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Posted By: Jerrinst Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/25/05 02:10 PM
Hi again all!

I'm now trying to decide what receiver to get for my 7.1, primarily SACD and DVD-A sound system. I know that the Axioms are generally considered to be somewhat bright or detailed, and I'm looking for a warm receiver to offset some of that. I'm looking to spend around $600 or less and I would consider refurbs and ebay to snag some higher end models at a great price. That said, what would you all recommend based on the following:

VSX-1014TX
Denon 1083 or 2805
HK 435/635

If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to make them. Thank you all for your advise.

Jerrin
Posted By: bigjohn Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/25/05 02:51 PM
i think the whole notion of receivers being "warm" or "bright" is somewhat false. especially solid state receivers. now, i think those terms come into play when you are dealing with tube amps, but this is just my opinion. the receivers are simply amplifying a signal, and i think the perception of "warm" or "bright" comes from different variables, with the main one being a persons ears.

with that said, i think any of the options you have listed will work well for you. the pioneer elite series gets good reviews. and i am under the firm belief that you just cant go wrong with Denon or H/K equip. might i also suggest Onkyo. just another one to throw in the mix.

there are several places online that have great deals on equip made by all of these companies. macmall.com, ecost.com, pcmall.com.

you can find some great deals on refurb and b-stock. and $600 bucks is an awesome receiver budget. i have confidence you will find many great options under that price range.

good luck, and let us know how it goes!

bigjohn
Posted By: NeverHappy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/25/05 03:07 PM
In reply to:

think the whole notion of receivers being "warm" or "bright" is somewhat false. especially solid state receivers.

In reply to:



Have you compared receivers?

I have heard more then my fair share of receivers and anyone who thinks a Yamaha and a HK for example sound the same, have obviously never heard both. HK, Parasound and a few others at least in my opinion bring a "Warm" feel to the table.

I have always found it interesting that high current, high amperage products always get the term warm thrown at them. Everytime someone says a receiver or amp etc is warm sounding I go running for the specs and sure enough 95% of the time it turns out to be a high current, high amperage design..........There must be something to it.

Posted By: NeverHappy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/25/05 03:17 PM
Jerrinst, I have had owned every receiver on your list and went with the HK630. My thoughts on each receiver are posted somewhere in this forums.


Posted By: bigjohn Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/25/05 03:36 PM
In reply to:

95% of the time it turns out to be a high current, high amperage design



then how do you account for the other 5%?

i think its all just a matter of perception. i HAVE heard different receivers and amps, and i just tend to believe that different speakers, environment, placement, etc.. have more influence on if something is perceived as "warm" or "bright", than the receiver itself.

once again, just my opinion..

bigjohn
Posted By: MiniRock Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/25/05 10:53 PM
Jerrinst: I've sold many receivers from each of those manufacturer's, and even though each do have minimal sonic differences, any reciever from one of those brands would be a great mate for your Axiom speakers. I'm a devoted Yammie user, but I have always liked Denon's and HK's offerings too. Good luck!
Posted By: JohnK Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 06:07 AM
Jerrin, Axioms aren't "generally considered to be somewhat bright" by their owners. "Detailed", of course, but that doesn't imply excessive mids/highs. This is fortunate, because receivers aren't "warm" except when you put your hand on them. Despite the fact that there would have to a substantial defect in a receiver's frequency response(which simply doesn't exist) for it to degrade the sound and create a warm effect, this myth continues to circulate. Of course, the incessant repetition of myths doesn't make them come true. Select one of the fine receivers which you've listed based on features and price. Note especially that the new HK435 has the new room equalization system developed by Dr. Toole's group which also operates on the low bass frequencies where it's most needed.
Posted By: bridgman Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 06:22 AM
So there you go...

If you believe that some receivers have a warmer sound than others, and that Axioms are bright, you should go with an HK because its warm sound will counterbalance the Axiom's bright sound.

If, on the other hand, you believe all receivers sound the same and that Axioms are detailed but not bright, you should go with an HK 'cause it has a great new room EQ system and the most flexible bass management.

