H/K AVR 225 vs. Marantz SR5200 (1 Viewer)

[Ozzie]

Please help--need to make a decision today.
Will be used as 70% Music and 30% HT

They both have what I am looking for in terms of specs and they are both in the same price range. The SR5200 is refurb (from Auth. dealer) and the 225 would be new.
On performance alone, which would you choose and why?

THANKS A MILLION!

 

[Angelo.M]

The 225.

They are very close, but I have had nothing but good experiences w/ my H/K stuff, including my own 225 and stereo receivers. The 225 is a very solid piece. This is taking away nothing from the 5200, but I'd take H/K.

 

[Ozzie]

They are very close...too close!

BTW-I will run the following speakers with the system:
JBL N38II fronts
JBL SAT10 rear
JBL 100W sub (model # escapes me at the moment)

(as you can tell, I am a newb...)

Powering a 14X24 room...

What does MP3 decoding do? AVR225 has it, SR5200 does not...will I miss out on much?
It seems to me like the 85W/channel of the SR5200 would be no comparison to that 55W/channel of the AVR 225. I know that wattage can be deceiving and have read several posts stating that the 55W/channel of the 225 outperform most of the 100W/channel receivers but does it really outpower the SR5200?

IMO-the 225 looks nicer which is a plus...

Need more help please!

Thanks!

 

[Marc H]

I'd choose the H/K. I like it's sound quality better. More amperage in the dual power supplies.

MP3 decoding is useful if you burn your own discs encoded with MP3. Most DVD players have that capability now though.

 

[Ozzie]

Thanks!
I just ordered the H/K from J&R. Just goes to show how much weight you experts have on my decision making...Can't wait to get it. I'll make sure to post a follow up thread on my thoughts.

Thanks again for your much needed insight.

 

[Angelo.M]

Ozzie:

We have similar set-ups. I have the N38IIs in my theater and the S38IIs in my office. The 225 powers the N38s and an NAD stereo amp powers the S38s; both set-ups sound great.

H/K and JBL are a nice match, as are NAD and JBL.

 

[Ozzie]

Thanks for the reassurance Angelo.

How do you have your HT set up?
I've read that the HK is superb musically but lacks a little in the HT department. Any tips on what'll give me optimal performance would be great.

You guys are all fantastic and very helpful. I'd never do anything with my HT w/o consulting with you guys first.

 

[Angelo.M]

I don't really have any tips. Actually, I agree in general with your statement about H/K: very warm or lush or bloated for music, and lacking a bit in the theater dept (putting on flame-retardant suit).

In fact, I'm torn at the moment. I've been swapping a Sony 2ES and H/K 225 in and out of my system for two weeks, trying to decide which is a better fit for my theater. At this point, I'm leaning toward the 2ES, which just has more oomph for movies. As far as music... Well, the H/K is sweeter, but the 2ES is not bad at all; it reminds me of my vintage Onkyo equipment.