Hi everyone.
I've been using a Denon 3805 receiver to drive my system (M60s, VP150, QS8s & SVS PB-12/2) for the last couple of years, since I upgraded to the Axioms. While the sound is clear and detailed I keep feeling like I'm missing something, lately leading me to conclude that it sounds a little "thin", especially on 2 channel "direct" playback. I have tweaked the system to hell and back in the last couple of years and I know the sub is well calibrated.
So this weekend I swapped in my old Harmon Kardon AVR-65 receiver just to see what it would sound like. I only wired up the M60s using an optical connection to a my CD player and did some back to back comparisons. While the HK lacked a fair bit of the detail of the Denon it had a fuller sound with quite a bit more punch. Overall it was a slightly smoother sound, with more prominent midrange and midbass. It also appears to be much more powerful amp (approx 10dB at same indicated output of -15dB). I used my level meter to ensure comparisons were equal in volume.
So, of course now I'm wandering down the upgrade path again and wondering whether adding a separate power amp like the Emotiva LPA-1 or the Outlaw 7125 to my Denon will give me the fuller sound I am looking for.
For now I am happy enough with the feature set of the Denon, as I do not yet need the Dolby HD decoding features etc of the new receiver generation. Of course the other option would to replace the receiver anyway, perhaps with something like the Marantz 7002 - but right now that would be stretching my budget and I don't really want to downgrade.
I would appreciate your expertise and opinions as the only local retailers are chains or really expensive boutiques with very limited inventory, so I would have to cross my fingers and use the buy and see method.
Dave
