of music or movie slip it in and listen. Your ears will tell you everything you need to know about whats under the hood and how it will work in your environment with your media faster then it would take you to read up on all this crap and understand it, and then realize every specification on the planet must be taken with a grain of salt.

[thuffman03]

A used Sunfire Ultimate Receiver can be had for $800, give or take. Helluva receiver. Check ebay or audiogon.

+1. Sunfire will give you loads of power and good sound.

[cnh]

Thuffman..

Sunfire...? Really? ARE You sure?

I'm just joshing you, of course...because I know you're a Sunfire man. Nothing wrong with that.

And what did I tell you guys? LuSh nice discussion. Really, let your experience tell you what something sounds like. Numbers can only be a guide and you should not put complete faith in them.

cnh

[AGUERRA]

a onkyo 805

[cnh]

a onkyo 805

Only an 805 (of the 80X series) can compare favorably with a newer 1007...but the 1007 has A LOT more features and a bit extra power for the new HEIGHT speakers.

It's your call?

cnh