After spending a few months pouring over receiver reviews and opinions in various forums (including this one), I narrowed my search to 3 receivers (in the $1000 range), the Denon AVR-2807, Yamaha RX-V1700 and the Pioneer Elite VSX-82TXS. I ended up going to Magnolia and Tweeter to give these a listen. Unfortunately, Magnolia did not have these 3 receivers in the same room or connected to the same speakers so a comparison was difficult. I then went to Tweeter which had a much better setup and I was able to listen to all 3 of these and switch between them rapidly.

I was surprised to find that these 3 receivers exhibited significantly different audible qualities when played on the same speakers. The Yamaha had great clarity and was easily the brightest of the 3 receivers. The Pioneer produced a significantly warmer sound which for lack of a better term made it sound a bit rougher. The Denon sat clearly in the center of the Yamaha and Pioneer. Of the 3, the Denon sounded the most well rounded favoring neither the highs nor the lows. It had great clarity and the music seemed to come alive when played on the Denon.

Keep in mind that none of these receivers sounded poorly. I enjoyed music and movies on all 3 but I just kept going back to the Denon. Needless to say, I am now a proud owner of the AVR-2807 and will soon be a proud owner of the Intimus 532 Cinema HD.

 

 

I agree with you on the sound qualities of each receiver, having done some listening and comparing. However, the one I really prefer in this price range is Marantz. It's a little warmer sounding; similar to Pioneer, but with better SQ.

Whichever way you choose to go you get a great receiver. 

NIck for what you are going to spend on a receiver - you could get seperates that would probably blow your reciever away.  Have  you checked out Emotiva?  They have the LMC-1 and LPA-1 combo on sale now for 799.  5 yr warranty, HDMI, rave reviews, 30 day trial, 800 watt amp.  Check it out at Emotiva.com

I'm doubtful on the Emotiva products. They seem to be a little behind in technology. The hdmi is an external switcher (2 in and 1 out) and the meager 2 inputs are hard-coded to TV/SAT and DVD. Unless I mis-read the specs, there is no DVI video connects either. Forget about hdmi 1.3 and hi-def content through their pre/pros.

If you want a unit that will last you a couple of years to take advantage of new technologies (or have the flexibility to upgrade firmware), Emotiva is not the way to go (in my opinion).

-James

I'm not doubtful about Emotiva's products.  Recently, I installed Emotiva's DMR-1 receiver into my rig and I'm more than thrilled about the performace for both movies and 2 channel audio.  No, this receiver does not offer the latest HDMI connectivity but for me that's not important.  It's about the sound or sonics.  However, Emotiva will release their next generation of Pre-Pros with all of the latest technology early next year.

They are practically giving away a $3000 receiver for under a grand as they are moving away from receivers and will primarily concentrate on seperates.  The platform of the DMR-1 is based on their DMC-1 whereas the DMC-1 is based on the same platform as Sunfire's Theater Grand.

LEDs inside the unit are for diagnostic uses and represent a number of different things such as heartbeat (main timing clock), SPDF lock, I/O data on the bus and a few other tihings. They are there so that if there are any issues during manufacturing it is easy to figure out where to start looking.

The unit actually has 2 fans inside and all they are there to do is just move the air around and Emotiva have them speed limited to keep the noise to a bare minimum. The off line swtiching power supply and class D modules really don't need forced air cooling, but they do like to have some air flow and this was the best way to insure it.

Build quality that is unheard of at this price point. The fit and finish is quite good considering how much the unit cost. There are no uneven seams to be found anywhere. All buttons, dials and I/O connections have a sturdy feel. There are no plastic parts on the front chassis other than the circular power button. How refreshing is that at under a grand! You would really have to have one in your possession to really appreciate the build quality!

 

So, that's my take on Emotiva's DMR-1 receiver. 

Happy Listening,

Al

 

I guess I'm a want to be audiophile. I poured over reviews a few years ago. Almost went with the Denon 2803. Went with HK instead. I don't regret it. The HK 525 has treated me well, along with the Ascend Acoustics CBM-170's and an Velodyne sub. until my wife and I took a vacation.

Found out my wife had left the system on for the animals in the house. (The animals can get a little wild at times, and had somehow cranked it up to max). When we got back a week later we found the cats and dogs had a huge party with my system. Bookshelf speakers and Subwoofer were completely blown. Cats and Dogs can no longer respond to calling. And now they need therapy. I'm wondering why it didn't spark a fire and wondered how long it had been cranked.

Anyway, I hooked up some Klipsch Synegy III's, and just purchased an Aperion Sub. Can't wait to get it!

 
But to make a long story short, the Harmon Kardon is still rock solid after that abuse.
 

Your assessment of the Yamaha and Pioneer mirrors my experience as well - enjoy!

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Denon PMA-2000IVR Integrated • KAB/Technics SL-1200MK2SE Turntable with KAB Fluid Damper & Cardas re-wire • Audio-Technica AT-150MLx Cartridge • Aperion 632LR Monitors • Outlaw LFM-2 Sub • AudioQuest Sidewinder & Type-4 Cabling

You should have tried the Harmon Kardon. The HK-525 was incredible for the price. However, no one in this room seems to like HK

HK makes fine gear too, very neutral like the higher end Denon - I just like the higher end Denon stuff better.  I've owned Yamaha, Harman Kardon, Krell, Musical Fidelity, Outlaw, Creek, Cambridge Audio - the very best Denon amps (like the PMA-2000IVR $1,200) hold their own and surpass in many ways a lot of the other high-end gear.

 I'm speaking from a  two-channel music only perspective here - not surround sound.  Harman Kardon's budget 2-channel integrateds are fantastic for the money, however.

