I have read many posts that users say X-brand #1 sounds Warm and X-Brand #2 sounds Bright.

Bright,Warm, Dim or Cool.

Which is most pleasant to you?

What Sound Quality do you like in either?

This is an interesting subject for me and I would like user opinions.

Apparently there is no reason to opt for a Warm or Bright sounding AVR.

Since no one seems interested, I will delete this post in a few days.

My preference is a "warm" sounding AVR.  Overly bright electronics sends shivvers down my spine.  By the way, it is my opinion that AVR's should not display a sonic signature as they should remain neutral but we all know that they do!  Some more than others.

All the best,

Al 

Hello,

From what I understand, anything that does digital processing is going to put its own signature on the sound. What "type" of sound one would go for is going to depend on the rest of the electronics. The transport, amplification, and the speakers all have their own "type" of sound as well. The fun part about this hobby is mixing and matching the right equipment in order to reach the sound each of us individually prefer.  For example, a "bright" receiver may go well with speakers that are a little weak in the upper frequencies.

-James

Thanks James and Al,

The reason I posted this thread was to find your opinions about warm and bright AVR’S and the affect it may have on buyers.

I want an AVR that is accurate in the reproduction of sound. If I don’t like the sound as in too shrill (Al) and  (James) "bright" receiver may go well with speakers that are a little weak in the upper frequencies.

If your AVR has a comprehensive set of parameter settings for level, balance and equalization then I contend that one can make any newer AVR sound warm or bright when output to your speakers. Like James said, if the speakers you are driving are deficient on the high end, you may want to adjust accordingly and provide a brighter output.

My Aperion 532’S sounded a bit bright to me compared to the 632’S, so I adjusted the 532’S to match the 632’S via AVR parameter settings.

I guess that it is all in personal preference of what the user likes in SQ. With the TX-SR805 I can make the sonic presentation sound warm or bright with my Aperion’s and I am probably somewhere in the middle, depending on source material.

Jack

Howdy Jack,

I giggled when I read "I want an AVR that is accurate in the reproduction of sound". That is the quest we all must face. Anyone who spends time listening to live music will realize that reproducing such sounds artificially have a long way to go.

We all may have different definitions for the terms "warm", "bright", and "shrill". From my experience, "warmth" cannot be achieved through tone controls, balance, or equalization. I believe any adjustments of this manner will take away from the warmth because these things are digitally processed. If one were able to take any newer receiver and simply make adjustments to achieve any type of sound quality, there would not be such a competitive industry.

Jack, we live in the same woods. Have you been to the Stereo Shoppe and done a serious "wow room" music demonstration? There is no amount of adjusting you can do to a receiver to achieve that type of sound.... There is quite a bit of money dumped into that room, and similar sound could probably be achieved for much less, but you'll get the idea. If you had not already done so, I encourage a field trip to check it out, I would like to hear your thoughts.

 Great discussion!

-James

Hi James,

I appreciate your thoughts on this subject. You bring up some interesting points that I had not thought of such as the acquisition and reproduction of accurate sound in the attempt to reproduce live music in the home.

My reference to the 532’S sounding bright and compensating with AVR parameters to adjust to my taste seems to coincide with your quote “For example, a "bright" receiver may go well with speakers that are a little weak in the upper frequencies”.

Since I have my audio system setup, I will probably not research further since I am quite satisfied with SQ.

I started this thread because of Greg’s post #4973 wondering if an AVR could be too warm. It is always great to get honest opinions from others, which may influence my opinions on a given subject.

Your suggestion to go to a high-end audio store would be a good idea for someone that is still in the decision making process.  I may still do the field trip just for fun.

Thanks James and Al,

Jack