Receiver Education
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 44
buff
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OP
buff
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 44 |
Can someone point me to a few threads/articles so that I can figure out which to buy.
DTS vs Dolby?
Which features are necessary, which are fun?
I plan on 7.1 with 8os b/c size of room = huge, then 4 Qs8s, center not sure, sub not sure. Oh, and I will be using some sort of projection for visual (prob a mitsubishi or optoma of some sort).
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction...
Few pre-empts... Cost should be under 1500 delivered so not features too crazy; I am educated enough to find thx irrelevant; I don't care about which manufacturer so if one has better tech than others then steer me there...
I know this is a rehashed subject but I am looking for articles debating the pro/ cons of all the stuff in receivers today. The only receive that I have ever had is an old (at one point in history) top of the line Luxman stereo receiver circa 1979. So even though I am only 30 (I inherited it from my father), I need a few primers to bring me up to speed.
Thanks for your patience,
Ben
H/K DPR 2005
80s
150
4 QS 8s
600
Panny 97
Panny Ae 900
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,379 Likes: 7
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,379 Likes: 7 |
Haven't seen any good articles recently but will keep my eyes open. I have to say, though, that in the price range you're looking at (even $1000) you aren't going to have to do much picking and choosing of features -- any modern receiver at the high end is going to have pretty much every feature you could ever want. As far as I know the latest round of receivers have all the Dolby and DTS modes, for example...
The main variables at the high end are things like power, useabiliity (fancy remotes etc..), built in / automatic EQ, ability to run 4 ohm speakers at high power (M80s) etc...
BTW how big is your "huge" room and how loud do you like to listen ? Wondering if a lesser receiver or pre/pro plus outboard power amp might be a better solution ?
M60ti, VP180, QS8, M2ti, EP500, PC-Plus 20-39 M5HP, M40ti, Sierra-1 LFR1100 active, ADA1500-4 and -8
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 44
buff
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OP
buff
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 44 |
Huge = 20 x 30 x 8.5
Thanks,
Ben
H/K DPR 2005
80s
150
4 QS 8s
600
Panny 97
Panny Ae 900
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,155
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,155 |
You might want to go to the audioholics website and do some looking around. Axiom seems to favor Denon, Harmon Kardon and NAD because they seem to be able to drive the 4 ohm load of the M80s a little better.
Not much help, but maybe a little.
The Rat.
M80s, VP-150, QS8s,
SVS PC 20-39+, OPPO,
Onkyo 703s, Harmony 880
Sony 60" SXRD HDTV
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 340
devotee
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devotee
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 340 |
If you're using 80s in a large room, don't use one of those receivers that promises 150x5 that's less than 40 lbs.
I recommend you get a refurbished NAD off of spearitsound, or a refurbished harman kardon off of harmanaudio. They conservatively rate power, so when they say over 100 watts per channel: they mean it. And you'd need a lot of power in that huge room. Both are under your budget.
There are many other pros and cons. However, the reason people go to the 80s over the 60s is usually more power handling.. and if you're doing that, you'll want a receiver that can put out a lot of power.
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,843 Likes: 13
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,843 Likes: 13 |
Neb, welcome.....
Most receivers will be able to decode dvd's that are produced in BOTH DTS and Dolby. I'm not sure I've ever seen a receiver that is Dobly OR DTS. Now some do have THX certification and some do not. You will find many discussions on if THX certification is a big deal or not. A few years ago receivers were on 5.1 capable, meaning 5 channels (left,right,center, rear left, rear right) and the .1 is the Sub. Most dvds are still in 5.1. However, there are a few DVD's out there produced in 6.1 or above. It would be a good idea to buy a receiver that can be used in the future. That is why I purchased a 7.1 model. Also, some receivers have built in features like Dolby Pro Logic IIx, which will take 2 channel and 5.1 channel sound and matrix it into 7.1.
ps: not sure if I would call receiver features fun, but I guess you could put it that way.
M80s VP180 4xM22ow 4xM3ic EP600 2xEP350 AnthemAVM60 Outlaw7700 EmoA500 Epson5040UB FluanceRT85
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,379 Likes: 7
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,379 Likes: 7 |
That room size is going to make your life easier -- the dimensions are pretty good w.r.t. room modes (peaks in the low frequency response related to room dimensions) so I don't think room EQ is going to be a big factor for you.
If you can get more power for the money by going with a "slightly less than the newest" model (eg. I went with an HK 630 because I didn't care about the fancy room EQ in the 635) that would probably be your best option. The refurbs seem to be a good way to get a *lot* of receiver for the money... you might want to spend less than your budget and keep some money aside for a power amp to drive the mains in the future.
Have you given much thought to room arrangement yet, ie distance from seating position to speakers ? That is usually a factor in determining how much receiver power you need... ie an arrangement in one side of a large room doesn't need the same power as something where you are using the entire room for listening. Save some $$ for a powerful sub as well; you're probably going to need it
M60ti, VP180, QS8, M2ti, EP500, PC-Plus 20-39 M5HP, M40ti, Sierra-1 LFR1100 active, ADA1500-4 and -8
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,155
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,155 |
thasp: 20-25 years ago, weight was a good metric of a quality power supply. I'm not so sure that weight is a good metric any more. In the mean while, there have been better transformer materials developed such as "hypersil" which will drastically reduce overall weight. "Switching" power supplies have also become "standard" in much electronic hardware. So, I think that you need to look a little further than just the weight metric to determine the quality of an amplifier.
The Rat.
M80s, VP-150, QS8s,
SVS PC 20-39+, OPPO,
Onkyo 703s, Harmony 880
Sony 60" SXRD HDTV
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,751 Likes: 38
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,751 Likes: 38 |
Just checked over at Harmonaudio and saw the refurbished AVR 8000Z for $898. That is a steal! It has internal amps 5x110w with preouts for an external 2 channel amp giving you 7.1. If you want to go with a receiver as opposed to separates, this unit seems to be an unbeatable combination of features, quality, flexibility and power.
Last edited by 2x6spds; 06/05/05 05:25 PM.
Enjoy the Music. Trust your ears. Laugh at Folks Who Claim to Know it All.
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Re: Receiver Education
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 28
hobbyist
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hobbyist
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 28 |
I'll say one thing: that old HK is just gorgeous! WHy in @#$% did HK ever quit using that chassis?
Pioneer VSX1014-TX
HK DVD31
M22ti mains
VP100 center
M2i surrounds
SVS PB10-ISD
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