Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Receiver recommendation

Hi all,

I was needing a little advice on one of the following receivers that I have noticed, and whether they would be powerful enough to drive a sound system from Axiom such as M80s, VP150, EP500, QSR8's.

Pioneer VSX-816x
Pioneer VSX-516-K
Sony STR-DG600
Yamaha HTR-5930SL

I would love to have Denon receiver, but that's not in the budget right now.

-ethan

I'm not sure you are going to have a choice in the matter. You'll need at least a Denon, Harmon Kardon or seperate amp to power the M80's. I'm not sure of any other brands that can power them adequately. Maybe the Pioneer Elite series. I'm sure someone else here can chime in if they are using a different receiver other than Denon or HK.

I have your same setup, except for a EP350 sub which powers itself) and I run an HK AVR630.

Thanks.

I came across this one today as well.

Pioneer VSX-1016TXV
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controll...&sku=436945

This is selling for $374. Has anyone used this or owned it?

that 1016 will drive your M80s with no problems.

If you like Denon, take a look here Dakmart

Just got my new system up and running tonight and my Denon 2805 has no problems making the 80's sing. Ethan, I think many of the newer reputable brands will drive 80's, the question is to what level will you drive them. They are very efficient, rated at 95dB's with 1 watt at 1 meter(3ft.)

I don't recall how big your room is, but you may want to consider 60's. My room is almost 900 sq ft and my 60's had no issues at all in that big space.

Ethan, as Randy indicated, you shouldn't overestimate the need for power, especially with speakers such as the M80s which are slightly above average in sensitivity. Keep in mind that these speakers use about 1 watt to play at a comfortably loud average level, while split-second peaks use much more, depending on factors such as room size, listener distance, average listening level, dynamic range of program material, etc. Besides the units that you've listed, also consider the Onkyos, such as the 604(around $360)or even the 504 refurb, which tested extremely well and which is available for about $160 from Shop Onkyo.

For $269, you can get a brand new Marantz SR4600 7.1 receiver at accessories4less, it was selling for about $500 last year so for the money it's a great buy. Shop around ebay, you might be able to find some used Denon 7.1 receivers within your budget as well.

I've had the M80's for years and have found that between Denon and Harman Kardon, the HK does a slightly better job of driving them.

Be %100 completely sure that whatever you buy can properly power a 4ohm load. The M80's are a very steady 4ohm load, and this will draw more current from an amplifier. Many manufacturers will tell you they can handle a 4ohm load, but in reality, it will limit the amount of current it sends to the speakers in order to handle them properly.

I'm not saying no other receiver can do the job, but just throwing out a word of caution. And, that out of experience, with m80's, I'd pick Harman Kardon, then Denon, then the rest. Don't be fooled by HK's power ratings. A 70wpc from HK is way beyond any other 70 wpc I have ever heard from a receiver in that general price range (I'm excluding amps like Bryston, here).