Need a new receiver (1 Viewer)

[aht3]

I had an 816 that I just sold. Replaced it with a PIO 84. I know that there are some LFE issuess but since I don't plane on Blue ray or HD DVD anytime soon, I could care less.

My 816 was a great unit and I am sure that the 1016 is a great unit for the price. I would recommend it over the 816 in term of video processing options. It can also be had for a great price. It is also the best you can get before hitting the elite series. I listen to music practically all day and enjoy the sound. HT is also kick butt.

 

[Arthur S]

Thanks aht3

That is consistent with the findings of Consumer Reports.

 

[Arthur S]

Hi JB

If you think that you have more knowledge than all of the electronics editors...video engineers...audio engineers...statisticians...and the entire staff of Consumer Reports...you are sadly mistaken...how is it that you have chosen to ignore the bulk of my post...why don't you take a little trip to the headquarters of Consumer Reports and determine for yourself how amazing their labs are...and Gregg Loewen did an ISF for CR and came away in substantial agreement with their ratings of TVs...how is it that you simply can't bring yourself to just go to their labs and see for yourself how amazing their labs are?...all in good fun of course.

 

[Andy_A]

yeah, I tend to take Consumer Reports' stuff w/ a grain of salt, too, ever since I flipped through a few years ago and discovered the Bose Lifestyle system won their "best music system" award. What a joke.

On top of that, there is also the fact that CR assesses tvs right out of the box with all the basic video controls set to factory specs. They don't even do a five minute Avia or VE adjustment. Consequently, I cannot take any of their recommendations on video displays seriously.

Back to HK, if I was a halfway intelligent newbie, I would be inclined to regard Arthur_S' statements with a great deal of skepticism. I would be confused as to how a company like HK stays in business, selling millions of receivers and releasing new models every year. I would be vexed as to why I have not heard of large scale class action suits against HK on the CBS nightly news. How could it be, I might ask myself, that more than one of my friends has used HK receivers for years with great performance and no problems at all? Why would my friends and many seemingly informed people on this board recommend HK receivers as outstanding, well priced pieces of equipment? As a home theater newbie with some wits I would logically conclude that Arthur_S' alarmist warnings about HK were simply overblown, misguided, and false.

 

[Arthur S]

With all due respect Andy

How is it that Consumer Reports has amazing labs...audio engineers...video engineers...statisticians...and others...and you take them with a grain of salt?...Consumer Reports has been testing products and services for over 70 years...how many receivers have you tested in head to head fashion?...they know more about everything related to HT/AV than you can imagine...are you aware that Bose makes headphones and other military gear for the US Army?...how would you like to have to go into combat in an armored vehicle without noise reducing equipment?...you should check out the Bose website to see all of the different kinds of commercial and military style equipment that Bose makes...with all due respect, my sister has a pair of Bose noise reducing headphones and likes them a lot. Please don't take any of this too seriously...I will continue to try to prevent innocent newbies from buying insufficiently engineered, buggy equipment that needs to be exchanged or replaced time after time, or sit in the shop waiting to be repaired...if you don't have what it takes to read the posts on AVS regarding these issues, perhaps you should refrain from posting about topics that you are not sufficiently informed about...where are those other HK enthusiasts you keep posting about?...I will continue to try to stop innocent newbies from buying unreliable HK receivers that are not very well engineered and have software and firmware issues...and that blow up or are way too frustrating for newbies to comfortably use.

 

[Andy_A]

haha, now HK receivers "blow up"?? You just mentioned usability for the first time. Understandably, you must cast a wider net. I'll address the usability issue. I agree that HK receivers can be slightly less intuitive to use than other receivers. However, so can Denon. In the end, if you follow my advice and "read the user's manual" you'll be ok with just about any receiver.

On the Pioneers, I have no doubt that the 816 and 1016s are great and perform well. I'm sure they'd also offer sufficient power to people with most average speaker setups. I recommend the HKs, though, because they will have the power to better run the more difficult pair of speakers that a newbie might purchase as an upgrade.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/e...earchTerm=bose

Sony and Bose speakers at the top of the list? Who knew? (Collective laughter from serious listeners here while Arthur_S further marginalizes his own viewpoints)

 

[aht3]

All,
I like the forums and do not read the posts unless I start the thread. Keeps me on track. I believe if all of us stuck to answering the question posted at the beginning of the thread, a lot of this junk would not show up here. I am just a reagular ol joe that likes av equipment. For example, I heard so much bad stuff about JBL and then I discovered the JBL L series for my self and could not be happier. They are well built and sound better than anything that "I" have heard.

I recommend the 816 or the 1016 with reservation because they are functional and have high tweakability". I am still fiddling around with my 84.
I have heard the 816 and the 1016 is just an 816 with more features. If I could not have afforded the 84, I would have purchased the 1016 or the cheapest elite.

I could care less about experts because they don't live with me and probably don't even share my exquisite taste.. The tester at CR that rated the Bose as number one either really liked them or didn't know any better. In any case, his ears are not mine.

Happy hunting

 

[John Brill]

Wow, a big pot-kettle-black moment there. Wonder if the irony will sink in?

 

[John Brill]

Excellent post Andrew! I have been advocating this from the get go but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Instead I get labeled a "purist" or "minimalist" in a vain attempt to diminish my opinion. Oh well, c'est la vie.

