Need a new receiver (1 Viewer)

[gene c]

The RTi6's are fine (have a pair myself) I think the center and surrounds are a little dated but who cares if they still sound good. A CSi3 and a pair of RTi4's would be better but would cost around $400. Might not worth it cost wize. You might want to think about replacing the PSW50. Subs are not Polks strong point.

 

[Andy_A]

Isn't this the case with all equipment?

I also disagree about the beta testing statement. Sounds pretty vague and baseless to me. Bottom line is HK has a reputation for excellent receivers--they'll blow away most of them except for NAD and Outlaw. Lastly, with the 2 year warranty you don't really need to worry about how much beta testing they've done. If it has issues, you do the same thing as with any other piece of equipment: send it back for a replacement.

As for the speakers, the RTI6s will be perfect. I actually run them for my fronts with an HK 635 and they're amazing. I would upgrade the center as well. I have 2 pairs and use one for a center and the sound and matching are superb. I just realized I'm not using the fourth one so I have an extra RTI6 I'd let go cheap for use as a center channel if you're interested. I find that the match is perfect to the left and right (it replaced a CSI3). The CSI5 might work better, but it retails at ~$450...

Good luck

 

[gene c]

That's why I didn't even bother to mention it.

 

[Arthur S]

Hi Andy

I disagree with you about it being the case with all equipment...if you want to read about how many issues there have been with HK receivers...I can start with the HK AVR 635...take a look over at the AVS Forum and see the huge thread about the AVR 635 and all of the issues people have had with that receiver...there is a lot more I could tell you including the fact that they drop in price by about half within a year, unlike Denon...in fact the newest top of the line Denon is selling for full price at this time and there is no reason to believe that the price of the Denon 5805CI, and some others are going to drop any time soon...with all due respect...I continue to recommend Denon over HK...I have several Denon receivers as well as a 70 pound Citation 7.1 amp that was the top of the power amp made by a division of HK...however, it listed for $2,800 (no software or firmware issues among other problem issues)...Thanks for contributing to this thread.

PS I like NAD and Outlaw is OK, however, I am concentrating on my 64 pound Denon 5803A...thanks again.

 

[SpiderX1016]

Well they're RT16 (Sixteen), not RTi6 sorry

All the speakers are like 5+ years old, I think

 

[Arthur S]

Hi Raymond

Don't worry about which speakers they are...just get that Pioneer 816.

 

[Andy_A]

I wasn't saying all receivers have issues, I was saying the above quote pretty much applies to all equipment..

As for HK, I stand by what I orginally said--if QC is important, just be sure to buy something with a warranty and not from a reseller. Then you have piece of mind

Even if HK had as serious QC issues as Arthur S seems to believe, I'd still take them over a Denon or Pioneer because they have the capability to drive speakers better. The 5803 is a different league altogether, so not really a fair comparison. I've had Denons too (2700, 3801, 3802), and never were they even in the same class as HK amps.

The pricing is more marketing strategy than an inability to sell them at a certain price point. I think most people here would agree that MSRP is mostly random. Following the logic that sale price is an indicator of quality, Bose is the best because it never goes on sale and is always the same price...

 

[Arthur S]

With all due respect Andy A

I almost ordered an HK 8000 a couple of years ago and thank goodness I stopped at the last moment...they had noise issues in the center channel...I have 45 years experience in HT/AV and perhaps you should take the time to actually read the thread on the AV 635 so that we can continue this discussion on equal footing...I have owned HK separates and I had to get rid of them because the tuner spilled over into the integrated separate amp...I have never had any trouble with my Denons or with my $2,800 Citation 7.1, which does not have software or firmware updates...with HK receivers you frequently have to wait up to 2 years to get the final fixes for the software and hardware issues to be resolved...and, if you set the crossover at 80Hz, you reduce the demands on the receivers internal amps by up to 66%, taking the amp issues pretty much out of the mix...and with all due respect, why is it that the vast majority of posts about receivers are about Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer...and there is very little discussion of HK receivers...I own receivers priced from $100 to $4,300 including a Nakamichi...and I simply would not buy an HK receiver...the whole power issue is overrated if you set the crossover to 80Hz as is recommended by almost everyone including SVS...thank you for contributing to this thread.

PS Please get back to me after you have read the HK 635 thread on the AVS Forum so that we can continue to discuss this matter in a very civilized fashion.

PPS I also do not like having to deal with the almost constant fan noise that a lot of HK receivers have. Thanks again.

