Can anyone offer advice/info on these two receivers? I'm looking for a new receiver to go with my new M60's and have narrowed it down to these two.
I had originally decided to go with the 525 because of the rich feature set and all the positive reviews I have read about it from owners, but there is one feature on the Yamaha that intrigues me. It is the automatic acoustic optimization feature (YPAO?) that uses a special microphone hooked to the amp to automatically "optimize" speaker output based on the physical position you place the microphone at.
Has anyone used or heard about this Yamaha feature. Is it significant enough to change my initial tendency to go with the HK525?
are you using this for home theater or stereo listening...
i just ask because this is the stereo forum.
I am more interested in their stereo qualities. I guess the feature I was asking about does pertain to HT listening. Furthermore, I just found out that the HK525 also has the same HT optimization feature using a mic in the remote control. So sorry about the rambling.
Let me rephrase. How do these two receivers compare for listening to music?
No, the H/K does not have the same feature. The YPAO will equalize the sound as well as setting levels, so the YPAO is a better feature than the H/K's EzSet. Also, EzSet doesn't set calibrate the sub. That said, I've got an H/K 525, and I really like it. Both receivers should have the same sound quality for music if you disregard the YPAO.
I also have a 525, and love it. I didn't even bother with the EZset, as I prefer manuel set up.
My old receiver is a Yamaha RX-V2090, loved that one, too.
Yamaha's are definitely brighter, but this is not a bad thing(it is not ear piercing highs). They are just two different approaches to sound reproduction. Listen to both, buyt he one you like.
My 525 was $500 shipped from Harman. I won one of their eBay auctions, it is a refurb, but I have had no problems.
ok i guess what i wanted to ask is are you using them solely for stereo. or for stereo and HT. as in with 5 speakers etc.
If you were using them JUST for 2 speakers id probbly dump a reciever and look at an integrated amp or if you insisted on a reciever, a stereo reciever.
If there is any chance you'll want HT in the future though, then get a receiver that supports it now.
Oh yeah, I definitely will want the ability to do HT in the future, even though I only have the two mains and a center speaker at this point. I just decided to upgrade the receiver in my system first. Also, one of the reasons I liked these two systems is that they both have preouts if I wanted to someday transition to a separate component system. In this case, I could start off with the amplifier, and not have to buy all separate components at once. At this point, I am auditioning these two units for their performance with music more than HT
To me it looks like the Yamaha has more component input flexibility, more features, and a more powerful remote with learning capability. I also like its aesthetic design better.
But there's just something about the HK that makes me wonder if I shouldn't get it. I can't help being swayed by the number of people who own one and seem to love them. I can't really find any Yamaha owners to specificly ask about the 1400.
And worst of all, I can't find a dealer with both models to listen to them side by side!
one thing to keep in mind is the triple bass management feature of the HK. You can set different crossover points for mains, center, and surrounds. I think this would a very nice to have for Axiom owners since the -+3db points of the QS surrounds and VP centers are quite higher than the mains.
Good point. I'd forgotten about that. What about the H/K 630? Anyone checked that out? Does it have a YPAO/MCACC equivalent?
JB, basically neither the 525 nor the 1400 have a sound and there would be no useful purpose in listening to them at a dealer. Any slight differences in the volume level or some other detail of the setup would account for any differences heard; don't waste your time.
My own view is that the equalization feature of the 1400 is of far more significance than the variable crossover(or bass management)feature of the 525, but the weighting to give them is up to you.
No, Ken, somewhat surprisingly HK hasn't yet taken what might appear to be the logical next step.
In reply to:
"JB, basically neither the 525 nor the 1400 have a sound and there would be no useful purpose in listening to them at a dealer. Any slight differences in the volume level or some other detail of the setup would account for any differences heard; don't waste your time."{/quote]
JB, this is a quote from JohnK's earlier post. I use this quote because again JohnK has hit the nail on the head.
Listening to electronics at (most) dealers is a complete waste of time. If you do go to listen to receivers, keep this in mind: one can be easily manipulated and misled by the sales person with differences in levels, sub output, tone controls, etc. I've actually seen this before.
When you go to a store to see these things, pay the most attention to the feature set and don't worry so much about whether it's "bright or "warm" or whatever (save it for the speakers). Amps and pre amps should not have a sound of thier own but in the interest of fidility, they should be neutral.
Sometimes, "grain" can be detected between these types of equipment, but it takes some serious listening over a long period of time to realize it and even then it is usually insignificant. Although I must say that I've heard some high priced stuff that did exibited significant "grain". The point is, don't obsess about the sound of a reciever. It'll make you crazy until you realize it isn't very important.
Caveat: YPAO and MCACC will make a difference in as far as helping smooth out peaks and dips in frequency responses in a properly setup system.
P.S: There are a lot of posts here on the Yamaha's and Pioneer's that incorporate EQ features. Do a search on: 1400,2400,MCACC,YPAO etc....
nope...HK does not have a MCACC or YPAO equivalent yet.
But the 630 does have quad-bass management instead of triple. Rear surrounds and side surrounds can have difference crossover points.
One thing I like about the high HK's is the ability to set difference speaker levels for different processing modes. IE. in stereo, I have everything set flat...in DTS or DD5.1, I have the sub set a little hot.
Hmm. I guess I'm not as much of a tinkerer with this stuff yet. I just found it annoying, having to set everything again.
Another happy 525 owner here. The remote does stink, both in buttons and programmability, but there are plenty of good universals out there that are much better at controlling EVERYTHING. I wouldn't base my receiver purchase on something that helps me set stuff up easier. You're only setting the speakers up once! (or a couple times maybe). That's why I got the Radio Shack SPL meter.
Frank