Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Need help: Which A/V Receiver to get???

Hello all,
My head started spinning when I first started to research speakers for my new home theatre (19'L x 14'W x 9'H) and it hasn't stopped yet! There are just so many different choice and components! Anyway, I have decided that I want to use Axioms (M60ti, QS4, VP100) and the SVS 16-46 PCi sub. I have also decided that I will use one A/V Receiver instead of seperates. Currently the room is pre-wired with 14 gauge speaker wire in an 8.1 configuration, just so I have the flexibility for placement of the speakers just in case I run out of money. :-p

To make a long story short... Which Receiver should I get??? I know I want at least 100w x 7... I know Denons, Yamahas, Onkyos, and Pioneer Elites are all good makers... But for the size of my room, and the main purpose of watching and hearing movies in the highest definition, what should I get??? I currently also have a 51" Toshiba HDTV rear projection. Any suggestions are welcomed, on either the receiver or my current speaker selections. Thank you all in advance.

Pete

Pete, as I don't care for MTM centers, I'll again make my frequent suggestion of a vertical M2 for that use.

On the receiver, pick one with automatic room equalization, e.g. the new Denon 3805, the Pioneer 55TXi, or the Yamaha 2400. All of these have plenty of power for your use, so pick some other feature you like or flip a coin.

I have been in the same boat for awhile also. I have narrowed my choices down to the Denon 3805 and the Yamaha 2400. If you are going to use it for movies I would make sure the receiver has DPLIIx if you plan on eventually running a 7.1 setup. I am leaning towards getting the Denon.

Pete;

Look for a receiver with the features you want at a price you like. Discontinued HK's can be had for good prices on Ebay (sold by HK with warantees), and discontinued and refurbed Denons can be found at E-cost and Dakmart (authorized Denon resellers).

Though some like the automatic EQ feature of the new Denons, Pioneer Elites, and Yamahas, others, including Alan Lofft, Axiom's resident guru, are of the opinion that this feature can do more harm than good.

Bottom line, if you get one of the higher end Onkyos, Denons, HK's, or Yamahas you cannot really go wrong. And don't believe anybody who tries to tell you that a certain brand of receiver is "bright" or "warm" and makes a better match for your Axioms than another brand.

Oh, and don't forget to post your opinions and pictures after you get your setup is complete.

Mark

yeah, you need to set a budget.
i'm an onkyo man myself.
a lot of people recommend the pioneer elites on avsforum. i almost bought one for my bedroom, but i decided not to put a system up there.
ebay can be your best asset.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39799&item=3090567107&rd=1

but it looks like you want to go ahead and jump for 7.1?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39799&item=3089970185&rd=1

bid aggresively on that one if you want 7.1.

Pete, I agree with the units mentioned and mark's sage advice - get the fetures you want. Any of those units will work well for you. The Denon 3805, HK 7200 and Yammy 2400 are the pearls in the group. Separates might be ( a more expensive) alternative to consider.

Also, the 16-46 is a good choice, but did you consider the 20-39. A bit smaller, goes almost as low (not much available to listen to between 16-20) and there is more headroom. Have you discussed with the folks at SVS.

Ray

Ditto for Mark's advice.
The auto EQ feature should be viewed with extreme caution. Look for other features as selling points instead.
All the brands mentioned are very good.

Thanks all for the great advice. I will consider the other SVS sub, should do nicely for the size of my room. One other feature I would like on the receivers is the component video upconversion. I would also opt for the receiver that will have the most available connection options. With the originally mentioned Axiom speaker selections, how high can I go on the watts per channel without doing harm to the speakers?

I would venture to say that there is no commonly available A/V receiver with enough power to damage tha Axioms. According to resident Axiom guru Alan Lofft, M80's have been subjected to 700 watts of power for many hours without suffering damage.

It is actually too little power that damages speakers. An underpowered receiver will distort (clip) if it tries to exceed its rated power, and it is this clipping which is the cause of most speaker damage.

