Has anyone noticed the slip in quality for the lower end market recently, even for the respected brands such as Denon and Yamaha? Front panels are cheap, sound is harsh, and malfunctions are not uncommon. I used to be a Yamaha loyalist, but then during the late '90s they seemed to cheap out. I know of TWO dealers in the Toronto area that no longer carry Yamaha because they have gone "down market" (their words). Seems like NAD and Marantz are the safest bet if you're spending less than $600 US.
Hence the arrival of internet only companies and the quality going up. Outlaw, Denon, and Onkyo are all good under $600.
Hi, I'm just curious to know which stores in Toronto dropped the Yammys? I know Yamaha has been selling at chain stores such as 2001 Audio Video but then again, so has HK with Future Shop (now Best Buy). I was thinking of upgrading one day to a digital receiver (still in DPL land for me) and I was thinking of a Yammy. Do you know where they sell Onkyo's cause that was another top choice I had. I think Hi-Fi 2000 does...any others? Thanks
yamaha and denon are the two oldest audio companies in japan and as far as I'm concerned both have been doing great "holding up their end" in regards to sound quality.In fact ,I would counter that the whole reason that ma and pa shops have been pushing NAD and Marantz is because no one else carries it and the reps telling them that if they support more restricted product lines that they might survive the presures from e-tailing and especially from mass market merchants. Now, I do like the sound of the marantz gear, but they have been getting beat up in the market because of an antiquated feature set (now being adressed).I will also conceed that we have seen other mass market lines dump amp quality in favor of bells and whistles and will contend that this is the result of big box retailers and internet forces that focus on features over quality because both of their customers rarely demo the equipment (comparitively) before purchasing...There have been threads about a couple of the new onkyo receivers being underpowered and other brands fudging specs, but unless I'VE MISSED SOMETHING I haven't seen many legitimate beefs about yamaha and denon amps.
Andy, you asked who in Toronto sells Onkyo. Brack sells both Denon and Onkyo as well as Rotel. Larry.
