Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions advice on receivers

Hello all.

First time posting to this board, and also a newbie when it comes to all the technical aspects of home audio, so please bear with me.
I purchased the M60's and VP150 a month or so ago, and have been very pleased with the performance. But, I'm looking for some advice on receivers. I have a Sony STR-DE598 with the following specs (power is towards the bottom):

Product Specifications
Convenience

* AM/FM Memory Presets : 20 FM - 10 AM

Power

* Power Consumption (in Operation) : 220W
* Power Consumption (in Standby) : 0.2W
* Power Requirements : AC120V, 60 Hz

Weights and Measurements

* Dimensions (Approx.) : 16 15/16 x 6 1/4 x 12 1/4" (430 x 157.5 x 310mm)
* Weight (Approx.) : 17 lbs 10 oz (8Kg)

Audio Features

* Digital Cinema Sound™ Technology : Yes
* Dolby® Digital Decoding : Yes
* Dolby® Digital EX Decoding : Yes
* Dolby® Pro Logic® Decoding : Yes
* Dolby® Pro Logic® II Decoding : Yes
* Dolby® Pro Logic® IIX Decoding : Yes
* dts® 96/24 Decoding : Yes
* dts® Decoding : Yes
* dts® NEO:6 Decoding : Yes
* dts®-ES Decoding : Yes

Inputs and Outputs

* AC Outlet : 1 Switched
* Antenna Terminal (AM Loop) : 1 (Rear)
* Antenna Terminal (FM 75 Ohm) : 1 (Rear)
* Coaxial Audio Digital Input(s) : 2 (Rear)
* Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Input(s) : 2 (Rear)
* Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Output(s) : 1 (Rear)
* Composite Video Input(s) : 4 (1 Front/3 Rear)
* Composite Video Output(s) : 2 (Rear)
* Headphone Output(s) : 1 (Front)
* Multi-Channel Input(s) : 1 (Rear)
* Optical Audio Input(s) : 2 (Rear)
* RCA Audio Input(s) : 6 (1 Front/5 Rear)
* RCA Audio Output(s) : 2 (Rear)
* Subwoofer Output(s) : 1 (Rear)

Speaker

* Center Speaker Terminal : Yes
* Front Speaker Terminal : Yes (A & B)
* Speaker Terminal Type : Spring Clips (A & B)
* Surround Back Speakers : Yes
* Surround Speaker Terminal : Yes

Hardware

* Remote Control : Yes

Audio

* Channel Power Rating : 7.1 Channel Power Rating: 90W x 7 Amp Power (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, THD 0.09%)
* Impedance : 8 Ohms
* Sound Fields : Cinema - 4; Music - 3; Auto Format Decoding - 6
* Tuner Type : Auto Tuning, Direct Tuning, Station Name

My question is.......the receiver seems to have sufficient power to drive the M60's and VP150, so, if I were to upgrade the receiver significantly, can I expect the "sound quality" to improve significantly? I know the Sony is pretty much a budget receiver in terms of cost, but will I gain a lot in sound quality by spending bigger dollars on a new receiver, or will I simply be paying more for the newer "bells and whistles"??

Thanks

Mav, welcome. Because of the FTC regulations which govern amplifier power claims, this is about the only area in audio where we can be confident that the manufacturer's number will in fact be met(lab tests by some of the audio publications nearly always confirm this). The specified power of your receiver should meet nearly all reasonable home audio requirements, so no, spending more on a receiver won't result in any better sound quality whatever unless your particular use actually requires more maximum power capacity(unlikely). Yes, more up-to-date features can add improvements(other than simply a higher maximum power capacity)which can justify their cost.

"Mav, welcome. Because of the FTC regulations which govern amplifier power claims"

Is it not the CRTC in Canada and the FCC in the U.S?

Ukiah, welcome. No, the Federal Trade Commission has had regulations in effect for about 35 years which require a specific testing procedure by the manufacturer to arrive at power specifications for their home audio amplifiers. The regulations must be complied with for all units sold in the U.S. , and as a practical matter those sold in Canada meet the same requirements.

thanks, I always confuse FCC and FTC.

Inspite of the good advice and facts John brought up, I would be willing to say that you may in fact find better sound quality with a new avr, ie. Denon, Harmon Kardon, Yamaha, Onkyo, etc., just might yield better amplification, especially if you are looking at playing the M60s at louder volumes, say 85db and up. I had a Sony similar to yours, it was older bought in late 2003 and compared it to a Denon and running my M22s, the Denon had a better, more authoritative bass, it just sounded batter to me. I know others have found similar results. You could always buy one, compare it and if it doesn't sound any better, take it back.

It sounded like pancakes???

I'm not a loud listener, except when showing off, so I'm probably very rarely using more than 90 watts in my small 12x12 room where my HT resides. I have certainly never stressed out my 120 watt Denon, in any case, except maybe in experimentation.

However in comparison, in my much larger (forget the dimensions) living room with very high (2 story) vaulted ceilings and open concept to the kitchen and open double doors to another room, I have (although rarely) turned the volume knob on my old beater 100w Panasonic far enough that sound quality suffered. I suspect it was clipping just slightly, thus adding a small but noticeable level of distortion. It wasn't a static like distortion per say. I can best describe the sound as 'tiring' to listen to.

Different camps will argue about the perceived sound quality from amps at normal listening levels but both sides can probably agree that if you play exceptionally loud or have a huge area to fill loudly, then added amplification is required to avoid the effects of clipping.

You didn't mention your listening habits or your room size so I just thought I'd mention this.

D'oh!!!

Thanks for all the great advice. These forums have been a great help, and I've learned a lot just by reading thru the forums.
I guess for some reason I expected the higher priced receivers would somehow "process" the sound much better than a budget receiver, but I guess most of the dollars go into features, inputs/outputs, and of course more power.
Our room is not particularly large....about 17w x12d x9h, and sitting about 10 ft from the speakers. While I enjoy music fairly loud (rock, classic rock -- from Dave Matthews to Pink Floyd to Hendrix, Yes, Genesis, etc.) I don't consider it ear piercing. Hard to say exactly, but if the volume knob gives any indication (and it probably doesn't), I play the volume at about "50" vs. a max of "75".
I guess putting more dollars into the source component (cd/dvd player) would be worthwhile, as I assume this is the component that "processes" the sound?? We presently have an old 60-disc Technics cd player hooked up with rca plugs, and a Sony single disc dvd player hooked up by Toslink (also an xbox 360 hooked up by digital coax). I personally like the sound from the cd player best, even though it is by far the oldest component (over 10 years old).
As always, I appreciate the feedback and suggestions.

You have great taste in music!

In that size room, you are not likely to use more than 60-70w even at very loud levels.

Put the money saved into a bigger sub for movie booms and the synth and organ in ELPs debut album.