BTW - it doesn't matter if everyone else likes your setup - everyones ears are different and whatever sounds best to you is your best choice by far! 

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Denon PMA-2000IVR Integrated • KAB/Technics SL-1200MK2SE Turntable with KAB Fluid Damper & Cardas re-wire • Audio-Technica AT-150MLx Cartridge • Aperion 632LR Monitors • Outlaw LFM-2 Sub • AudioQuest Sidewinder & Type-4 Cabling

Hi All,

 

I used to run a home theater installation company and have a fair amount of experience listening to middle of the road through high end products. Aside from Being CEDIA certified I also love Home Theater!! If I had an opinion to share I would say that NAD electronics makes some of the best sounding products for the money. Many have stated that only Arcam makes a better sounding receiver. Arcam is three times the money. I have never heard a Denon or Yamaha product come close to duplicating the tonal balance and warmth from an NAD product. They might not be as up on features as some of the other guys however they absolutely sound wonderful and are built to a very high quality. They take a pure and straight forward , no fluff, approach to making good sound. www.nadelectronics.com for more information If you have a dealer close to you take the time to visit them and bring along your favorite test DVD. It will be worth your time.

 

Hope it helps

Daryl 

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CEDIA certified

Daryl,

 

Were you referring to the NAD T754 in this price limit?

 

Which AVR do you employ currently?

 

Jack

Hi Jack,

Yes the T754 would be one of the only choices within the category in the NAD lineup. I have been out of the install and new product world for a year or so so my references may not be current. The T754 offers less power then the T763 (at the time) but for some reason it sounded a little more energetic at higher volumes. The NAD line just never runs out of gas.The 743 was a great for smaller rooms but didn't have the presence of its larger siblings.

I am looking forward to connecting my T163 preamp and T973 amp to the Aperion 532 cinema set that shipped today. My home theater install company had an unfortunate end a year ago. We were dealers for NAD and we took advantage of a year end sale in an effort to help clear the warehouse out. For a year now my amp and preamp have sat in boxes. Sigh.... I cant wait.

 What is the hub for your listening pleasure?

 

Daryl
 

 

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CEDIA certified

Hi Daryl,

 

I have the Onkyo TX-SR805 / 7.1 CH THX Ultra2 rated at 130 WPC. I am not saying that THX certification is the last word in judging an AVR

 

My Sony STR-DE997 / 7.1 CH is rated at 110 WPC but only has a 420 watt P/S.

 

The 805 has an 1100 watt P/S which would account for the fact that it has much cleaner sound than the 997 at high volumes.

 

I found that the NAD T754 / 6.1 CH has 70 WPC all channels driven.

 

I would prefer the 805 since it would have the headroom needed for demanding portions in movies or music playing at high volumes and.

 

My Speakers.

 

2) 632 L/R, 2) 532 L/R, 1) 532 C, 2) 534-SS, 2) 422 rear surrounds and an S-10 Sub.

 

8 driven by Onkyo TX-SR805

 

2 driven by Sony STR-DE997

 

Jack

Hi Jack,

 

NAD rates their output wattage as the lowest nominal point across all channels in the instance where all channels are driven equally. Most manufacturers use a different point of reference for their ratings. The NAD rated wattage is a very conservative number. Dyunamic head room on two channel is often over 200WPC. I converted a friend from a Yamaha RXV series rated at 130WPC to a T763 and the difference in how his Paradigm Monitors and Mini Monitors on a 6.1 configuration presented sound was a complete night and day scenario. Sound is not only about rated or actual power. The sonic abilities of the NAD line are at a quality level that is not easily duplicated at a similar dollar to performance value. A/D + D/A converters, power supply and signal path come in to play along with several other attributes that make them stand out in sound quality. I noticed the Sound Room Blog on this site has a feature of a couple new pieces from NAD. I have installed two T753 and one T754. Audio Concepts/ Definitive Technology, PSB and Triad speakers in the three instances. All of which were capable of reproducing concert volume levels and tonal balance while doing so. The T754 sounded looser at higher volumes but still was able to fill the room quite well. As the son of a musician I grew up around live music and classical performance. SPL and tone are some of the root elements I made sure to achieve in all of my installs. NAD never let me down as long as I payed attention to the room physics and sized the equipment accordingly

 

In the end all that really matters is your ears. I find that THX certification is not always needed in selecting equipment. Some manufacturers are perfectly capable of achieving the rating but choose not to add the extra cost to the unit. I have heard that it costs a company seventy five dollars per unit to have the THX rating. Could be wrong but that is expensive. If you do have an NAD dealer near to you take the time to visit them with your favorite concert DVD in hand.

Daryl 

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CEDIA certified

I will try to make my earlier post a bit more clear.

 

The Sony 997 could not supply 110 WPC with 7 channels driven simultaneously with only a 420-watt power supply, more like 60 watts.

 

This is where the all channels driven simultaneously are an important reference.

 

The Onkyo 805 with an 1100-watt power supply has reserve even at 130 WPC all channels driven.

 

Some manufactures like my older Sony probably allow for the front mains to receive 110 WPC but think you will use much smaller speakers for surround and center thus allowing only 40 watts for these speakers.

 

So in conclusion my older Sony’s power rating is misleading for it’s power supply can not supply enough power to the DC Buss providing power to the + and – of the power stage of the amp for 7 channel equal power.

 

It seems that our backgrounds may be somewhat similar. I have worked with ABB, Fanuc and Motoman robots in repair and interfacing for automation. I have worked in the industrial electronics field for many years in various capacities.

 

I think you will be quite pleased with your HT setup and I’ll bet you are tracking your Aperion order right now.

 

Regards,

 

Jack

 

BTW welcome to this forum.