fwiw, for my bedroom system i recently replaced my 20-year old pioneer elite vsx80 with an anthem 740. the anthem is serviceable, and has the modern features like room correction, arc, etc., but to my ears doesn't sound as good--flatter and less musical. whether this is because of synergy or because the pioneer is an overacheiver i know not. undoubtedly, you can find something better, but i'd give a close listen to your current pioneer before upgrading.
Pioneer Elite vsx-14 enough for hdi-3800? Alternatives?
Hello,
I just purchased the JBL HDI-3800 speakers and am wondering if my current Pioneer Elite vsx-14 receiver will be sufficient to power this or if I should be looking for an upgrade. Will I be missing a lot of potential without an upgrade?
I should have the HDI-3800's in hand later this week. Any suggestions?
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@sunshdw also got curious looking at the NAD 389 and Arcam SA30 after looking into dirac. Sounds like no sub output on SA30 for some reason though. Leading in the 389 direction at this point. |
I got these setup today with the vsx-14. The added detail is really nice! I am feeling like I'm missing low end I had with the Technics for some reason. I have the bass eq turned way up and the treble down and still seem to be a little overwhelmed with high end. |
Your jbls are very sensitive at 92db and shouldn't need a lot of power. Otoh they're rated to go down only to 37hz, which isn't super-low, so it may be they're just not as bass as their predecessor. Synergy is critical, however, so you could very likely get different results with another amp, tho you could also add a sub. |
The Technics are rated to go down to 38hz, so spec wise, not too different. I'm pretty surprised that I am finding these speakers thin, based on reviews like these (https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/jbl-hdi-3800) they should have relatively powerful bass. I even have them close to a wall so I expected to be working against it being overpowering. |
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