Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Onkyo 875

My 876 sat on the top of an open AV stand, so ventilation wasn't an issue.

It did not shut down while driving my M80's up to ~100db (6+ ohm mode), but it did start to sound more stressed beyond that point. And by stressed, I mean that the bass lost definition, the highs became a bit screechy, and the whole soundstage became less coherent. Distortion without much added volume. Unimpressive.

At least when compared to how my LPA-1 handles the same situation, with SQ remaining clean and composed well past 100db.

That would be how I would describe the 3808 vs the A1400. The 3808 was good to about 103-105 on the meter but the A1400, well, I couldn't get it to sound stressed, I ran out of gain in the 3808 before the amp ran out of room. Then again the 3808 and the A1400 sound different at lower volumes as well.

Peter, did you notice much difference at lower volumes between the Onkyo and the LPA, anything similar to my 3808/A1400 comparison?

I measured the 100db sound level at a distance of 5 metres from the M80's. The AVR was running rather hot probably around 60 degrees C or 140 degrees F. I think I will try what Peter suggested and run the AVR out of the cabinet for maximum ventilation.

hmmm, thanks guys. I guess if I get closer to getting a new receiver, I may just stick with Denon, my 2805 has been great, even at high levels.

Hey Jay, I may not always have extra amps, so I'm looking for a receiver that can do well alone. My company just cut everyone's pay from 2-10% depending on your current status. I got 7%, plus no bonus this year. I need a new receiver bad, and am considering parting ways with my Odyssey's. This is going to be a difficult decision, since I love them so.

Maybe. I'm reasonably sure that the SQ of my LPA+VSX43TX combo is at least slightly better than the VSX43TX alone at all volume levels. I become more sure as the volume levels increase. But at low levels, it's not really enough that I'd feel comfortable shouting it from the rooftops here. I've switched back to the VSX43TX alone a few times (as my AV rack would look much cleaner if I could get rid of the LPA), and the SQ always leaves me wanting a bit. It's hard to describe, but with the LPA back up, I have a sense of, "ahhhh, there it is" with the SQ. I know, purely subjective BS. But it's how I feeel.

Compared to the SC-05 and 876, things are different. The 876's SQ did not impress me at any volume level, with the sound generally feeling thin and lifeless. Cold & processed. I didn't even bother trying the 876+LPA combo. The SC-05, on the other hand, was very impressive on its own. In fact, it alone sounded every bit as good as my VSX-43TX+LPA combo, even up to very loud volume levels. Maybe even better in terms of absolute dynamics and soundstage, as when doing LPA+SC-05 test, I actually preferred the SC-05 alone. Very lovely sound; with controlled bass, full & lush midrange, and clean & clear hights without a hint of brightness. Very pleasant to listen to, for me anyway. The only reason I didn't keep it was that its feature set was a bit disappointing compared to the competition. From a purely SQ standpoint though, it was magnificent.

If the UMC doesn't work out for me (or when I get to demo my buddy's 3808), then it's very likely I'll go back and buy another SC-05 or SC-07. If you do a little digging, you can find killer deals on those; SC-05's for less than $700, SC-07's for less than $1k. At least I could a couple of weeks ago....

Ouch Quack. That's no fun. Sorry to hear that bit of news, especially since you might end up selling the Odyssey's.

That's a serious bummer, Randy. Just this weekend I was getting the feeling that things might start turning around soon. Judging by all the people who were out shopping this weekend, you certainly couldn't tell there was something wrong with the economy in northern Virginia.

I think there are rumblings that things are bottoming out. At least, that seems to be the cautiously optimistic sentiment that some of the talking heads are saying. Of course, it could just be a dead cat bounce. I've got a realtor-friend that says that he thinks that home sales are actually starting to improve a bit - locally anyway.

Of course, nothing's just suddenly going to get better tomorrow. It's going to take months and months.

I agree with ya, Peter (so weird to type, agreeing with myself)... I was at the local mega-shopping area this weekend (The Mall, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, etc) and it seemed as crowded as ever. Hard to park, lines at the checkouts. It sure seemed like people were spending!

Much of the recent activity on the Markets, was short covering. There are, finally some positive signs here and there, namely in the US home sales and mortgage lending. It'll be a slow recovery esp with the soap opera starring the car companies and the unions who seem intent on holding the economies hostage untill they get lots of your $$.

Whoop!! Whooop!! Off-topic Alert!