Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater NAD 762 or HK 525?

After 3 months in the work bench, my dealer gave up on my NAD T61 and is now offering a T762 as a replacement with their apologies. I really liked the detailed-yet-not-harsh sound of the NAD T761 but the center and rear left channel disappeared when I set them all to "LARGE" and
subwoofer "OFF". This happened, thank God, within the 2 yr warranty.

My question: Is it wise to give NAD a second chance with T762 or opt for the HK AVR525 instead? I'm aware that the AVR525 is cheaper than the T762 but is AVR525 reliable? Which is a better match to the somewhat bright M22 speakers?

My listening habit is 80% music and 20% movies. This is my setup:
Axiom M22Ti fronts
Axiom VP150 center
Rad Shack LX5 surrounds
Velodyne CT100 sub
Aperion Audio 8" musical sub
Toshiba SD3750 DVD player using the Coax output
Monster M1000D silver digital coax cable
generic 14 gauge speaker cables

Thanks for insights.

Jerome, I assume that you mean your dealer is also offering a 525 instead of a 762. Neither of those receivers has a characteristic "sound" of its own. The sound you hear is determined by the recording, your speakers and your listening room, not by the receiver. If you've been getting "detailed-yet-not-harsh" sound with the 761 you'll get the same with either the 762 or the 525. Both are also generally reliable; your experience with the 761 can happen with anything. Choose based on the features; my pick would probably be the 525, giving weight to its Logic7 processing and other features.

The reason I chose the 525 over the 762 is exactly what JohnK refers to: the features to price ratio. As I recall, the 762 is only 5.1 (or 6.1?) and the 525 is 7.1, with speaker outs for all 7 channels.

Oops. 'Forgot to note that yes, the dealer is OK with either
the 762 or 525 as replacement.

I remember from the 761 that NAD has this EARS proprietary
processing much like HK's Logic7 or Marantz's Circle Surround.

Sorry to hear you got a lemon. All manufacturers make a few lemons here and there...NAD is no exception. I would simply accept the fact that you were one of the unlucky few and give them another try....especially if you liked what the T761 did for you (sound, performance, looks, etc.)

The T762 is a significant improvement over the T761. If you liked the 761, you should be even more impressed by the 762. IMO, the NAD is simply a better receiver than the H/K. It may not have as many options (some of those which some of us will never use anyway) but it makes up for it in other areas. The NAD is significantly more powerful (at least 30w/channel) and does 2 channel music better than the H/K. I am not suggesting the H/K525 is a slouch..it's a very respectable piece of equipment. I just think the H/K is outgunned where it counts.

The T762 doesn't do Logic 7 (too bad). However, I suppose if that was important to you, you wouldn't have purchased a non-logic 7 receiver in the first place.

Lastly, the T762 is 6.1 but has 7.1 pre-outs. I also like how the T762 has dual subwoofer outputs (not sure if the H/K does?).

KC, thanks for your opinion.

Do you know if the NAD 762 has separate cross-over setting for fronts, and for center, and for the rear channels?
I know it allows for multiple x-over frequency but is the
adjustment "global" in effect? For ex. can I set
40Hz for front, 60Hz for center, and 200Hz for rear channels?

The H/K does not have dual sub outputs. Good points, all, KC.

Shenriq,

It is indeed unusual to hear of such unpleasant experience with NAD receiver. Trust me, I did more than my share of research before deciding on my NAD761 and after more than a year,I remained convinced that it was one of my best investments. In my book, it stands firmly on its reputation for delivering true sound quality - possibly not the best for HT but definately up there in term of stereo.

From what I know, NAD762 is an improvement over T761 and if your preference is music, NAD is surely the way to go.

However, if you're still losing sleep over the decision, may I suggest you compare both with a similar CD track of your choice. That was what I did when I shortlisted my choice between NAD and Yahama.

All the best......

Hi,

I recommend NAD only very reluctantly (fingers crossed behind my back) despite the excellent engineering, because of quality-control problems going as far back as the mid-1990s. I even recall a press conference by NAD held at the Consumer Electronics Show, in which NAD announced it had chosen a new factory that was going to end the complaints of poor reliability.

Of friends and acquaintances, I know of only one who hasn't had problems with their NAD gear. He has Axiom M22s that he uses with an NAD C-370 integrated amp, no sub, and the combo sounds wonderful.

Regards,

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm leaning towards
the HK. As much as a liked NAD's sound quality, I can't
imagine spending another month without a receiver.
I know this may not happen but if it does...
Oh, and shipping costs can add up.