 

[Arthur S]

Hi JB

I am taking the time to speak to innocent newbies...this is not intended for minimalists or purists like you...and will all due respect if you don't have what it takes to go to CRs facility and find out for yourself how long they have been testing products and services, I will continue to try to prevent innocent newbies from buying HK receivers that may blow up or end up sitting in the shop for repairs for weeks...or having to go through multiple replacements...the is not directed at minimalists or purists like you...all in good fun of course.

 

[John Brill]

Ouch, the label again! And the mellow dramatics. Hope no one loses any limbs when HK's start blowing up!

 

[Arthur S]

Hi Andy

Would you like to see how people rated Bose compared to virtually any other technology company in existence?...and with all due respect, with over 70 years experience testing products and services CR knows far more than you can imagine about speakers, TVs, DVD players, receivers, and other HT/AV gear including HTIBs, turntables, phono cartridges, etc. all in good fun of course.

 

[aht3]

Good post both of you. Both of you give great advice however; just being candid, your last few post don't have jack to do with helping the thread starter out. You should move that conversation to the PM area (respectfully)

I can't remember when was the lat time I read consumer reports anyway. Why go there if I have you guys. But you guys are only effective if you stay on task and answer my questions.....get my point

NEWBIES beware....Pray before you buy. Especially if the advice is from someone else. It can and will become very expensive. I bought some PAs based on recommendations.....they have been sold. I got a pair of HTD level 3s that were highly recommended and sent them back. The guy that recommended them has even moved on to "greener pastures" called strata minis. Prior to him listening to the strata minis, you could not say a thing to him that was not positive about the level threes. Not putting the guy down just making an example of how even the most adamant will move on the what "they" consider to be better.

I am so happy with my JBL L series that I am upgrading to the 890s in my office, placing a JBL L series 7.1 with HSU sub in my living room and selling my 880s on ebay right now(gratuitous plug). I also love my HSU 2.3 and will be getting another for my living room. Why..because I like the way they sound.

Take the time to listen if you can and buy only if there is a 30+day satisfaction. Another hint...pay more attention to what the posters listen for (sound quality) than what they listen to (preferential equipment).

My 816 was a trooper and I even helped the guy I sold it to hook it up. He bought the PAs from me too at a great price. I actually got a little p o'd because it all sounded better in his house than mine. But that's how it works I guess. Go out and listen, listen listen......and take your own CD and DVD. Once you learn how to use the electronics in the sound room, get rid of the sales guy and take your time. Hope this helps.

Happy hunting.

 

[mylan]

Andrew, That was the best post I have ever read

 

[Arthur S]

Thanks Andy Taylor

I will give serious consideration to your suggestion...I know exactly who you are referring to...I was recommending some HTD Level 3 speakers...not the bookshelf speakers...the Level 3 Towers...AV123 has some very good speakers including the X-Series...I have an X-Sub in White Shadow Maple on order...I like JBL speakers...I have a pair of classic JBL L-60Ts that have excellent bass and the original titanium tweeter in genuine walnut veneers along with some original metal stands that were made specifically for the L60Ts...I have listened to enough speakers to say that JBL makes some of the best speakers in the world...Don Keele who used to review speakers and subwoofers for Audio Magazine worked for JBL and he knew a tremendous amount about speaker design and subwoofers and HT...and he did some of the most interesting and valid speaker and subwoofer testing at that time. Thanks again for your suggestion and contribution to this and other threads...I will continue to recommend that people stay away from buggy HK receivers and instead buy convenient, reliable, easy to use, full featured receivers from Onkyo, Pioneer, Denon, Yamaha...thanks again.

 

[aht3]

hahahahah..thanks.

For the record, I was only pointing out the temporal nature of likes and dislikes. Not bad-mouthing anyone. I was amazed at how much work (with no pay) that the gentleman went through to to test and hook up and listen. I know his wife and neighbors had to be hacked off. Even though, he moved on to another speaker, he did thorough testing and his results were fair based on his current situation.

On a slightly off topic note. Arthur, it's got to be tough being you because you would not have the wealth of knowledge that you have if you were not so passionate about AV. The trick is not to let the passion take over. I struggle with that a lot in my field. Just my .02

Anyway, Spider. you are in good hands out here. I have met a lot of people out here that are much smarter than their posts. Just kidding all


I hope you find what you need.

 

[Arthur S]

Thanks Andy Taylor

I don't take any of this too seriously...however, I try to help people buy the best performing, least expensive, most reliable, easiest to use receivers, DVD players, TVs, speakers, subwoofers, speaker wire, cables, interconnects, HD DVD players, etc.

Thanks again for contributing to this thread...we will have to try to help Spider to obtain as reliable a receiver as possible. Thanks again.

 

[aht3]

thanks and that is my thrust as well.....I am getting a bit attached....maybe we should chip in a just buy spider an 1016?...that would be a first

 

[Arthur S]

Thanks Andy

How much can we get a Pioneer 1016 for?

PS Let's continue to protect innocent newbies from having to deal with insufficiently engineered, buggy HK receivers...instead we can continue to recommend Pioneer as a full featured, well engineered receiver that is user friendly and not meant for minimalists and purists.

 

[John Brill]

Ouch, guess I can't compete with that. I'm a minimalist and purist and therefore my opinion is therefore invalid. Gotcha.