HT Receivers

Re: HT Receivers

The SC-07 has a different amp design (icepower) and probably some additional features for home automation controllers. It also has an additional HDMI output.

Only you can decide if the extra money for separates is worth it If you want the flexibility of changing out the amp down the road then I suppose it's worth it. It also allows you to find the amp of your dreams and keep it for years, then just switch out the pre-amp when you want HDMI v5.0 or whatever...

Re: HT Receivers

You can do what I did and use a receiver as is for a few years until you decided it is time to upgrade, then add an amp and use the receiver as a pre/pro.

Re: HT Receivers

Like Clinton suggested, I actually bought a very affordable Yamaha 663 back a few months ago (for well under $400) to use as a prepro for my existing (B&K) power amp. Works quite well that way though that particular unit only offers 2 HDMI inputs.

Not sure if that Yamaha would be comparable to the Pioneer(?) you're considering. If not, you might also consider something like the Onkyo 805 at clearance prices -- Amazon has it for ~$600 right now, but actually had it down to ~$550 briefly several days ago. And either (or both) Onkyo or Yamaha should offer something comparable enough to the Pioneer at an attractive price, especially if you get it on clearance as models get replaced.

_Man_

Re: HT Receivers

If I remember correctly the SC-07 is one of the two Pioneer Elite receivers that can be used with the new Pioneer Blu-ray players with the jitter reduction circuit. To my knowledge if you where interested in that you could not use it with the VSX-94TXH.

The Pioneer Elite receivers are very nice and I seriously consider one to replace my current Yamaha RX-V995. I would also recomend looking at Denon AVR-3808ci as that can be upgraded via it's ethernet connection. I also recomend checking out Integra and some of the Onkyo receviers as well. All depends on what your needs and budget are?

There is the following upgrades for the Denon 3808 & 4308:
Audyssey Pro
Dynamic EQ
Dynamic Volume

Both Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ are available with the Denon AVR-2809, Onkyo TX-NR906, Onkyo TX-SR876 and Integra 8.9. Then the Onkyo 806 and the Integra 7.9 only offer Dynamic EQ. If you decide on an Onkyo IMHO the 805 is a better value than the 806. In the Onkyo 806 you are giving up the Burr Brown DAC's and 100MHz component video path, even though it is said that 1080i can be passed via 50MHz rated component. Then there is the Marantz line which is another very nice brand and is worth a look as well. There are many choices out there and many ways to end up with a great home theater exsperience.

Just based on the mention of the Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH model, here are some recomendations.

Denon AVR-3808ci
Onkyo TX-SR876
Marantz SR-7002
Onkyo TX-SR805 (Scaler is ok but you can allways set it to pass through) Audio section is a brute !

Personally I do not care for the Onkyo TX-SR806 over all but many who have bought it are very happy with it. The Onkyo 806 for the money does offer 5 HDMI inputs and does MSRP for $1,099. I did not care for how they took the 805's amplifier section with a beefy amp section that offered high current 60A, then cut it to 36A with the 806 and rate it as a THX Ultra2 Plus certified receiver. I am still not sold on the cirus logic DAC's used with the 806 ether.

You can allways use your receiver as a pre/pro later on down the line. That will give you a much stouter amplifier section and better performance IMHO. But todays receivers do offer alot of performance especially compaired with receivers of 20 years ago.


You can also pick up the Onkyo TX-SR805 for around $599 (previously MSRP $1,099), that IMHO is a better choice and has the following:
Burr Brown DAC's
130 Watts per channel X 7
High Current: 60A
THX Ultra 2 Certified
Decodes: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio
Neutral THX Processing
3 100MHz Component Video
3 HDMI 1.3 Inputs
Audyssey MultEQ XT
XM Radio Ready
SIRIUS Radio Ready
iPod Ready
7.1 input and 7.1 output

Would not recomend placing the Onkyo 805 in a tight closed space as it does run on the hot side, I would give it alot of ventalation at least 6" on the top or place it in an open area.

I am not against the Yamaha's as I have owned one for 10+ years and it has been trouble free and has performed very well over the years. I will admit that I am not a big fan of the Sony receivers and find the amp section to be on the enemic side.

My current HT configuration:

Re: HT Receivers

Yep, the Onkyo 805 could be a better choice than the cheaper Yamaha 663 depending on your priorities. For me, part of the issue was the Onkyo was still typically going for ~$700 at the time while I managed to find the Yamaha for 1/2 that, and as a prepro (w/ the amp section reserved as only emergency backup), I just didn't see enough added value to justify the extra ~$350. Neither one is exactly the last word on a prepro afterall, and in my case, I doubt the Onkyo would last me any longer than the Yamaha (despite the extra HDMI input) unless I do decide that the amp section is good enough for the long haul (should my B&K amp die). The only other potentially significant diff is the Onkyo uses Audyssey's room eq treatment while the Yamaha uses their own proprietary process, and it's not clear to me that the Audyssey is actually better (and by how much). For fans of SACD, the Yamaha does have one slight advantage for being able to handle DSD via HDMI, but that's an extremely niche thing.

And finally, the Yamaha should run cooler and consume less power, particularly if you're just using it as a prepro. As far as I can tell, the Onkyo runs pretty hot (and probably consumes a good deal of electricity) even if you're just using it as a prepro. I would certainly have more setup difficulties (that may add more costs besides the energy bill) if I had gone w/ the Onkyo instead of the Yamaha. The Yamaha also runs a little warm to the touch as a prepro, but I haven't felt any real concerns about potentially overheating and such even though I don't leave much space above and below for ventilation -- the sides of my rack are open though. With the Onkyo, I would likely need a new open rack (plus maybe a cooling fan to ensure good ventilation).

_Man_