Receivers- please help. (1 Viewer)

[Jose G]

I am in the process of buying a new receiver- my choices are: Denon 1802, Outlaw Audio 1050, Onkyo TX-SR500 or 600, Harman Kardon AVR225. I was interested in the Marantz 4200 or 5200 but a guy at Uncle Stereo said, "Stay away from Marantz now" He pointed to a wall with Marantz units that all had "bugs," as he called them. He suggested the Denon and said that since the HK's moved to China the quality is not consistent. I have Boston Acoustic HD 8's as fronts and that's all. Any advise would be most welcome. Thanks.

 

[Lee Petty]

out of those, im looking at the onkyo 600. you may want to look at the sony da2es as well.

 

[Paul Clarke]

Jose,

Many of the models mentioned lack pre-outs. Consider this before your purchase. The 1050 is a great receiver but is a little dated. The 500/600 do not deliver anywhere near their rated power in surround...this may or may not be a problem but combined with a lack of pre-outs...Hmmmm. The 225 is built in China, yes, but the QC issues are now well under control. It's a very nice receiver as is the 1802. Lastly, the early Marantz builds had some problems but most of everything from '02 should be fine. The 5200 is also a very nice receiver.

For Music emphasis I would go with Marantz or H/K. With heavy HT in the mix I would say the 1802 is also equal to the job. I agree with Lee on the 2ES. You should give it a listen if possible.

 

[Boka]

I recently considered the same receivers and ended up buying the Denon 1802 from reliableaudiovideo.com (shipped from uncle stereo). With all the issues of price, reliability, etc... I decided it was the best deal($345). The remote is unfriendly and the front of the receiver looks kinda plain, but it all works (and sounds) great. I do find myself casting envious glances at the stylin H/K's in the store but the same money would have only bought 55W x 5 of H/K beauty as opposed to the Denon's 80w x 5.

 

[Paul Clarke]

Boka,
Not meant as a criticism but your take on the two receivers is amiss and appears to be based on the ratings games some manufacturers play. In actuality, the 55Wx5 H/K would have delivered the same real world power, if not more, than the 80Wx5 Denon. So you could have had both power and Beauty.

 

[Angelo.M]

Jose:
How would you compare the Sony 2ES with the Marantz and the H/K, in terms of music performance.
Thanks,
AM

 

[Jose G]

Thanks for the input guys. I never considered the Sony DA2ES- I'll check it out.
Paul, thanks for all the input. What do you think the actual power ratings for the 500/600 would be?
You said: "With heavy HT in the mix I would say the 1802 is also equal to the job." What does the HT stand for? I'm new on the block
One more Qustion for the group: Can I use the HK's as a pre amp if I should ever choose to upgrade. I know I can do that with the Marantz 4200 and I assume the 5200.

 

[Jose G]

I take back the HT question- just got it.
One more question though: Which of these units- the HK 225, Marantz 4200/5200, or the Denon 1802- would sound best musical with Boston Acoustics which are clear, smooth and detailed.

And if someone doesn't mind: What is meant by crossover in speakers?

Thanks again!

 

[Paul Clarke]

Hi Jose,

The output of the 600 was independently tested at 37W/channel in full surround. Again, many owners report no problem but I seriously question the lack of pre-outs on any receiver delivering this kind of power.

I believe that pre-outs on H/K's start with the 3 series, so no, you would not be able to use the 225 as a preamp with external amping. H/K and Marantz would go well with your BA's. From all of this it looks like the 5200 with an '02 build would be a great choice...Honest power...Great sound...Pre-outs all around. I very nearly bought it myself but was able to get the H/K 510 from Ubid for $425 delivered...couldn't pass it up.

 

[Kevin Parker]

also check pioneer 811s, I am using it for more than a month and very pleased with it, I also considered onkyo, denon and yamaha but liked pioneer better.

 

[Pablo Abularach]

Wait for the DENON 1803, it will almost be a 2802 with the price tag of the 1802.

 

[Alf S]

I second the Pioneer 811. A true bargain at under $350. I replaced my Outlaw 1050 with it and don't regret it. The 811 is a much more versatile receiver than the 1050 IMHO.

Alfer

 

[Jose G]

I've read that the Marantz 4200 and the HK AVR 220 (225 also?) mute the first fraction of a second of sound when changing CD/DVD tracks, as do other receivers.
I know a fraction of a second isn't much but that would bother me. Does anyone know if they corrected this in the HK225 or 4200?
Thanks again to all that have given their input. This is a great (virtual) place

 

[JohnBrianW.]

I agree, it will be between the 5200 and the 1803 (if you can get it in canada) Excuse my ignorance but does pre-out mean you can add another amp to the receiver and use the receiver as a pre-amp? This would allow for instance running a DVD in one room and a cd in another?