 

[John Brill]

I would take any advice from people you don't know on the internet with a grain of salt as none of us have your ears. By that I mean, we can give you some recommendations of equipment to try out, but in the end, you should listen to each receiver with your speakers to make the final decision.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the low end Pioneer stuff (816, 1016). I have listened to the 1016 with the MCACC feature and found it didn't work as advertised. And to me, the 1016 sounded "muffled" where as I prefer crisp, clear dialogue.

As for Yamaha and Denon, I place them pretty much on par. Usually you can find comparable feature mixes as similar price points. For my first HT receiver, I went with a Yamaha as I preferred the "brighter" sound over the Denon. Others hate the "brighter" sound and prefer the more mellow Denon.

I didn't consider H/K mainly because of price and it was missing a critical feature for me at the time... A/B speaker switching. They tend to be more expensive which I would argue is the reason why most stay away. I did, however, audition them and have to agree with Andy A, the sound, imho, was noticeably better, richer, more pronounced than the comparable Yamaha/Denon.

Good luck in your purchase and I hope you take the time to listen to your options and not simply buy based on specs on a sheet of paper.

 

[Arthur S]

With all due respect JB...have you actually read that thread on the AVS Forum about the software and firmware issues with the HK 635?...perhaps they sound good...but how is it that the HK 745 originally listed for $3000 and is now selling for $1399 at OneCall?...again, no criticism or offense intended...for a low cost full featured receiver...the Pioneer 816 is as much of a receiver as the OP needs...my 64 pound Denon 5803A is rather similar to your terrific Rotel 1067...thanks for contributing to this thread.

 

[gene c]

I'm not a big fan of the low end Pioneers either. I have a 1014 (now in storage) and what John said about the 1016 pretty much sums it up. If I were choosing between the original three, I'd get the Yamaha. But I felt the 816 (or the Panasonic) would be a better fit for the OP's father. As for H/K, I've had a 520 for 4+ years now and love it. It is more powerful than the 110 wpc 1014 but volume isn't what's nice about it. It's the sound quality. The bass is deep and tight, the mid-range warm but clear and the highs are light and airy. They seem to float out of the speakers. I also have an H/K 435 and it's not quite on par with the 520 too me. Can't pin point it, but it's just not the same. I also agree that there are questions about their reliability, but so far both have worked flawlessly. The main reason I don't often recommend H/K (or Marantz) is that most seem to be more concerned about features than sound. I also have an Onkyo 702 and it's a pretty good combo of performance, features, SQ and value. There are +'s and -'s about all brands and individual needs vary.

 

[Andy_A]

Like I said before, MSRP is basically arbitrary and typically chosen by the eggheads in the marketing department. Since HK is sold in a number of retail outlets, they can basically place it on "sale" at the lower price when it is really full price. Make sense? Basically to figure out which model receiver from a given manufacturer competes with a model from another manufacturer, you compare the street price of each receiver. For example, the HK 745 is roughly the same price as the Denon AVR-3806, so we could deduce that these receivers are in the same class (like Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry). When we compare features, pricing makes even more sense; features will be very similar. Same thing with the HK 645 and the Denon 2807, and even though the 645 is now less (than the 2807) on onecall, I'd still take it over the Denon 2807 or the Denon 3806- and I'm sure there's a lot here who would agree with me...

Long story short, MSRP don't mean a thing

I repeat my suggestion: stick with the HK refurbs on ebay and you won't be disappointed with what you get for your money

 

[John Brill]

Don't make me laugh. How is your 64 lbs, $4300 MSRP Denon 5803 "rather similar" to my 54 lbs, $2200 MSRP Rotel 1067? Oh yeah, they're not. The Rotel has a much better sound but less of the bells and whistles that I didn't need or want. I'm ecstatic with my Rotel, if you are with your Denon (I'm assuming you got a killer deal), life is good all around

 

[Arthur S]

Hi JB

With all due respect...maybe you actually should take the time to read the thread on the AVS Forum before you recommend products that have not had sufficient Beta Testing and have software and firmware issues...how would you like to have paid $3,000 a year ago and then see that you could have waited a year and paid $1,600 less?...how would you like it if someone came along now and purchased the Rotel 1067 for less than half of the MSRP?...with all due respect I love the sound of Denon receivers...the 5803A sounds as clean as a whistle and was the reference for several AV magazines...if I choose to I can use it in Pure Direct Mode and avoid all of the bells and whistles...have you actually done a blind AB test of the Denon 5803A vs. the Rotel 1067?...with all due respect...I continue to recommend the Pioneer 816 to individuals who need a rather low cost receiver with room/speaker correction...there is not much difference between the Yamaha and Pioneer in HT usage...for ultra critical listening none of the lower end receivers compares with either the Denon 5803A or the Rotel 1067...thanks for your interest in this thread.

