best AVR for dual use in HT/music?


I have looked at the Denon 3810CI, the Onkyo TX-nr807, some of the HK units, and the Yamaha RX-V1900. I am not sure which one would sound the best when used for 2-channel music. I run a 2.1 system - B&W 685s and a HSU VTF-1 sub. Head unit is a 15 year old Yami changer, but will replace with either lossless AIFF from an Airport Express or a used Rotel RCC-1055 changer. Has anyone used any of the above AVRs for music? which one works the best?
realremo

Showing 1 response by gstarr

No doubt, the Arcam AVR600 is far and away the best receiver for both stereo listening and multi-channel purposes. It is the only receiver that operates in Class A up to 20 watts, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons it sounds so great.

If you can't afford the Arcam AVR600, then the Arcam AVR 350 is probably the next best bet. Not quite the unbelievable audio experience of the AVR600, but certainly better than other AVR's I have heard.

If you want to get the best sound of these Arcam units it is best to directly connect your Blu Ray and/or DVD player to your HDTV. This way it keeps the noisy video connections out of the receiver and prevents noise pollution of the great audio section. Of course, you should run the audio section of your Blu Ray and/or DVD player through the receiver.

But even if you feel you must run your video through the receiver for switching ease and other reasons, it is still much better than all other receivers in sound quality.