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Relative Beginner needs help

post #1 of 5
9/6/10 at 3:02pm
Thread Starter 

Hey all,

 

I'm doing my first upgrade, and am trying to choose between receivers. I'm trying to pick between

 

a) Denon 890

 

 

b) Onkyo tx-sr08

 

I know the denon is only HDMI 1.3, but seeing as how I dont care about 3d its not a big deal to me.

 

I know the denon does auudyssey multieq v. 2eq for the onkyo, and I know it has anchor bay processing v. Faroduji (sp?) for the onkyo (both of which I understand are pluses).

 

I know the Onkyo is THX certified, but as I understand it its not a big deal.

 

All in all, I think I'm leaning toward the denon, unless there is a big reason I'm missing to get the Onkyo.

 

Oh yeah, price: BB has the denon on clearance for $399, Tiger direct has the onkyo for $399, so a wash there.

 

thanks all!

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post #2 of 5
9/6/10 at 4:53pm

Both are fine receivers, but I tend to lean towards Onkyo.

Denons are harder to setup and use, unless you're an old hand at home theater equipment. Their remotes can be a nightmare too. Everyone hates the Denon manual. You might want to download and read it, and see if it makes sense to you. Onkyos are easier to setup and use. Whichever you get, make sure the seller is factory authorized, or you won't have any warranty. You really can't go wrong with either, as long as you think you can handle the Denon.

Good luck!

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post #3 of 5
9/6/10 at 5:01pm

Even though the Onkyo is a newer model IMO the Denon 890 is a better receiver according to your needs. But, as Ed mentioned, for me they are a nightmare to setup and use  . Maybe I need more practice with them  . But they perform very well and that's what counts.

 

If you could find an Onkyo 707 for about the same price then I'd say get it instead.

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post #4 of 5
9/7/10 at 3:47am
Thread Starter 

Thanks guys. Yes, I've heard that Denon's can be difficult. I'm "tech" savvy, though not Home Theater savvy (i've never set up a receiver before and terms like "crossover" are totally new to me) and quite frankly rather not trust my home listening experience to a character named 'BatPig".

 

I guess I'm suspecting at this price point I'd not really notice a difference in the sound, but what do you guys think about the amp's on the the receivers? Denon is rated at 105 x 7 while Onkyo at 100 x 7. Is there any differnce between the two in terms of build quality, etc?

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post #5 of 5
9/7/10 at 4:06am

Don't worry about amp ratings. You'll never hear a difference of 5 watts. Besides, the ratings are never the "real" ratings. If you bench test all the receivers out there, you'll find the advertised ratings to be quite different from what they actually are. I don't know how they get away with it.

 

The build quality of the two brands are pretty similar, and good. Some people complain that Onkyos tend to run hot. Mine doesn't. But mine isn't closed in either. Don't close it in, in an entertainment center or cabinet, and it should be alright. I doubt you'd be disappointed with either one.

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