Best bang for buck Receiver? (1 Viewer)

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane: Yamaha recently announced the release date and new
features for the RX-V2600. With that in mind, the RX-V2500
should be coming down; they're available now for under $700
delivered. This unit is similar to the 5890. Keep in mind
that most of us have found that "too much power is never
enough". Be careful or you might end up with a unit that
can only be used as a pre-pro and you'll be looking for an
amp; been there, done that. Good luck.

 

[Shane J]

I just looked at the yamaha rx-v2500. I really like the receiver.

I am leaning toward either B&W fronts, center, and rears with a POLK or SVS sub OR a complete Axiom system.

So, now, the question is...will I need an amp? I never even considered using amps.

Shane

 

[Arthur S]

Shane

Do yourself a big favor, skip the Polk subwoofer, and get an SVS sub.

Why not tell us how much you are really willing to pay for all this and then we can make better recommendations.

Spending a lot on a receiver that you are then going to use separate amps with usually doesn't make much sense if maximizing your bang for the buck is a concern.

 

[Shane J]

budget for speakers, receiver, and sub is $2500-$3000. I am not against buying used either. And, of course, the less I have to pay, the better

 

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane

Your choice of speakers will determine your amplification
needs, so do that first. Speakers with a low nominal
impedence, i.e. 4 ohms, do not perform well with mid-priced
receivers. That is not to say that you should discount
them, just be aware that you'll need to take another
avenue such as a receiver / amp combo. IMHO speakers are
your most important choice; look to spend two-thirds of
your money there. Audition fronts in stereo with whatever
music you like and decide; then get the matched center.
This is very important as 70% of what you get in home theater comes from this speaker. Matching sides/rears are
nice but way over rated; I have them but wished I'd saved
the money. Subs are a difficult decision; good ones are not
cheap and this forum was a big help to me. I took a $1500
Velodyne back and ended up with a Earthquake Super Nova
which I like much better at half the price. One last note;
a receiver such as the one Arthur mentioned and a dual
channel amp will drive whatever speakers you end up with for $1K.

 

[Shane J]

i have sampled POLK and B&W fronts, rears, centers. I really enjoyed the B&Ws and I can get them at a discounted price through the government.

I have not heard the Axioms, and dont know of anyone in my area that has them.

So, we are talking about getting the pioneer 1015 and hooking up a dual channel Amp to it?

I have a Sony STR-DE698 Receiver that is less than 6 months old. Could I get the performance that I am looking for from it by running a good amplifier or two off of it? I understand that it is low-end.

Forgive my newb question, but what would the dual channel amp power?

Shane

 

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane, the two channel amp would be receiver pre-out to
your front main speakers. Most receivers have sufficent
power to drive the center and surrounds. Problem is that
speaker loudness is not linear / balanced in this config-
uration. It's a patch at best. If you get into a 5/6/7
channel amp and use your existing receiver as a pre-pro,
you'll be into premium receiver money. Myself, I'd go with
the receiver keeping in mind the speakers you're looking
at. Again, decide on speakers first and then see what you're going to require to drive them. I'm an old fart that remembers when stereo was a big deal and sub's didn't
exist, so I lean to high end mains. Considering your pre-ferences, check out Polk Lsi15's and matching center. They
are 4 ohm but the RX-V2500 will handle them - it's rated
down to 2 ohms. Remember, there's no free lunch; power cost bucks and Arthur's weight deal is usually correct.

 

[Arthur S]

Shane

Probably the most important difference between your Sony and a new receiver will be the room/speaker correction. Yamaha calls its YAPO, Pioneer MACC, etc.

I am not familiar with your Sony, but there might be a difference in power.

Bob is correct. Your choice of speakers will make vastly more difference in your sound than the choice of receivers.

B&W are considered quite good. Seems you can get them at a good price. I would just remind you of this. Speakers will always sound different at home than they do in a large showroom type setting. At home they will sound brighter. Still should not be a problem with B&W.

Why not settle on your speakers. Try them carefully with your Sony. Then you can move forward on the receiver front. There are at least a hand full of good choices. Making assumptions that certain receivers can't drive this or that speaker does not always prove correct.

You might be surprised how well some modest receivers can power decent speakers. You can always add power amps to modern receivers. Give the reciever a chance on its own.

Most of todays receivers can do a pretty good job driving just the front L&R. If you were to hear something that sounded like straining with 7.1, you would be a good candidate for either a power amp or a higher power receiver.

