I think I need a hug . . . and someone to tell me what freaking receiver to buy!!!!! (1 Viewer)

[Sean Laughter]

Haha, this is maddening let me tell you!!!
Anyway, I think I've decided what I want, but I want to run it by everybody.
My brother just told me that my JBL NSP1 system arrived at home today (living with grandparents at the moment). I'm going to match those with a Sony SAWM40 subwoofer (hopefully Best Buy will have a customer appreciaton weekend soon!).
Now, the totally maddening thing is the receiver. I swear, I can't believe more people don't commit murder over this decision! Anyway, I've yo-yoed back and forth from Pioneer to Onkyo to Sony to Yamaha to Onkyo to HK to Yamaha to Onkyo and around and around.
I really don't want to spend above $300, pre shipping. The Onkyo I was considering was the 494, but I think I've decided I'd rather pay for more power than for a sound format I won't use all that often (aka DPLII). The talk about the JBL NSP1 sensitivity, etc. got me leary and everything about anything below a rated 70w.
That basically rules out anything else from Onkyo unless I could find a 575x for about $300, but I could only find one refurbished (unknown warranty info, the one at Onecall), and for my very first receiver purchase I think I'd feel better going with new equipment. I really became fond of the Onkyo's looks so that's a bit dissapointing but it can't be helped I guess.
So I think I've settled on the Yamaha HTR-5250 that JandR has for $299 plus $22 shipping. DD, DTS, good power rating. I'm gonna go ahead and buy from JandR since they were nice to me on the phone when I bought the JBL speakers
Anyway, sound good or am I going to drown in self-pity after setting everything up?

 

[Saurav]

Just do it I don't think you can go wrong with any of those, and they all more-or-less meet your features criteria, so why don't you look at sound as a way to decide? For instance, Yamaha is known to make bright sounding equipment. Brightness tends to be more exciting initially (which is why a lot of people end up buying bright speakers), but can be fatiguing in the long run if your tastes run towards a mellower sound. All else being equal, I would use that as a factor to decide for or against the Yamaha.
Having said that, I believe the Yamaha is very good for music, and if I were you, that would be an important deciding factor, sound quality.
Have I just confused you some more?

 

[Sean Laughter]

No, I don't think its possible for anyone to make me anymore confused.
I haven't been able to find anyplace to audition the Yamaha receivers. I did get to hear the Onkyo 595 hooked up at a Circuit City though, but that was hooked up to some of the bigger Infinity speakers. Of course, relative to a real set-up it probably sounds awful since it probably wasn't calibrated, but I really liked it which probably means I wouldn't tell much difference between any of them in the long run!!! Haha. Are Onkyo's considered bright or mellow or in between?
Anyway, this will be mainly used for movies and playing videogames, not much music listening so basically DD and DTS are my primary concerns, probably not much use of any DPS's either (obvious I guess since I don't really care about DPLII).
[Edited last by Sean Laughter on July 19, 2001 at 09:46 PM]

 

[Greg S]

Sean,
As a former Yamaha owner now Denon I can tell you the Yamahas are definitely bright so you really need to hear them.
You should be able to check out Best Buy for the 5200 series of receivers and for the higher end Yamahas got to Audio Express. FOr Onkyo you can check out CC. For Denon you can go to Audio Exchange.
Audio Exchange is located near Willow Lawn Mall on West Broad Street.
Audio Express is located on Midlothian Turnpike and on West Broad Street.
Also there is Home Media on Alverser Drive.
All of these should be within driving distance to hear them which I strongly encourage you do. I think you will find that you will prefer the sound of the Onkyos and Denons better. Also if you need to hear a Denon in a home setting I invite you to stop by my place for a listen. Also if you want to check out an Onkyo in a home setting you should email John Gates (another HTF member) as he just recently purchased a 787.
Be sure you get the receiver you want and whatever you do don't just settle on something you aren't 100% sure you want.
AUDITION, AUDITION, AUDITION!!
Good Luck
Greg

 

[Saurav]

I would consider Onkyos as in-between. I replaced my Onkyo stereo receiver with something a little warmer. My speakers are bright enough, pairing them with bright electronics was a little fatiguing.

 

[John Morris]

Sean: check this out:Refurbed Onkyo 575 . I bought a refurbed Denon 1801 here for only $200 a few nights ago. It arrives on Monday so I'll know then if it was a wise purchase. BTW, I bought it to drive a pair of JBL N26AW speakers and think it will be a nice warm sonic match for the semi-brightness of the JBLs. Whatever you buy, don't look back. Just enjoy what you have to its' fullest.
Take Care,
John
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Take Care,
merc

 

[Sean Laughter]

Well, I guess the next logical question would be whether the JBL N24 speakers are considered bright as well.
I dunno, the more I think about the Onkyo's the more the 595 seems good, but it's $100 more than I had said I was going to spend, and nothing lower than the 595 really has the power/features together that I would like.
This bright/mellow thing has always been mysterious to me as well. I'm just not a huge audiophile I guess but I can tell when someone has adjusted the treble on my car stereo
I'm currently working in flight simulators during the summer, so I can tell all of you the wonders of amazing projection systems though, haha!
[Edited last by Sean Laughter on July 19, 2001 at 10:13 PM]

 

[Greg S]

Sean,
I think for $200 that 575 is hard to beat and you could add the 2 year extended warranty to it for $111 and it would only be a little over $300.
Greg

 

[John Morris]

Sean: Where and what are you doing with flight simulators? A few years ago, I had the opportunity to work at Brooks AFB, Pensacola NAS and Ft Rucker with the AF, USN and Army research flight laboratories. Although I have owned a pretty nice home flight simulator based on the F/A 18 cockpit, there is nothing like having the images fly past you on all sides. The Army flight simulators could even vary the environmental conditions so pilots could be stressed by desert temperatures. Anyway, at one point I was allowed to try to fly an F/A 18 since I "had experience" due to my home flight sim. I attempted 8 carrier landings... and died 8 times.