Mark

Thanks Mark for your help. At this point I am figuring around $3000 for the entire 6.1 setup (for now). Speakers plus the sub alone will mostly take $2300 - $2400 away from that, so I am thinking about $600 - $700 for the receiver. Interconnects and other cabling is not in this equation because I have other friends financing that part (poker game winnings :-) ).

I was just where you're at a month ago. I ended up going with the Harman Kardon 630 from One Call ($718 shipped to my door). I saw it the week before at Circuit City for $1299! They, by far, had the best price on the internet and for a factory authorized reseller (meaning your warranty is good). I've had it for a short time but can tell you that is pleanty a powerhouse. SO...just one more to think about. Oh...and it's pretty sweet looking too. www.harmankardon.com

Though whatever you pick I'm sure you'll be very happy.

Enjoy!

I suggest the Harmon Kardon AVR630. I'm running M60s/VP150/QS8s. It's a great combo, and will play louder than you could possibly want it to go in an enclosed area (at least in a 16'x17'x8' one). I'm going to take them outside one day to see how loud they'll REALLY go). It has all of the surround modes you can possibly want, and H/K is testing the upgrade to Dolby Pro Logic IIx right now. You'll be able to hook your PC up to it to do the upgrade. It also fixes the only real complaint that I ever heard about this unit, the 1 second of dead air you get when you switch inputs, channels, or sound modes. Yeah, it does that. I do not consider it an issue. My TV does the same thing when I switch channels, so I never even noticed it at all until I read about it.

You can get it for $718 right now at OneCall. 2 day Fed Ex, and they will call you in a few days to make sure everything was in good order.

I just realized something pretty cool. I bought 5 speakers and a receiver over the internet. I am completely and totally thrilled with all of the equipment. I have never set foot in a store. Even better, I NEVER TALKED TO A SALESMEN! Well... I spoke with Brent at Axiom, but he really just answered questions and took the money.

Both companies managed to get the stuff here within 3 business days (I think Customs slow things down by a day). Both companies either e-mailed or called me within a couple of days to make sure things were A-OK.

Heck, I'm getting teary eyed... I'm about to call SVS to order my sub. From what I've read, I expect to be batting a thousand by the time all is said and done.

Happy receiver hunting,

I'm curious about your choice of QS4s and the VP100 to go with an M60. You say this is for a home theater, so presumably stereo audio isn't too important, but you're paying for the almost-top towers, while that same $400 (compared to the M22s) could go to upgrading the QS4s to 8s and the VP100 to a 150. Assuming you set your crossover the same on all channels (as recommended, and few receivers let you do otherwise), I don't think you'll be using the M60 much.

Anyway, it's up to you, and I know your head already hurts, but I'm just curious about that combination. I just ordered an M22/VP150/QS8 combination, but didn't have much choice about towers due to cats & (future) kids. Since ours is almost exclusively HT, I don't know if I would have gotten towers anyway.

Bruce

Bruce,

You'll love that combo for HT. It will open open your eyes.

Hi Bruce,

At this point I am still open to all options... I am pairing the M60s with VP100 and QS4s because I have read on this message board, as well as on Axiom's website that they are better matched sonically. I often wonder about that since I thought the entire Axiom line were timbre matched. I have thought about the exact same combo as yours, and haven't ruled it out, it will definitely save "some" money for upgrading cables or more for the receiver. :-) Keep the suggestions coming guys, the heavy fog is lifting with every post. I am currently considering the following receivers:

Denon 3805
Yamaha RX-V2400 or RX-Z1
Harman Kardon AVR630
Onkyo TX-NR901

Of all of these, the Yamaha and the Denon has the most intuitive and best laid-out back panel (for me). Feature between all are comparable so which one should I take?

dont get HK if you plan on running a record player.. they have no phono inputs or a ground connection.

just in case that was an option.

bigjohn

In reply to:

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dont get HK if you plan on running a record player.. they have no phono inputs or a ground connection.

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You can use a phono preamp if you need a turntable.

Pete, if the $600 area you mentioned for the receiver applies, the ones that you're considering don't fit. The Yamaha 1400 may well be your best choice available for around $600.