Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater AV Receiver for Epic 80

I am in the process of taking the plunge into home theater. I will be purchasing the Axiom Epic 80 package minus the EP350 subwoofer (I'm buying the SVS PB1 instead - sorry Axiom). I am trying to find the right receiver for this setup and have narrowed the choices down to three: Denon 4803R, Harman Kardon 7200, or Marantz 8300 (or 7300ose if I can't find a cheap 8300).

My problem is two fold: There is no one dealer here that carries all three of these receivers so I can't do a side-by-side, and (obviously) I can't demo them with Axiom speakers. I would appreciate anyone who has experience with any of these three chiming in. If you have or once had one of these all the better.

Thanks for your help. I'll probably be displaying my ignorance in future postings once I get all my stuff purchased.

I have the Denon AVR-4802 (There's no such thing as a 4803 yet and near as I can tell, the R simply designates that they finally paid up to have THX don the receiver with a U2 logo rather than just THXU.)

I'm very happy with it. The remote kind of sucks, but I hate pretty much every remote I've ever used with the exception of my Pronto. Otherwise, it was very easy to setup and the feature set is remarkably complete.

Sorry about the typo on the Denon model number. How is the Denon on the highs? The 3803 sounded a little harsh to me, but I didn't have a chance to hear the 4802 in a decent room.

I doubt you'll find much of a sonic difference between the three, so you should probably buy based on user interface, remote, functionality, etc.

If you're looking at something as pricey as the Denon 4802, though, have you thought about separates from Rotel, Outlaw, or Adcom (all of which might run less than the 4802)?

I have thought about seperates from Outlaw, although they would be about $300 more than the 4802. I've found the 4802R online for about $1,150. Outlaw has piqued my interest however, and if anyone has any experience with them matched up with the M80s I'd also be interested in hearing from them.

Welcome, David(can't imagine where you might have lived before Vegas). First, there's no "right" receiver for your setup unless there's some specific feature you're looking for that you'll find in just one. All the receivers you've listed are of fine quality and are transparent so that the sound of the recordings, speakers and listening room won't be affected. However, I will suggest another receiver that has a feature that can significantly improve the overall sound: the Pioneer 55TXi with its automatic MCACC(MultiChannel ACoustic Calibration)which sets speaker levels and delays and makes frequency balance adjustments to partially compensate for speaker and listening room characteristics.

how much power does the outlaw amp you are considering put out?since your looking at the epic 80 package,you must be looking for a big sound,so even though the m80s have a high sensitivity rating,i would give them all the power your budget will allow,the m80s sound great to me at high or low levels,and they handle the (roughly) 225 watts i give them with no signs of stress,your going to want to crank these up.as for your question about them matching with outlaw products,ive never heard them,but i do like seperates myself..more power=more fun,IMO...good luck...ron

David,

I second JohnK's suggestion of the Pioneer 55TXi (or even the 49TXi if you can find a good price), especially if you plan to get a DVD-A/SACD player in the near future. In addition to the MCACC which is no gimmick, the 55TXi features the i.Link/IEEE1394, which is becoming the industry standard for digitally connecting DVD-A/SACD players. Also, third-party measurements attest that the amp section of the Pioneer Elite is no slouch compared to your other candidates.

Thanks for the input. In response to the amount of power the Outlaw amp would provide, the answer is 100 x 7 watts (Outlaw 7100 I think). Again this might be out of my price range, but my concern is value not so much price. I think the Pioneer Elites may be out of my price range too, but I will look into them. I have heard that they run hot - not a boon in Las Vegas.

Just found the Pioneer Elite VSX-55txi online for around $1,100.00. Thanks for the tip. I'll try to audition it at lunch.

FYI, those dirt low prices on audio gear are from non-licensed vendors. Denon will refuse to honor the warranty if they find out you didn't buy from an authorized dealer, and the serial number may have been tampered with which will also result in dismissal of any problems you encounter.

Yes. Be aware that most online vendors will try to sell you a third-pary warranty, which can be very expensive. Also, don't forget the shipping cost -- these gears are heavy.

If you are interested in the 55TXi, contact the member DocDVD (Josh Lehman) at the AVSForum, or visit his web site at docdvd.com. Josh will hook you up with an authorized Elite dealer, who will furnish an in-store receipt that guarantees the 2-year factory warranty. I bought my 45TX from him, and the total price was best I could find.

Hey Jayhawk,

Listen to the warnings. $1100 for the new 55TX is way too low. I've auditioned the VSX-45TX (which I'm considering myself) and it retails for $1600 ($2400 Canadian - it was offered to me for $2000). What's your budget for a receiver and what features are a necessity for you?