Afterward, I was jokingly presented with an invoice for many millions of dollars for the damage I'd done to the jets and the carrier. At the bottom of the invoice was a bill for additional Thousands of dollars... to pay for the simulator time.

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Take Care,
merc

 

[Sean Laughter]

I saw that 575 too, but I can't figure out what the difference is between it and the 575x, do you have any idea? I can't find the regular 575 listing on the Onkyo site (of course my slow as heck connection on their flash heavy site doesn't help )
John,
I'm working at NASA Langley in Hampton over the summer as an intern. I'm designing a video converter to be used in the HUD of the transport plain flight simulators (though they're using it elsewhere too). They have one that has an older imaging system which looks pretty nasty, but the two newest ones have projection systems that projects onto a screen and then you actually see the reflection of the image in a curved mirror. These simulators are used for 747, 757 simulation and stuff like that. They also have a new motion base that these cockpits can be lowered onto for motion cues, but it's not operational yet (the intern I'm sharing an "office" -- aka "the corner" -- with is writing software for it).
They also have a DMS simulator which are more like fighter jet simulators and they are enclosed in domes that have two projectors, one for the front, one for the back. They just replaced the projectors in those like the second week I was there so I've only seen a test patter turning around on the dome, but that was enough to make me woozy.
These simulators are used for research study and development of new systems. They're not really used for flight training so there is probably some level of difference between the ones you saw and these. For example, there would not really be much purpose in varying the temperature in these simulators (actually, I think the temperature requirements are pretty strict) And just today I was in the 757 that they converted into a flying laboratory, no seats or overhead compartments, just a bunch of computer systems all up and down the plane. Pretty cool stuff.
[Edited last by Sean Laughter on July 19, 2001 at 10:45 PM]

 

[John Morris]

Sean: Hmmm, if you are interested in a refurbed Denon 1801, they have another one up for sale HERE
Usually, the auctions that end that early in the morning can be had for alot less.... Good Luck!
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Take Care,
merc

 

[Greg S]

You should also look at this post. I know this guy from the computer hardware trading forums we both frequent as well as I sold him some speakers about a week ago he is a top notch guy!
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/...ML/002112.html
These are both well worth the money.
Greg

 

[John Morris]

Sean: Wow that sounds like you are working on some cool stuff. The last HUD related work I did was a project, a long time ago, where we attempted to determine if adjusting the HUD focus could better match the altered dark focus of pilots under combat(stress) conditions. Unfortunately, we found that pilots with normal vision, when placed under stress, had dark focuses which ranged from infinity to the end of their nose. All in all though, working with the laser optometers and HUD displays sure was fun. As for Langley, I visited there about three weeks ago and thought that I could get my family into the CIA grounds for a tour. I got as far as the inner gate where we were detained till they could verify my credentials... then they sent us a packin' never to return. I also did some work with NASA, here in Clear Lake(Houston) and had the opportunity to go to NASA's Florida VIP island for a nitetime(5am) shuttle launch. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw or felt... I'm hoping that my new SVS Ultra will approximate what we felt and heard that early morning.

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Take Care,
merc

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Sean -
Do they have "Good Guys" stores around you? I just got the Yamaha HTR-5250 for $229.99 ($249.99 sale price plus $20 off paper coupon in junk-mail flyer). Seems like a good deal to me.
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Feline audience members Katie, Susie, Fluffy Pumpkin, and Naughty Tuxedo

 

[Sean Laughter]

No Goodguys, they're only a West Coast store I believe.
Now you all have me thinking I should say, "It's only $100, get the Onkyo 595!" Hehe.
I'll try and get around and hear all the receivers I can this weekend. I'm not sure of where I should go to actually hear the Yamaha 5250 though as Best Buy doesn't have any of the receivers hooked to any speakers. I dunno, maybe I'll call JandR tomorrow and try to talk them down 30 bucks on the 595, hehe.

 

[Bob_A]

It's funny...one guys "bright" is another guys "clear". I thought denon (5600) was muted and "congested" in comparison to yamaha (dspA1), which was extremely clear. After my Def Tech speakers were broken in, there was no brightness...clear, crisp treble but no brightness. With the cheaper model receivers in yamaha's older lineup, it is possible that they were "brighter" than the dspA1. But I have heard that yamaha's newer models are not nearly as bright as their predecessors, so I would recommend listening before stereotyping tne new yamahas as "bright". Good luck.

 

[Saurav]

But I have heard that yamaha's newer models are not nearly as bright as their predecessors, so I would recommend listening before stereotyping tne new yamahas as "bright".

Actually, I've heard that too.