Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo hooked up cheapo receiver - sounds better?!?

I know that there have been many arguments about if all amps sound the same so I don't want to open that can of worms. However...

Last week I hooked up my cheap radio shack reciever that I had been using upstairs to my main system down in the basement. I have been using a Yamaha Rxv 3000 for the past 5 years or so and it doesn't have pro logic 2. My main love is music so I wanted to see what music sounded like in pro logic 2 which is why I tried the cheap reciever from upstairs.

Well, not only does pro logic 2 music sound fantastic, but the cheap receiver sounds much better in 2 channel as well. I know this makes no sense, but I know what I am hearing.

I have to think that maybe there is something wrong with the Yamaha. First of all it's one of those "grey" receivers that is not the unit that is sold in the USA. Also, I have contantly been trying to tweak things the past 5 years to make my music sound good. I just assumed that the axiom speakers were to blame for the fact that I was never comletely happy with the sound of my music. The bass usually sounded either boomy or non-existent - no middle ground. The highs sounded muted and if I turned up the treble or tried to eq they sounded tinny and fake.

None of this is true with the cheap radio shack receiver. I have been staying up late almost every night because I can't stop listening to music. It sounds so damn good.

Has anyone else had a grey market receiver that never sounded quite right?

Also, I have a couple of midrange drivers that rattle on certain frequencies and Axiom told me that's because they are underpowered. Underpowered?! That damn Yamaha weighs close to 60 pounds and is supposed to be a powerhouse. Hmmm...

Anyway, Axiom is sending me two free replacements even though it's been almost 3 years since I bought the speakers. You have to love how they treat their customers.

It's possible there is something wrong with the Yamaha, but is there any chance that either one of the DSP modes or some kind of auto-EQ is turned on and making the sound different ? Yamaha's DSP features can do all kinds of cool things to the sound, so the first thing you have to do is make sure they are all turned off

The 3000 is supposed to be quite a good receiver.

... and just think, with the extra processing power from next generation DSPs you will be able to select which TV personalities you want to arrange along the walls of the washroom to provide additional acoustic damping.

I haven't even hit "Continue" yet and already I have a bad feeling about where this is going...

Re: I haven't even hit "Continue" yet and already I have a bad feeling about where this is going...

Into the crapper!

I hooked up my Yamaha to my upstairs speakers which happen to be m3's. Yep, it has to be the receiver. I always prefered the sound of the m3's to the axioms in my main system but after hooking up the yammy they don't sound as good.

No, it's not a DSP mode or anything like that. I tried those along with trying to tweak everything I could think of (constant eqing was driving me nuts).

On one hand it's frustrating to know that the whole time I was trying to tweak things to make them sound better it was my expensive receivers fault but at the same time I am very happy to finally have a great sounding system. I was ready to go to sleep last night when I started playing Tool's new album and it sounded so damn good that I had to listen to the whole thing.