You can't lose

John (HK630)
Posted By: richeydog Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 06:26 AM
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder so to speak.
John(bridgman), nice shamless plug on your hk630. HaHa.

Later,
Mike.(hk230)
Posted By: TNTguy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 09:09 AM
It's decided then. I will invest heavily in Harman Kardon stock as soon as possible.
Posted By: bridgman Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 09:20 AM
Hmmm. Not sure what happened. I edited my post an hour or so ago to maybe be a bit more balanced, but looks like I hit a wrong key somewhere... edits never made it to the thread.
Posted By: RickF Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 09:25 AM
After looking at Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and H/K, I think an H/K 635 will be finding it's way into my system in the near future as well. I will tell you that my Onkyo 502 is quite an awesome reciever though, so my decision was sort of difficult.
Posted By: JohnK Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 10:40 AM
In view of the recent string of "confessions" on the board, perhaps it's appropriate to acknowledge that I'm part-owner of Harman International. This however, has no influence on my view of HK equipment.
Posted By: TNTguy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 10:49 AM
Too late John. My broker just informed me that my vital organs are now your property.
Posted By: NeverHappy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 03:48 PM
In reply to:

This is fortunate, because receivers aren't "warm"




And you have tested a lot of them out to prove this right?

Ah never mind........................it's pointless. According to JohnK, all receivers sound the same folks. Get to Wal Mart and pick up that $129.00 model that is on sale this week. It will sound just as good as the ones costing $1000.00 or $2000.00 or more.

Later.................Proud HK630 owner who likes it's warm sound!


Posted By: MiniRock Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 04:06 PM
Yeah, maybe I'll pick up that $100 GPX model Target has instead of plopping down another $1000+ on a new receiver when I "upgrade." $1000+ on a receiver? What a bunch of suckers!
Posted By: NeverHappy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 04:15 PM
Sorry. I forgot all about Target! We don’t have any of those in my part of the world.

All kidding aside here. It's fairly apparent that we all hear different things. I have heard time and time again that specific pieces of electronics bring something unique to the table. If I'm alone in that view, so be it!

Posted By: MiniRock Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 04:20 PM
In reply to:

Sorry. I forgot all about Target! We don't have any of those in my part of the world.
All kidding aside here. It's fairly apparent that we all hear different things. I have heard time and time again that specific pieces of electronics bring something unique to the table. If I'm alone in that view, so be it!




No, there is another.
Posted By: snakeyes Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 04:22 PM
Man who is gonna clean the s**t off the fan this time? LOL
Posted By: NeverHappy Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 04:26 PM
No worries. JohnK and I seem to do this at least once a month. We agree to disagree. No harm no foul.

I have the utmost respect for him but I don't agree with certain things he believes in. Thus, we agree to disagree.

Posted By: MiniRock Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 04:43 PM
Yup! I have no problem with John either. Whether agreed or not, I always enjoy reading his posts.
Posted By: bridgman Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 05:00 PM
>>In view of the recent string of "confessions" on the board, perhaps it's appropriate to acknowledge that I'm part-owner of Harman International. This however, has no influence on my view of HK equipment.

Dang, I wish I had something to confess. I feel left out

On the "receiver sound" question, I am firmly in the "Over the years I have come to believe quite strongly that there is a difference, but any time I have tested I haven't actually been able to observe it" camp.

I suspect the difference only comes out when you are pushing the amplifier near its power limits (where a different power supply or output stage CAN result in two receivers producing slightly different output from the same inputs) but until I get more free time that is just a theory.
Posted By: Lorenzo1000 Re: Denon, Pioneer or HK - 03/26/05 11:04 PM
I have owned Denon 3803, 985, 3805, Onkyo Ht-R510, Harman Kardon AVR-7200 and currently own a Harman Kardon DPR2005. In my opinion the HK's do exhibit a warmer sound. I would think it may be because they have more power than the Denon and Yamaha models because of their high current output. I am very happy with my HK, m60, vp150, QS8, and HSU sub combo and wouldn't hesitate to recommend HK receivers.
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