I will 100% suggest giving the NAD T762 a good listen. I just got mine tonight (replacing an older low end Kenwood) and OMG is the difference night and day. I can't imagine music being any more detailed than this. I've been listening to jazz (Jaques Loussier Trio), classical (Gattaca Soundtrack), and rock (Opeth and Porcupine Tree) for about 2 hours now and here's a few things i noticed. Everything sounds very full. The Baroque Favorites cd by Jaques Loussier Trio was very impressive. I heard more little drum things that i hadn't noticed before. Especially on the ghost notes and buzz rolls. When i put on Opeth at first it seemed to be missing a bit of the great Axiom midrange at first but i think that it was the mastering in the first track. I played a few other tracks and it was back to normal. You guys are very correct when in comes to mastering of cd's. I think that hearing so much upper detail made me pay less attention to the rest of the frequency range. Anyway, then came Lightbulb Sun by Porcupine Tree. One word....W-A-R-M-T-H I completely believe that this is by far the best rock cd to test speakers and amps. It's so dynamic. Finally, i'm finishing the evening with In Absentia. I can honestly say that this is the best i've heard this cd sound so far. One thing that sticks out is the fullness in the vocals. This cd has A TON of vocal layering and the T762 with the M22's just envelopes you the harmonies.

Also, this thing is so easy to setup and use. Took me about 10 minutes to get it setup for stereo. The menus are simple and the remote is great. I love the sub volume control at the bottom. I'm sure i'll have a good time programming this little devil and setting up some cool macros. So far, i've only listened to the T762 in stereo, but now i can't wait to get the rest on the Axioms and here things in surround. Well guys, there's my impressions from the first night. Now i just need to get it broken end and then the M22's will sound.....................the same. *wink* By the way, i ordered the last one from Saturday Audio Exchange so sorry guys, you'll have to find one somewhere else. Ok....back to the music.

Jason

Glad to hear your having a good time. This is an especially exciting event in the life of an audio enthusiast...the purchase, and finally, THE USE of his/her new toy. I just recently received my new receiver (toy) and I enjoy looking at my receiver just as much as I do listening to it!

Happy sonic memories!

Toy, lest we forget - there is a certain rush based on bragging rights as well. I love the smell of testosterone. As you other spouse-afflicted denizens are aware, that scent doesn't present itself very often.

So when I get a new car, computer, or electronic equipment, that "new smell" is actually testosterone surging through my body?

I'm surprised there hasn't been an onslaught of comments from those "all receivers sound the same" forum members.

I haven't decided if they're really serious or not.

I really don't expect the onslaught because it's not at all fair to compare a 1998 Kenwood receiver that doesn't even have S-video or any digital audio inputs or outputs and might put out 30 or 40 watts to just the mains to the T762. That's why I said that the difference was night and day. It's like trying to compare Windows 3.0 to XP Professional. They just simply can not be compared, but the answer would obviously be yes they sound different. *hiding under my desk now*

Jason

That's because everybody knows Kenwood is substandard.

Windows 3.0 and XP share many things in common. They are both overpriced, lack features, and the number one thing that they share in common is that they both suck.

But other than that, you have an awesome new receiver, quit wasting time on here and go enjoy it!!

Aw, come on! Windows 3.0 was great -- I mean look at the wonderfully clean lines...

I would love to be enjoying it right now, but i'm at work. *looks at the clock*

good one.

It is? I was completely in the dark on that.

Ok guys, here's the report from two nights of critical listening. I've already reached my opinion on the "break-in" theories. When I first sit down and put on a cd, the music seems a tad sterile. Why? It's because I have a 30 minute drive home in which I have to listen to REALLY crappy car speakers with bloated bass and mids. At least that's what I blame for the "sterile" sound. However, after a couple of songs, my head gets use to the drastic change in detail and everything sounds great. At this point I still think that I'm warming up to hearing music in a way that I have never heard from speakers. So what I really have to "break-in" is my head and it will probably take a couple weeks before I get use to this. Even better is the fact that I'm moving into an apartment in early May and the M22's will have a MUCH better setting so I expect that the added space will help out.

