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albertg
03-12-2006, 08:32 PM
Hello,

I'm new to the club. I bought the CBMs. I just want a good stereo receiver. I don't need a lot of power. I do listen to jazz, some classical and lots of Latin--from Argentina to Portugal.

I thought the HK 3380 would be enough for me. Then I started reading about the Cambridge Azur 540. Then the Arcam 65. And then the new Outlaw...which sounds like a very good audiophile choice.

I am now into full-blown techno lust. Somebody tell me I'll love the HKs, so I can save coin and sleep well at night... are they truly that good with the CBMs? Or convince me to spring for audio Nirvana.

I aplogize in advance if this is an old question, but I haven't been able to satisfy myself in the accompanying threads.

Thanks so much

Eddie
03-12-2006, 08:40 PM
The 170s are a small 8 ohm bookshelf with very decent sensitivity, i.e. not a hard load to drive at all so I am not sure how much you'd really hear different between an HK3380 and a Rotel.

That said, the low-cost and often-reputed "giant-killer" of receivers is the digital switching Panasonic sa-xr55 which goes for around $230 from amazon.com --- in my own experience, running Ascend 340s, they easily demolished a $600 Marantz AVR as well as some NAD separates.

I would try the Panny first. $15 return shipping if you dislike it. Do a search on this and other forums (esp. AVS Forum) for it.

albertg
03-12-2006, 11:18 PM
The Panasonic does look good. I found one sight with complaints about it, but it seemed a distinct minority. I wish it looked better, but the savings are amazing, and I'm not sure the Cambridge Asure 640 or the Outlaw would offer that much better sound for the money--even though they look terrific.

sensibull
03-13-2006, 05:28 AM
One other thing to keep in mind -- HK's stereo receivers do not have adjustable crossovers for the sub out, so if you have any plans of using a subwoofer and don't want to feed the 170s a full range signal (they perform better when crossed over at 80 or 100Hz), that might be a problem. Not a deal killer, as some subs do have high-pass filters on their speaker outputs, but it would limit your choice of subs...

Eddie
03-13-2006, 07:12 AM
The Panasonic does look good. I found one sight with complaints about it, but it seemed a distinct minority. I wish it looked better, but the savings are amazing, and I'm not sure the Cambridge Asure 640 or the Outlaw would offer that much better sound for the money--even though they look terrific.

The site you're referring to is ecoustics? LOL they're kind of a wacky fringe site, made up of about 10 regular posters with a definite treehouse atmosphere. I post there sometimes for giggles mostly. :D

If you get the Panny get the black version, IMO it looks much nicer than the silver. Like I said, the 170s really don't require massive amounts of power.

albertg
03-13-2006, 08:04 AM
I think you're right. Black Panny it is.

Thanks so much.

Eddie
03-13-2006, 09:14 AM
I think you're right. Black Panny it is.

Thanks so much.

good luck, and get back with us with your impressions when you have everything set up.

albertg
03-13-2006, 11:14 AM
Will do.

sls7u
03-14-2006, 05:20 PM
Would you guys recommend the Panny for a system with 340s across the front and 170's in the rear? I'm looking to upgrade my old Yamaha, and have been looking at a lot of other choices (Denon, HK, Outlaw, Marantz, Onkyo) but hadn't heard much about the panasonic yet (though I did just start looking). I plug all my video inputs directly into my display, so I'm just looking for audio quality. 65% TV, 25% SACD/DVD-A, 10% DVDs.

Thanks for the input!

- Steve

bikeman
03-14-2006, 05:38 PM
Would you guys recommend the Panny for a system with 340s across the front and 170's in the rear?
I have 340's accross the front with the Panny 55. It's an excellent combo. The one weak spot for me is the remote but at this price point, I've not found a remote that works great.
If you order from a good company, you can always return the Panny for about $15. shipping. Not too many folks are going to return this unit. I'm thinking about a second unit for my two channel set-up. When the new 75 comes out, there may be some more than excellent deals on the 55 but I wouldn't wait. It's a killer deal @ less then $250.

David

Eddie
03-15-2006, 07:54 AM
Would you guys recommend the Panny for a system with 340s across the front and 170's in the rear?

Absolutely. I have 340s across the front with the Panny and second Bikeman's comments.