Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater narrowed it down to two receivers, need input

Hey guys

bascially i have checked ebay and my local store, and i am about to buy one. please help me decide which of the two receiver to buy. the prices list below are all inclusive (taxes, etc).

1.) denon 3805 (include mic) for around $1000 canadian dollars
2.) yamaha rx-v2500 around $800 canadian dollars

Thanks alot
i'll be matching it up with the epic 60-500 component speakers (but i might not get the subwoofer).

I wouldn't buy either, I would pick an Onyko receiver or possibly the Pioneer. Just kidding of course You should pick the one that has the features that you most want. Or flip a coin

lol, funny Wid.

but honestly, i don't know too much about the features and i don't want to spend too much time on it. I probably can't hear the difference between the two if i visit my local home theather store. I really don't mind either. I guess i just want to know if it is worth spending the extra $200, if not, than i'll order the yamaha tomorrow on ebay.

Quite honestly I have no experiance with either brand. Here we have fans of both brands, some say the Denon is the cake while others will ehco the same statement about their Yamaha. I don't see how you could go wrong with either, if your looking to save a couple hundred then you know your answer.

Those two receivers are essentially identical as to power and have more than you'll likely ever need. Yes, if you visited a store and all other factors were kept equal(a rare occurrence), you wouldn't be able to hear the difference, because there wouldn't be one. If you can't find some feature that sways you toward one of the units, obviously go with price and get the 2500.

thanks, i guess i'll go with the yamaha.

The Yamaha will be easier to figure out in terms of the manual and operation. Many Denon owners have mentioned this problem, however, my vote goes to the Denon.

If you ever get upgradeitis and want the m80's, the Denon's won't shut down and overheat.

oh thanks sirquack. I guess i try to decide whether i'll get the m60 or m80 tonight. since i'll probably use this setup for years to come and will not be upgrading much.

Is there much difference between the m60 to m80. A lot of people on this board say the m60 is more than enough, so i never really considered the m80s. plus, i really don't know what (frequency, watts, or khz, etc) all mean. I am really new to home theather systems. I sort of just follow the crowd.

p.s. anyone recommend a good website that explains all of these specifications and what is important in speakers and etc.

I can easily recommend the Denon 3805. It has enough power for most HT rooms. But I will be getting a separate amplifier soon because I have my HT in a very large room.

will the yamaha rxv-2500 be enough to drive the ep500??? Cause i still have to decide whether i am getting that sub

The subwoofer has its own amp as far as I can tell so that wouldn't be a problem.

um the 500 is a self powered sub, i.e it has its own amp the only thing the reciever is doing is giving the sub's amp a signal to work with. almost any sub you buy today has its own amp built into the cabnet.

Blackie, the EP500 has its own amplifier, so the receiver doesn't "drive" it; it just feeds it low bass signals. No power from the receiver is used. Incidentally, there should be no concern about the recent Yamaha receivers and 4 ohm loads. Note this report on the 2500 showing about 200 watts into 4 ohms.

Any receiver will drive the ep500. Most subs have their own amp inside. The receiver just passes the low frequencies on to the sub amp. In fact, having a powered sub as part of your speaker setup to drive the low frequencies lightens the load on your receiver as it takes less power to drive the mid and high frequencies drivers that are in your mains.

Paul

hey johnk, what does the 4ohm and yamaha refer to. is it to the subwoofer or front speaker. I read the link but not too sure what they mean. What exactly does 4ohm mean??? and why is it important.

ALSO, I am thinking of ordering from the factory outlet to save some money. Are there major difference compare to the regular price ones??

thanks

oh, thanks for all the respnses. Sorry for all these stupid questions.

No such thing as a stupid question , As far as ordering from the factory, I did it to save some coin on my M60's and the speakers I received were flawless.

>>ALSO, I am thinking of ordering from the factory outlet to save some money. Are there major difference compare to the regular price ones??

At the end of the production line someone visually inspects over each speaker very carefully. If they find even a tiny "ding" in the finish the speaker goes in the Factory Outlet inventory; if perfect it goes in normal inventory. I bought my QS8s from FO; each had one small dent in an edge, like a thumbnail pressed into it, not visible from more than a foot or so away.

re: M60 vs. M80 and "the 4 ohm thing" -- main difference is that the M80s can play very loudly without straining at all, while the M60s can start to hit their limits if you are playing really loud in a large room. M80s are a 4 ohm speaker which essentially "draws more power" from the receiver at any given volume setting, but also plays more loudly with that extra power. Denon, HK and NAD designs seem to be very reliable with 4 ohm speakers; Yamahas used to have problems with 4 ohm loads -- they would get hot and shut down if you played really loudly. If you go with M80s I think most of us would suggest you match them with the Denon.

thanks everyone, you guys really help to narrow down on what i should get and help explain all these tech specification.

i am now certain to go with the m60, vp150 and q8s through factory outlet. And i guess the yamaha rxv2500 will be fine.

Now, one last question is what i should do about the sub. Last time, a lot of people recommended the ep500, now i am seriously considering it. Now, what do you guys think about the EP350??? Would you guys still suggest the ep500??? i could afford it but i just don't know if i can appreciate it. Me, being all new to home theather system.
plus, i don't like to watch movies with loud speakers and sub, it is more about quality and clarity and realism of sound than loudness/more power.

Blackie, I just threw that 2500 test link in at no extra charge because there's been some discussion about Yamaha and other receivers as to how well they drive 4 ohm speakers(such as the M80s, if you would decide to get them instead of the M60s, which are 8 ohms). A 4 ohm speaker has lower impedance and allows more current to flow, which in extreme cases could cause amplifiers to start to overheat; their protective circuits would then shut them down. The link shows that when they tested the 2500 into a 4 ohm load it had power outputs in the area of 200 watts, which is more than it's likely would ever be used in the typical home setup.

Yes, order from the outlet with confidence; most of us who've done that have had a hard time finding the slight cosmetic blemishes said to be present.

ya, you just threw that in at no charge to confuse me. Gee, thanks.
Seriously, i appreciate that input. good to know it will work for the m80 as well.

Get the EP500 if you can afford it. I've owned both, believe me you will appreciate it. The EP500 is about quality and clarity, when you own a sub like the EP500 the realism in movie sound effects is dramaticaly increased. The EP350 is no slouch, just not in the same class.

Went looking for a definition of "speaker impedance" that didn't require a degree in electrical engineering to understand. The best I found was.

"Impedance:
The load value (in ohms) that the speakers present to the amplifier — the amount of resistance to the flow of current. While playing music, a speaker's actual impedance constantly fluctuates; however, speakers are usually given a single nominal impedance rating for easy comparison. Low-impedance speakers (4 ohms or less) can cause problems with receivers or amplifiers that are not designed to deliver large amounts of current."

You will be happy with the 60s. I was. I am even happier with the 80s for a few dollars more, with no upgraditis. Swing the EP500 if you can. I have the 500 and still have upgraditis for the 600. You won't believe the sounds and feelings. With the 60-500 or 80-500 you will be the envy of the block.