Which Onkyo Receiver For Us?? (1 Viewer)

Rebel Racing · Oct 19, 2011

Hi Guys,

Here's what we have currently:

New 46" Samsung TV

Older but working great Sound Dynamics tower speakers with a Sub

HD Sat Receiver

OLD Kenwood VR 206 receiver

Currently I have it wired through the Kenwood and it sounds just O.K. Here's what I have in mind and I am open to ideas:

Purchase a current Onkyo receiver and a center speaker for the TV and eliminate the old Kenwood. The room is simply NOT set up for any more speakers than what we will have (4) and we are not interested inre-arranging furniture and changing things around--this may happen inthe future when we move but that is not in the near future. So my question for the experts is:

What receiver should we be looking for (on a budget)?

What center speaker would be good for our application?

Will this proposed combo give us better sound than we currently have?

Thanks!!

gene c · Oct 19, 2011

If you want a new receiver then I'd say get the Onkyo 509. It has Audyssey room correction which will help the sound quality quite a bit and if you can't find a center to match the fronts you have then an automatic eq will help with that as well..
I can't find much on Sound Dynamics except they were part of API which also had Energy, Mirage and I think Athena so it's good heritage. Finding a matching SD center channel will probably be impossible. The next best thing is to try and find a center speaker that has the same type of tweeter as those in th SD's you have. It might be just as easy to find an older center channel from one of the other API brands like Energy. Maybe they shared the same design.
If one of last years receivers would be O.K. then check out ac4l.com for a factory refurb. Good way to save a little money.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/brand/onkyo/results/1.html

John Brill · Oct 20, 2011

Keep an eye out on ebay or other sites. You can probably find a Sound Dynamic CS1000 Center Speaker for sale. The issue is age and model number of your current towers. Try to match the mid-range woofer size and tweeter size for best sound performance. For example, if the mid-range woofer size on your towers is 5.5", try to find a similar sized woofer in a center channel. The problem you might run into, as stated before, will be to match sonic qualities subtle to each speaker brand. Hopefully, Audessey Room Equililaztion technology available with Onkyo receivers should help correct for larger discrepancies.
Good luck, JB

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2011

Are there any other Onkyo models that I should keep an ey for other than the 509??

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2011

Originally Posted by John Brill /t/315605/which-onkyo-receiver-for-us#post_3862368
Keep an eye out on ebay or other sites. You can probably find a Sound Dynamic CS1000 Center Speaker for sale. The issue is age and model number of your current towers. Try to match the mid-range woofer size and tweeter size for best sound performance. For example, if the mid-range woofer size on your towers is 5.5", try to find a similar sized woofer in a center channel. The problem you might run into, as stated before, will be to match sonic qualities subtle to each speaker brand. Hopefully, Audessey Room Equililaztion technology available with Onkyo receivers should help correct for larger discrepancies. Good luck, JB

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2011

Thanks John!! I'll start looking for the center speaker then. I did not know about matching the mid range size.

Originally Posted by Rebel Racing /t/315605/which-onkyo-receiver-for-us#post_3862415

John Brill · Oct 20, 2011

Rebel Racing said:
Are there any other Onkyo models that I should keep an ey for other than the 509??

Can't go wrong with accessories4less Onkyo models. The 509/609/709 or last years 508/608/708 are all excellent choices.

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2011

Originally Posted by John Brill /t/315605/which-onkyo-receiver-for-us#post_3862440
Can't go wrong with accessories4less Onkyo models. The 509/609/709 or last years 508/608/708 are all excellent choices.

Cool, just the info I was looking for!!

Thanks!!

gene c · Oct 20, 2011

Rebel Racing said:
Are there any other Onkyo models that I should keep an ey for other than the 509??

it depends on your budget and what features you actually need and would use. Most people (count me guilty!) buy much more receiver than they really need. Only other thing you need to worry about is the impendance of the speakers. If your speakers are 4 ohms instead of the more common 8 ohm then you would need a receiver that is capable of driving 4 ohm loads.

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2011

Originally Posted by gene c /t/315605/which-onkyo-receiver-for-us#post_3862447
it depends on your budget and what features you actually need and would use. Most people (count me guilty!) buy much more receiver than they really need. Only other thing you need to worry about is the impendance of the speakers. If your speakers are 4 ohms instead of the more common 8 ohm then you would need a receiver that is capable of driving 4 ohm loads.

I would be comfortable at the $300 mark for the receiver and a max of $200 for the center speaker for a total of $500 (less would be great of cource) to upgrade what we currently have for a much better sound. I will look to see what ohm rating the speakers are that we have.

Thanks!!

John Brill · Oct 20, 2011

Rebel Racing said:
I would be comfortable at the $300 mark for the receiver and a max of $200 for the center speaker for a total of $500 (less would be great of cource) to upgrade what we currently have for a much better sound. I will look to see what ohm rating the speakers are that we have.

