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Receiver recommendation

I have been out of the 'upgrade' fever for almost a decade now. Main reason is family is now longer myself - it has grown wife, kids, parents (who are also now my kids :) )... career has grown so not so much time left as in past.

This also means my knowledge about HT is outdated. Hence need help.

Essentially I have simplified my HT setups - from a two room setups having Von Schweikert,Dyn Audios, Cal Audio Labs, Lexicon, tubes, headphone setups (AKG, Stax etc) ... it has been a Denon receiver 3808ci with Von Schweikert 5.1 setup in family room.

In near future I am looking to buy a 4K and 3D TV. I believe my Denon 3808ci is not equipped for either. Looking for recommendations to do a balanced (maybe a little bit more tilted towards music) use in HT. Even 5.1 would be ok given that it is going to be in the family room. Budget ok upto $1500 street price.
harrygoldsmith
10 responses Add your response
tjassoc
258 posts
 
Harry,

My limited experience with receivers (for customers) is that Pioneer Elite, Denon and Rotel receivers provide good sound quality as compared to other brands.

It will have to be a newer model to pass 3D and 4K, but purchasing used may allow you more performance.

You may want to consider a processor and amplifier as new formats are always seeming to be developed - the latest is Dolby Atmos (questionable if it will take to consumer products). While you might have to spend slightly more, I believe your long term investment will be a better value.

Good luck and kindest regards.
dkarmeli
334 posts
 
Stick with another Denon, you're not going to find better even if your budget was triple that!

david

Disclaimer- dealer but not for Denon.
harrygoldsmith OP
13 posts
 
Thanks to both, for the information. Dobly Atmos sounds interesting ... I wasn't aware of this format ... did some reading ... like you said ... but how much of that can be used at home, unless one has a separate theater / media room to put in over a dozen speakers.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
dbphd
1,630 posts
 
I bought a good preamp with pass-through (Parasound JC-2 BP), because spending a lot of money on a processor to get good sound seems a waste. Processors tend to become obsolete. I used an Oppo BDP-105 as my processor for several years, but I recently added an inexpensive used Cary Cinema 11a to enable DSD surround from a Sony XA5400ES.

db
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,270 posts
 
+ 1 on the prior post re: the multi-channel format CODECs are continually changing and thus rendering current units / receivers quickly obsolete .

As such they are not any investment .... Regrettably the ever-changing multi-channel preamp/ processor is the "disposables" portion of your AV system outlay.

Therefore as already highlighted above, a separate multichannel preamp/ processor unit distinct from the multi-channel power amp(s) (e.g Nuforce AVP-18 is just one example) allows the power amps to remain as the continuing constant in a future upgrade path .

Of course there are those constant tensions between quality build and performance vs. budget, and also the hurdle that performance-wise (especially the audio portion ) you only get what you pay for.
runnin
397 posts
 
I concur with the above about avrs quickly getting out of date. The question is, can one be satisfied with being out of date. The sound quality of a system doesn't go down simply because a new codec or system comes out. However, new tech that the old avr can't deal with, like 3D or 4K becomes an issue.

I've recently updated my 6 yr old Onkyo avr. The good news is that avrs can be heavily discounted. I'm back in the Denon fold, every fall when they release new models, the old ones eventually go on sale. The Denon 4520 listed for 2500, but now can be had for 1100 brand new in box. It's a little more than i wanted to pay, but the audio quality with the new room correction is quite impressive.
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,270 posts
 
I presume that you have already perused the other current thread floating out there re: AV receivers and their frequent failure rate

Seems like Onkyo dubiously leads the parade so far for customer dissatisfaction from frequent early problems and its well-documented continuing HDMI failure rates spanning many years and many models including the current ones.

Buyer beware.
mtrot
804 posts
 
Yes, Onkyo has had some recent problems with HDMI failures. But I will say my TX-NR809 has been perfect for 2.5 years now and sounds great to me for an A/V receiver. Their current TX-NR1030 even has balanced outputs for the front L/R channel pre-outs. Of course, it has wi-fi, bluetooth, Dolby Atmos, internet radio, and all the other goodies as well.

The 1030 is probably what I would get if/when I need to upgrade in order to get into 4K compatibility.
rbautista
97 posts
 
I would go Marantz, Denon, or Pioneer. I believe the mid-high models are Atmos upgradable, but I wouldn't worry about Atmos. Just make sure it has 4k passthrough in case you get a new 4k tv.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,470 posts
 
I just got a Denon X3100W.....love it. Easy to set up, does everything but shine your shoes.....and does it well.
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