Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Hardware › Receivers/Separates/Amps › Help me pick a new receiver, looking for sound quality
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Help me pick a new receiver, looking for sound quality

post #1 of 13
4/5/11 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 

Looking for a new receiver, I primary use to play music through at high volumes, I play saxophone and normally put some tracks in the background wile I'm playing. It will also be hooked up to a home theater so its needs to do that well also.  Looking for bang for buck receiver, $400 cap (getting married in 3 weeks).

 

Right now i am powering them with a Sherwood rd-6108( no hdmi) and they have enough volume but the amp starts to clip at higher volume with all 5 running matrix. Sherwood claims 100 X 5 rms but I have seen reviews that they put out in real world condition around 65 rms.

 

The setup

 

4 infinity SM-225 towers and an infinity CC3 center. 200 watts RMS max on towers, 103 DB\W sensitive.

 

Samsung up convert DVD player to Hdmi

X-box 360 Hdmi

Laptop hooked up through hdmi

PS2 hooked up through component (don’t really use much)

 

What i looking for

 

Solid power output 100 true RMS with all channels driven 20-20k, 150 would be better.

Sound quality is paramount.

 

Would like up convert for all sources

hdmi 1.4 to be more future proof.

 

I am looking at the onkyo 608, and similar. Any recommendations?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply
post #2 of 13
4/5/11 at 6:12pm

In my experience, Onkyo, Denon, Marantz and H/K's have the better amp sections near your price range. Pioneer and Yamaha are enough for most applications but maybe not yours. Avoid Sony and Sherwood (opps! Too late biggrin.gif ). I'd look at the Marantz-5005 factory refurb from ac4l.com. It is a factory refurbished model and a little more than your stated budget but you're going to have to pay to get the things you want.

 

Dropping down to a 1.3 version will give you more options in your price range.

 

There's that phrase again. Future proof. smile.gif  More disappointment waiting to happen. Don't believe me? Ask anyone who paid $5000 for a "future proof" Onkyo TX-NR1000 a few years ago. I think they're still in court. Fantastic receiver but...Buy the best receiver you can afford that fits your needs today. Worry about tomorrow, well, tomorrow!

Reply
post #3 of 13
4/5/11 at 8:22pm
Thread Starter 

I have not looked at that MARANTZ. It looks solid for the price. I defiantly like the discrete amps seems like they would perform better then a chip amp. Any idea of real world power output?

 

  I can push the price some. Im getting married in 3 weeks and just paid 3k for a honeymoon so i trying to keep the budget reasonable, The main reason I'm getting it is we are moving when we get married and looking to setup a nice home theater in the new house to go with the 60in plasma. And right now i haft to push 20 buttons to get everything to work because of lack of hdmi. and its a good excuse to upgrade. But i am a cheap also and like the deal. I'm all for refurbished for half the price.

 

I could deal with 1.3 hdmi if i am getting a lot better components. If i ever go to 3d I'm can run 2 cables or something.

Reply
post #4 of 13
4/5/11 at 8:27pm
Thread Starter 

LOL your right about the sherwood $3200 worth of speakers on an $80 amp.

side note. Yea its cheap but its is one heck of a bang for buck I paid $80( open box special) 8 years ago and its still working. Abit its time to upgrade.

Reply
post #5 of 13
4/6/11 at 1:45am
Thread Starter 

gene c thanks for pointing that receiver out to me, holy cow i found some power ratings for that receiver and it blows everything in its class away. 239.6 watts RMS in stereo mode at @ 4 ohms 1%thd WOW. That is GREAT. It also will do right at 100rms @ 8 ohms with all 7 channels driven at full capacity. In comparison the onyko only did 40 watts with all 7 driven and 85 with 5 driven. That thing is a hoss for $450.

 

 

 

This graph shows that the SR5003’s left channel, from CD input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1 percent distortion at 153.1 watts and 1 percent distortion at 171.3 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches 0.1 percent distortion at 204.7 watts and 1 percent distortion at 239.6 watts.

 

 

 

Before i punch the button on this one anyone have any other recommendations.

 

Reply
post #6 of 13
4/6/11 at 9:48am
Come on. Push the button already. biggrin.gif
Reply
post #7 of 13
4/6/11 at 3:14pm

Most members feel that the sound quality of most any new receiver will be virtually the same between brands and these setup/eq programs like Audyssey and MCACC, done either automatically or manually, can probably eliminate even the smallest variations so for all "intents and purposes"  smile.gif (there it is again rolleyes.gif ) they are probably correct but I feel there is a slight difference between models. I'm not saying one is better than the other or that I could even tell you which is which blush.gif , but I think I can hear some difference and I do have a preference. So, when anyone asks for sound quality and power I say Marantz. But I also find the setup, operation, remote and manual of Marantz receivers (and Denons) to be a real "pita" so pick up some Excedrin on the way home. I tried alcohol, it doesn't help. This is why I'm sticking with Pioneer and H/K.

 

H/K is right there but more expensive unless you win a refurb auction from their ebay store. Denon is another option. Dakmart handles their refurbs. You need move up in price for a Pioneer or Yamaha to catch the other three. Not sure where their refurbs can be found, if anywhere.  But remember, all of this is the rambling incoherent opinions of some knucklehead on the internet. But I'm usually at least 1/2 right patriot.gif.

 

 

Reply
post #8 of 13
4/6/11 at 3:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gene c View Post

. But I'm usually at least 1/2 right patriot.gif.

 

 


Is that before or after the alcohol? biggrin.gif
Reply
post #9 of 13
4/6/11 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Willow View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by gene c View Post

. But I'm usually at least 1/2 right patriot.gif.

 

 




Is that before or after the alcohol? biggrin.gif



During. dance.gif

 

Actually, I don't drink much at all. Holidays mostly, if then,  and that's about it. Don't care if others do but it never did much for me so I just don't bother.

 

But after reading a few pages in a Marantz manual I found myself in the bathroom looking at a bottle of cold medicine with bad intent! And then there's that damned remote....Nice sounding receiver, though.

 

 

 

Reply
post #10 of 13
4/6/11 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 

I just bought a logitech harmony remote so that will cover that base.

Reply
post #11 of 13
4/7/11 at 4:43am

As long as we're allowing gossip, innuendo, and personal opinion - I always had the impression that H/K had the strongest amps.  Or maybe they just didn't inflate their specs as much as everyone else, so by comparison they seemed better.  And for price, Onkyo always seems to have the best price/performance ratio.  Yamaha makes good struff, but under-powered under-featured for the price. 

 

As for Marantz, I liked them a lot ... and then I didn't.  Did they go through some sort of trashy period? 

 

There, I think that's enough generalization for one post!

Reply
post #12 of 13
1/22/12 at 8:41pm
Thread Starter 
I never did update this thread. I ended up getting a NEW sr-5005 Marantz form accessories for less it was on sale for $450 new. The referb was 400 so I paid 50 more for the new unit. You can't beat that deal.
I have to say I am very impressed with this receiver. Gobs of power, clean sound, it drives the infinity's no problem. It will actually trip the circuit breaker in the crossover, unscientific but that would put it over 200watts RMS in stereo mode. But my ears are bleeding at level.
It was tricky to setup but not too bad. The up convert feature works great, It runs cool Nothing but good things to say!

Thanks for the advice guys!
Reply
post #13 of 13
1/23/12 at 5:40pm
A new Marantz 5005 for $450 had to be one of the best deals going. Glad you like it.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Receivers/Separates/Amps
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Hardware › Receivers/Separates/Amps › Help me pick a new receiver, looking for sound quality