Movies vs. Music in a HT receiver....help (1 Viewer)

[Chad_B]

I don't get it. I was all set to buy a H/K AVR230. The other day I read where someone said that the AVR230 is better for music than movies. A better movie HT rec. would be a Yamaha. I am new to the whole HT experience and I want to try and get most of it right the first time. Is there really that much difference between the two? I wish I could remember the Yamaha that was compared, but it was similar in price to the AVR230. Any thoughts or suggestions?
AVR230 is bout max i want to spend on my first HT receiver.

Thanks

One last thing (sorry) is there any major flaw/problem that I should know about with the AVR230? Still think I am going to pull the trigger on it.

 

[SethH]

The 230 has only been out for about a month or so. So if there are any major flaws I doubt they have surfaced yet. I think the HK will be perfectly fine for you. You will find many on this forum who use HK for home theater. Go listen to it. If you like it, buy it and don't turn back. If the store has a Yamaha in the same price range then try to listen to them side-by-side, but I really doubt you'll be disappointed with the HK.

 

[Jeff&R]

Iam in the same boat as Chad_B ,

being a n00b to the HT thingy , but not to higher-end separates .

Iam looking to for 85% movies 15% music in a small 12x12 bedroom and a small budget of around $600-$800 if possible .

I too have read ALOT at this forum and others saying HK for music , Yamaha for movies .
I already picked up a Yammy HTR-5660 on the recommendation of a family member ( a hard Yammy fan) . Iam now leaning more towards the AVR-230 due to the better powering amp and a few other features it presents over the HTR-5660 ...
1)OSD ,
2)auto SPL speaker setup ,
3)speaker frequencies adjustments of 40/60/80/100/120/200 HZ )
(all three a BIG plus in my book)

I've listened to both receivers , but with the AVR-230 in a much nicer listening environment (all music/ but no movies)then that of the HTR-5660 (bad environment/s altogether) , so Iam not sure how well my real world comparison can be measured fairly .
The AVR-230 sounded clean and warm , but "possibly" slightly too warm for movies .
Again the HTR-5660 never was tested to my liking in music or movies in a decent environment , but it was brighter for music than I like (again not tested with movies).

My conclusion thus far is to go for the warmer sounding AVR-230 (better amp) and its added features as the warmer sound is better/easier to correct than the HTR-5660's brightness would be .
Speakers thus far are undetermined , but leaning towards small sized 5.1 setup , such as Infinity TSS-450 or JBL's NS1 or Athena's .

My current HTR-5660 is still sitting in a unopened box , close to being returned this week for a AVR-230 .

Anyones added comments would be very appreciated .

TIA

 

[MuneebM]

I was in a similar boat no more than a month ago. As you can see from my sig, I went with the Yamaha RX-V2400. I auditioned the H/K AVR330 and AVR525. My friend has an AVR230 powering similar speakers as mine (JBL Studio Series). I always found the sound of the AVR230 to be too warm, almost muddy/muffled, for movies, but this is a personal opinion. My personal preference is for brighter, detailed, crisp sound, and that is exactly what I found when I heard the RX-V1400 for the first time. I also really liked the surround sound field with the Yamaha's Cinema DSP enabled. For both movies and music, I recommend the RX-V1400/RX-V2400 over the H/K AVR230/AVR330.

I also steered away from the H/K receivers because the retailer showed me a demo model he had that had the volume dial busted such that spinning it clockwise first made the volume reduce and then increase. Something in the mechanism had broken inside, and he told me he had 4-5 receivers come back like that from customers. He recommended that if I wanted to get an H/K that I should go with the X25 series and not the X30 series. Something to think about...

 

[Davey_T]

I'm evaluating the Yamaha models right now. Out of curiosity, what made you go with the 2400 as opposed to the 1400?

Dave

 

[MuneebM]

Davey_T, I decided to go with the 2400 for the extra 10 watts/channel and RS232 port. I know the extra 10 watts don't make a noticeable difference, but I didn't want to bring the 1400 home and have any doubts that for a couple of hundred bucks more I could've had more power. I was upgrading from a home-theater-in-a-box and wanted to do everything right, with no regrets. Besides, I got an awesome deal on the 2400: $1120 CDN (plus taxes), while the AVR630 or Denon 3803 would've costed me 800-1000 more (CDN).

 

[Chad_B]

Yammie 1400 is quite a bit higher than the AVR230.

As far as the volume knob. I don't really see that being a issue if you use the remote.

I know the AVR230 is new can anyone vouch for it. Power? Sound? Construction?

 

[Chad_B]

What about the Yamaha RXV640 vs the AVR230?

 

[Rob.melone]

It can be quite a chore purchasing a receiver that provides the best of both worlds. Especially, if you are using a sat/sub speaker system. While listening is always a good first step, your room acoustics will invariably play a role with the reproduction of sound. So, in addition to what you are already considering, you may want to also factor in a few more things. First, a built-in EQ can provide additional flexibility to contour your sound. One setting can be for HT and another for music. Or, you can turn off the EQ for HT and use it for music only (and vice a versa). Second, a standard analog RCA connection between your dvd player and receiver can provide a warmer reproduction of music. With this approach you can listen to your HT digitally and music analog. Third, full range front speakers will help with music (and HT) reproduction. Using full range fronts combined with a receiver's direct stereo listening mode, provides greater listening flexibility. Certain receivers also provide the option of engaging the sub while in this mode for extra deep bass.

Whatever your decision, remember to make your purchase through a company that provides a return policy. This is important because what you hear in a showroom (or friends house) may be totally different from your personal listening environment.

Good luck!