Anyway, here's what I listened to last night. I started with OSI which is a blend of hard rock and electronica. (Craig, you would probably like this cd a lot) There's a large amount of upper detail in this cd that takes full advantage of stereo. The guitar sounds like I'm sitting in the studio beside the amp. It's so full and crunchy. Also, I hear all the cool vocal effects that are used, such as reverb and a touch of flanger. The best thing is that I can close my eyes and not hear the speakers, just music. The best moment was listening to the track Memory Daydreams Lapses. Especially the buzzing sound in the intro as it bounced from left channel to right channel. I closed my eyes and just smiled. After OSI I thought I'd listen to a live recording for a change so I put on Warszawa by Porcupine Tree. I can't say that I've ever heard a live recording sound so real and convincing. Especially the song Stop Swimming. The piano sounded right in front of me and the dynamics were very present. The best thing was the drums. Every little touch could be heard, which is great because the drums on Stop Swimming don't sound that difficult, but in fact, it's one of the most intricate arrangements I've heard. Next came V by Spock's Beard, a band that captures all the great things from the prog bands of the 70's and gives them the recording quality of today. The only word to desribe how great they sounded was "epic". You could imagine their stuff was recorded in a huge arena and not a small California studio. Truly amazing. Then came Gideon's Press an awesome band from Austin and finally I closed the night with some mellow Opeth. In conlusion, I really enjoy the T762, but I have still have to get use to hearing music in a totally different way. I always knew that the M22's sounded great but with the T762 they're a whole new creature. So the NAD's here to stay.

I really like my T752, with exception to the remote. It must be power hungry because it drains the batteries very quickly. I have been getting about two months out of a good pair of batteries....and I don't use the remote that often. My friend also has a T752 and shares the same sentiments. Other than that minor annoyance, I am very happy with the T752.

Jason,

Glad to hear you are enjoying your T762. I have had mine for over 5 months now and continue to be impressed with the natural and realistic sound produced by the unit. I think you will be impressed when you try SACD, DVD-A, and movie surround formats.

My NHT2.5is in the front are 86db and 6 Ohm (3.6 Ohm minimum speakers)speakers. Upgrading to the M80tis is coming slowly because the T762 has breathed new life in my NHTs and is one of the only receivers I have heard on them that can produce the dynamics they are capable of. The VP150 and QS8s also sound fantastic through it.

Once again, glad you like the T762 and would also recommend those in the market for Denon/HK/Yamaha audition the T753 and T743 as options to consider. Anyhow, off to continue listening for a while,

Chad

Another happy NAD T752 owner here, but with an Ascend setup. KC Mike, the backlighting on the HTR-2 remote is what drains the batteries so fast. Since I turned it off, my last set lasted almost 7 months. To set the time for the backlight to stay on, just press and hold down at the same time the "disp" button and the # button (0 to 9) corresponding to the time in seconds you want the light to stay on. The learn light will flash twice when the remote has made the change.

How does the NAD compare with the Denon 3803 or 3805. Is it worth double the investment in price (for 7.1)?

Hey Sbc,

As a NAD T762 owner I can try and answer some questions for you. The feature sets should be fairly similar on the receivers you mention, along with the power ratings. I can't speak on the 3805, but I did have the opportunity to audition the 3803 veresus the T762 in my home. Although I enjoyed the sound of the Denon, I really preferred the NAD for the following reasons.

My front speakers are NHT2.5Is, 86db, 6 Ohms, and require a fair amount of power to produce and control the low frequencies. The Denon did a respectable job on the bass, but the NAD was able to produce a much more dynamic presentation of music and movies and I was able to literally feel the music at times. The Denon was unable to produce comparable quantity and quality of bass. I don't mean boomy bass, rather, realistic sounding bass.

The NAD is the only receiver I have heard that can make my NHTs come alive and sound like they are capable of. Granted, I didn't get a chance to hear Arcam and Rotel's offerings in my home. Quite simply, recordings sounded more natural and real when pumped through the NAD. I also have yet to stress the NAD even at rediculously high volume levels with all channels driven (I hope my theory that the neighbors car being gone equals nobody was home, hehe).

My best advice would be to get the receivers you are interested into your home and do a side by side comparison. In your home, with all your equipment, you will get the best feel for how each receiver will influence the ultimate sonic picture in your home. Your last question was about the cost. You should be able to find a NAD T763 for a little more than a 3805, and the T753 should be at or under the 3805.

One paradigm on these boards is that there is a ubiquitous sound amongst receivers and one should buy for a feature set you are looking for. I feel each receiver has the potential to sound quite different. I was initially settled on the 3803 and only brought home the T762 for kicks to compare them. In my home, to my ears, I felt the increased quality of the sonic presentation justified the few extra hundred dollars for the NAD. Good luck in your hunt for a receiver.