I also like my Nakamichi amplification for any critical listening situations...and I can use my 70 pound Citation 7.1 power amp at any time in either situation...thanks again for contributing to this thread...

I simply would not recommend HK receivers to anyone until they do enough Beta Testing that people don't have to sit around waiting for a year or more for HK to come up with software and firmware issues...and Denon does not cut their prices by more than 50% in a year...to each his own.

PS If you "could care less"...why are you engaging in a discussion about HK receivers and their software and firmware problems?

 

[John Brill]

I didn't. I merely advocated that the HK sound is a good one and that you should audition all receivers you are considering and make up your own mind.

 

[Andy_A]

with all due respect you need to reed our posts regarding MSRP. Have you read the AVSForum threads on MSRP? You should go read them and get back to me. Thanks for contributing to this thread... Understand this: the 745 just came out and it is already at the low low price. It didn't take a year to drop. It never does with HK. They just release the unit and the next day the price is the lower price. What John B. said is right--MSRP is arbitrary. Again, read this thread about MSRP..

 

[Arthur S]

With all due respect...how is it that neither JB or Andy A have addressed the software and firmware issues I mentioned...HK has been releasing receivers that lack sufficient Beta Testing and people have waited over a year to receiver fixes for these problems...if you would like to engage in an actual discussion of some of the software and hardware issues I have time to look up specific posts to document the kinds of software and firmware problems that people have experienced...how is is it that neither of you have chosen to discuss the software and firmware problems that have plagued HK receivers for years...again no offense to anyone...thanks for contributing to this thread.

 

[John Brill]

Ok, read the HK thread last night.

1) "Problem" seems to be localized to the HK 635 only and does not seem to port to other models, especially the lower end 100 and 200 series.
2) For every "Problem" post, there were just as many, if not more, "I have NO problems with mine" posts.
3) A glance through the forums does not seem to indicate that HK has any more problems with quality or customer service than any of the other players in the field.

On that note, I still don't have any problems recommending that folks audition HK's if a model fits their budget or needs.

Also, noted the repeated dodge: Have you ever listened to a Pioneer 816 or 1016 and tried the MCACC feature? Rhetorical question as I know the answer is no, you have only read about it. I'm fairly certain if you actually auditioned one of these machines, your opinion of them wouldn't be as rosy when compared to a similar product from Yamaha or Denon.

 

[Arthur S]

Hi JB

You are beginning to understand the long history of insufficient Beta Testing...and quality control issues that have plagued owners of HK receivers. and HK separates for as many as the past 25 years...I have owned HK separates that leaked the radio frequencies into the integrated amp...I had to get rid of them at a loss... regarding the HK635...how frustrating is it to have to wait more than a year to get the software and firmware revisions?...that is not the only mid-range HK receiver that has had software and firmware problems...the 5 series also had software and firmware problems...in spite of these issues, I considered buying the HK 8000, however, I decided to drop my order for the HK8000 @~$1100 from Onecall after reading enough about noise problems in the center channel to convince me that it would be a major mistake to buy any of HKs current or past models including the low line models...and very little has changed since then...they introduce new models every 6 months or so with prices that drop by more than 50% in as little as 6 months...I do agree with you that Yamaha and Denon are a better alternative than HK...with the possible exception of the very latest low end HK models...however, for most practical purposes I have every reason to believe that the Pioneer 816 is enough at ~$260 for virtually everyone who does not consider themselves either a purist or a minimalist

JB

What do you think about adding the stand alone Audyssey MultiEQ XT Pro as an addition to my Denon 5803A?...thanks again...I don't take any of this very seriously...however, I have as much hands-on experience over many many years as I think I need to make serious recommendations..including avoiding all HK receivers...until I have read enough to convince me that their amplification is worth taking any risk at all for...I can discuss my in-home comparison of my 70 pound $2,800 Citation 7.1 to my older 24 pound $600 Kenwood receiver...please keep in touch

 

[John Brill]

Gladly :rolleyes