Seeking Streaming Receiver Recommendations


Helping friends who are NOT audiophiles, but have a pair of SPICA TC-50 speakers (specs below).  They want a receiver (real FM radio), want to be able to stream spotify and maybe some other services, want to be able to throw content from their phones via bluetooth or airplay.  New receivers seem to have all of this, but what has good sound and enough power for the Spicas?  Crutchfield has Yamaha (Class D) and Integra (class not listed).  If anyone has looked into this, please share recommendations.  Thanks, Peter

SPICA TC-150 SPECS:
Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.5" pulp-cone woofer. Low-frequency alignment: sealed-box with Q=0.78. Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Crossover: high-pass slope, approximately first-order, 6dB/octave; low-pass slope, fourth-order, 24dB/octave, Bessel; both drivers connected with the same polarity. Frequency response: 60Hz-17kHz -3dB. Sensitivity: 84dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3.6 ohms minimum at 4kHz). Amplifier requirements: 25-100W. Maximum power handling: 50W continuous, 100W peak.

peter_s
I'd recommend Yamaha for its combination of sound quality and reliability. Many people here have had good success and gotten great prices from Accessories4less.com. They deal in new units that have been factory refurbished by the manufacturer, so basically they're like new with full warranty. If they don't need all the latest bells n whistles, they can save a bundle by buying a model that's a generation or two old. Here's a model from Yamaha's upscale Aventage line that's not the newest model but still offers Airplay, Bluetooth, and streaming from various services including Spotify.  At 90Wpc it should drive the Spicas just fine, within reason.  Retailed for $750 new but you can get it now for $300.

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrxa760bl/yamaha-rx-a760-7.2-ch-x-90-watts-a/v-...

If they want more power and can spend a little more, this $480 Marantz (retailed for $1000) has a similar feature set but puts out 100Wpc with a beefier power supply that probably does better with sub 4-Ohm loads if they're really gonna crank it. 

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marsr5012/marantz-sr5012-7.2-ch-x-100-watts-a/v-r...

As they're not audiophiles I'm sure they'll be thrilled with either, so their decision may come down to price and looks.  One other thing that might factor into the final decision -- Yamaha has been one of the most reliable AVRs on the market to the point where you rarely, if ever, hear of any problems.  Marantz isn't bad on that score but not as good as Yamaha, and they have had some issues in the past.  I'd definitely avoid NAD, Onkyo, and Harmon Kardon due to very spotty reliability in the past.  Hopefully somewhere in there they can find a balance.  Anyway, hope this helps and best of luck in your search. 
Thanks @soix   I would definitely have gone for the Yamaha (the 2-channel version), but it turns out the depth is to big - their shelf is not big enough. The 2-ch Marantz has a smaller form factor, but it is only 50 wpc, which I think is on the low side.  Accessories4less has the integra DTM-7.  Any feedback on that?
I recently recommended the Bluesound Powernode to my friend for his Spica TC-60 speakers. He’s very happy with it. Radio stations can be streamed along with the usual streaming services. A nice and compact one-box solution.
I have the Integra DTM-7 (2 ch, class A/B receiver) in my BR system and Marantz SR5012 (7 ch. class A/B receiver) as HT hub in my main system.

Both are 100WPC into 8 ohms.  Both have streaming and I have used both extensively to stream Tidal before I got a better streamer for my main system.  Both were about $600 when I got them but Marantz was on clearance because the 5013 had been released, original msrp $1k.

Of the two, I prefer the Marantz house sound (amplifier/ dac characteristics) and also the Marantz streamer interface (Heos control application better than Play Fi).  The Marantz has AK4458 dac chip and Integra has AK 4438, if memory serves.  The 4458 has slightly better specs, FWIW.  To my ears the Marantz sound is a bit warmer while the Integra is a bit brighter. YMMV.

But I really like that Integra produces a full-size 2ch receiver, whereas Marantz doesn't (all multi-channel I think).  

All that said, I'm pretty happy with both of them.
I see you have stand mounted speakers. I also use bookshelf speakers in my BR (Integra) system.

Had you instead had full-range floorstanders, I might have been able to give Integra a better recommendation because it has a mode (Direct, or Pure Direct or something like that, forget exactly what they call it) where the sound is better (to my ears anyway, less processing), but the problem is that the subwoofer output goes away in that mode (no info sent out on sub out line) and I have a lower cost sub in my BR system that requires an RCA sub out to use (unlike a REL with the full range inputs where you just tap off the amp speaker outputs terminals).

What I’m trying to say is if you use a sub that has that feature, or if you don’t use a sub at all, and can run the Integra in that direct mode, it will sound better than how I have to use it given that I want to have my sub both for music and HT (TV, movies) in my BR system.....