Also keep in mind that if you set your receiver for small speakers, (especially small all around), that takes a considerable burden off the receiver as bass is by far the most demanding part of the audio spectrum to power.

 

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane,
Arthur has it right. Go pick the speakers and give
them a try. And remember, if you're going with a good sub
the front mains need not necessarily be floor standing.
After seeing the power numbers that Arthur posted, I'm
sure a larger receiver will make a significant difference,
especially at loud listening levels, regardless of the
speakers you decide upon. One other thought: although I
like my sub, I would not recommend it as its push-pull
design makes room placement far too critical.

 

[Shane J]

SONY LINK

That is a link for the receiver that I currently have. I said, not really high end at all. It suits my needs right now with my small speakers. Since I will be upgrading to larger, loud speakers, I am going to need a little more power. The 90 watts per channel isnt quite going to cut it. That being said, can I hook up a decent amplifier to this receiver and get some better performance out of it? Or is it more cost effective to buy a new receiver without a separate amplifier?

I had never even considered keeping my receiver until I started reading the posts in this thread!

 

[John S]

I hear the complaint fairly often from customers, that by the time it is as loud as they want it, when they are try'n to show off in particular, then the system doesn't sound to good.

Many people have very difficult rooms these days, in their living/family rooms.

I have a bit of a treat right now, I am installing a real dedicated theater room for a guy. In his previous home, his Denon 3800 AVR was really impressive, in his new home with vaulted cielings, open to all the other rooms, it is really struggling.

It has made him paranoid and now he is tending to go a little overboard for his HT room. But it is a good example.

 

[JeremyErwin]

if the sony has pre-outs, you can add a power amplifier. But it doesn't look like it does.

 

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane,
I rather doubt your receiver has the pre-outs necessary
to utilize a separate power amp(s). Even if it does, I
would be hesitant because of it's overall limitations
not to mention cost effectiveness. As pointed out in a
previous post, your receiver tested at 31 watts/channel;
no where near advertised. As I said, there's no free lunch
and ever time you step up it costs more. John and Arthur
seem to have real world experience with the Yamaha 5890
and the Pioneer 1015. These are both well within your
budget ( $440 & $530 delivered at pricescan.com )and are
a big step up. The HTR5890 is very close to the RX-V2500,
which is gear towards audiophiles, and is THX certified.

 

[Shane J]

First off,

Thank you everyone for the responses and insight that you all have provided.

Secondly, thank you for baring with my plethora of miniscule questions.

Thirdly,

I have decided on a system:

Yamaha RX-V2500
B&W DM600 S3 fronts
B&W LCR60 S3 center
B&W DS6 S3 rears
SVS 10" sub (prt no unknown)

Let the shopping around begin for the best deals!

Thanks again

 

[Arthur S]

It might be a good idea to make sure that the places you buy from are authorized dealers.

You will find lower prices from non-authorized dealers but if you have a problem, don't expect manufacturers support.

 

[John S]

Well your system will certainly be impressive. You may want to up the sub a little to keep up with those B&W's.

 

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane
I'm curious as to why you picked basic surrounds for
your front mains? Looking at B&W's site, that's what their
described purpose is. The rears you listed are very
sophisticated units designed for upscale systems. Might
want to rethink your selections. Trying to be helpful and
not bag on you - please take my comments in that vein.
Finding the units from an authorized dealer is import-
ant. Many folks that sell online will give you the old
"it comes with a manufactures warranty" line so be careful.
This is particularly true with Yamaha's RX-V line which is
reserved for audiophile establishments. Yamaha's HTR line
is almost identical, less expensive and widely available
from authorized dealers. FYI - Yamaha won't even touch a
RX-V unit, as if it were a gray box, unless it came from
an authorized dealer. They're there, just hard to find.

 

[John S]

Hmm, I didn't really look or think to much on the model numbers. But maybe he has some space limitations up front perhaps?

You make some good points about the speaker choices for sure.

 

[Shane J]

Thanks for the advice on the fronts.

I may have the wrong part number.

 

[Bob Goodrich]

Shane,
The DM600's would be my choice for rears - quality
but not too expensive. Either DM601 or 602 S3's would be
good fronts if you want bookshelf size mains. Also, they're
timbre matched with the center you listed - very important.
Note that these speakers dip near the 3 ohm range, so your
receiver choice is a wise one. These require serious power.