Looking for the top rated AVRs at <$2K to run Axiom M60 5.1 or 7.1.. 75-25% HT to music. I've been hooked on getting Denon 3808CI, but demo'd a Pioneer SC-07 at BB and it sounded great. Open to Yamaha, Onkyo, Marrantz etc.. Looking for users with Axiom M60 QS8 type set-ups.. Thank you!!

fab5valentine

Welcome,

Any of the reputable brands you've listed will work fine with Axiom speakers. Decide what bells/whistles your looking for in a receiver to meet your needs to base your decision. Receivers are designed to have a flat frequency response from 20hz to 20khz, so you won't "hear" any difference between the receivers, unless your introducing one of the built in DSP modes, or messing with the tone controls.

If you call 6th Avenue (reputable on-liner) and ask for the AVS Forum deal, you can score a Denon 3808 for right around $1100. It's a beast and will do the Axioms well.

If you want top spend the full $2K, ask for the price on a 4308.

That is a hefty budget for an AVR! I am a very happy owner of the 3808 (for $1100 for 6ave as mentioned above) and highly suggest it.

If you want the built in wifi and 10 extra wpc you can find out with the 4308 would run.

I just went with the 3808 and used a linksys wirles gaming adapter to convert the ethernet port into wireless.

Darrin, welcome. We buy speakers for sound quality and receivers for features. Operated within their designed limits all competently designed amplifiers, including those inside receivers, don't add any audible sonic characteristics. Axiom speakers don't have any special requirements.

You can stay well under $2000 and find very full-featured units with an excellent performance/price ratio. I'd suggest that you consider units such as the Denon 3808 and the Onkyo 876.

WOW!!! Thanks for the heads up!! I have used 6th Ave in the past with no problems and that seems like a great price. Thanks for the heads up.. I'm a current Denon owner at the next series down and it's been solid "no prob tank" in my system, but need to go HDMI in/out with more than 90wpc..

Next question going from 5.1 to 7.1 and not having much if any distance behind the seating position what would be the recommendation for the rear stage. Another pr of QS8's or another pr of M60's moving QS8's to the back.. I have a 2500^ft non seald rm leaking to a bigger adjacent space (9 ft ceilings)..

Thanks for the helpful information, I appreciate it..

Darrin,

You do understand that you only gain 3dB's in volume when you double your watts (going from 90 to 180watts)? So if you find a receiver that puts out around 135 watts, versus your existing 90 watts, your only gaining about 1.5 dB's which is minimal.

HDMI features is important, as would be the latest Audyssey MultEQ XT, Dynamic Volume, and Dynamic EQ features. Keep in mind, Denon should be coming out with new models as well soon. The 2809 is also a killer receiver loaded with options.

If you don't have much room behind the seating area, you would be better off just going with 5.1 and placing the Qs8's slightly behind the seating area on the side walls, not the rear walls.

I thought you might say that.. Thanks..

Any thoughts on QS8 ceiling mounts that drop the 8's down a bit.. My Omni mounts arn't cutting it making me angle them down just to get 5.25" clearance at the trailing edge.. Thanks!

fab5valentine

Oh yeah, I don't think 6ave ships to canada... did you say where you are from?

Also, the $1100 price tag on the 3808 includes shipping, and there is no tax! (at least not for me here in Oklahoma).

SC-07's are great. While it does not have quite the number of whiz-bang features that the 3808 has (the SC's GUI is poor, no upscaling of HDMI inputs, no OSD of source/voulme, no user-firmware updates, etc) , its B&O designed ICE class D amplifiers are amazing. Efficient and cool. While I've not heard the SC-07, the SC-05 was simply lovely with my M80's. Crisp & clean but also rich & warm, up to very high volume levels. I don't know whether it was the amps or the MCACC calibration, but it sounded a lot better than what OdysseyXT on the Onkyo 876 did, Odyssey on or off. Same room, same speakers.

And the real treat is that you can find SC-05's and SC-07's for way less than MSRP. Do a search on Videogon or look through the AVS threads about the SC05/07. A month ago, when I was looking at them, I had located a dealer that would have sold me an SC-05 for about $750 or an SC-07 for about $950. Didn't pull the trigger, because I'm waiting for Emotiva's UMC-1, but I almost did for those prices.

Good luck.