Thanks!!

$210 for the Onkyo 509 and $150 for KEF C6C center speaker would leave you enough $'s to get a matching pair of KEF C1's ($150) all at accessories4less.com ...

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2012

Hi Guys,

Just about ready to pick up a receiver (finally). Was all set on the Onkyo 509 but now see a Onkyo HT-RC430 5.1 for the same $$. Which one to go with??

Al.Anderson · Oct 20, 2012

The 509 is the better receiver by far. It has Audyssey calibration, slightly more power, LAN connectivity (which gives you internet radio and PC/NAS streaming), and a 2nd coax connection. The only thing going for the 430 is it has the old school A/B option, which I happen to think is more useful than a zone2.
The 430 isn't a bad receiver, if it were much cheaper and budget was a consideration I'd certainly get it, but not for the same money.
What made you even consider the 430?

schan1269 · Oct 20, 2012

Since when is speaker A/B "old school"?
Yamaha(and I'm sure there are others...) gives you the option(not like on the 373, maybe not even the 473...but I know the 573 does it) of "Zone B" or "Zone 2".
Zone B is A/B.
The advantage of A/B?
Access to ALL INPUTS. Granted, no, it can't be a different source than A...but it works without Zone A.

Al.Anderson · Oct 20, 2012

The reason I called A|B old school is because I don't know of anyone who offers it anymore; they offer zone2 instead. If you run across a current receiver that offers it please let me know. (I need a new family room receiver, where I run "B" to my deck.)
And I don't consider Zone2 is the same as A|B. The main reason I say that is what you pointed out, it's not a simple splitter, as you can't send digital sources to it. The secondary reason is, I'm lazy, and it's not a simple push of a button. You have to select the zone, turn the zone on, then select the source. With A|B, I just push the button and - voila - music on the deck! (Or to put in in different terms, my wife and kids will push B for me while I drink a beer; while I have to get up for zone2.) So zone2 offers connectivity option A|B doesn't; but for shear simplicity A|B is better.

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2012

Originally Posted by Al.Anderson /t/315605/which-onkyo-receiver-for-us#post_3991084
The 509 is the better receiver by far. It has Audyssey calibration, slightly more power, LAN connectivity (which gives you internet radio and PC/NAS streaming), and a 2nd coax connection. The only thing going for the 430 is it has the old school A/B option, which I happen to think is more useful than a zone2.
The 430 isn't a bad receiver, if it were much cheaper and budget was a consideration I'd certainly get it, but not for the same money.
What made you even consider the 430?

Actualy, I seen the 430 at Walmart.com mind you it is new at $198 compared to the 509 refurb. at $189 at Accessories4less. I just wanted to make sure the 430 wasn't better and I was buying something inferior.

schan1269 · Oct 20, 2012

In your case, a Yamaha makes sense.
In the menu you can "on the fly" pick between Zone B or Zone 2. In this day and age of "computer controlled AVR"...you aren't going to find an A/B button/switch on an AVR anymore. At least not under $1500(I think one of the Anthem MRX still has buttons for A/B on the front).
I too miss the days of an easy button push...yet, everyone else wants it all remote controlled.

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2012

Hi Guys

Further with the 509, will I be able to hook up my cd player and a turntable? Never had a need to do that but last month my old Kenwood receiver went south. It would be nice if I don't need 2 receivers.

Thanks!!

schan1269 · Oct 20, 2012

"Modern" AVR under $1000 typically don't include a phono input anymore.
The "least expensive" AVR with a phono is, I think, the NR709*(two steps above the 509)...
So, either look at the 709, or buy an external phono pre-amp...
http://www.amazon.com/TC-750-BLACK-Audiophile-Phono-Preamplifier/dp/B000A36LQ4/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1350757238&sr=1-3&keywords=phono+preamp+for+turntable (one example of MANY)
*SR707/NR708/709...

Rebel Racing · Oct 20, 2012

Originally Posted by schan1269 /t/315605/which-onkyo-receiver-for-us#post_3991200
"Modern" AVR under $1000 typically don't include a phono input anymore.
The "least expensive" AVR with a phono is, I think, the NR709*(two steps above the 509)...
So, either look at the 709, or buy an external phono pre-amp...
http://www.amazon.com/TC-750-BLACK-Audiophile-Phono-Preamplifier/dp/B000A36LQ4/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1350757238&sr=1-3&keywords=phono+preamp+for+turntable (one example of MANY)
*SR707/NR708/709...

I was kind of afraid of that. So I can buy a pre-amp and install that between the 509 and the turn table and be good to go? That would be a lot better than another receiver from both the standpoint of $$ and clutter.

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