Panasonic SA-XR55 receiver

[bikeman]

This is one place where I think the Panny price shows its ugly head. Although, if it was ~$300 instead of $230, I'd probably be more cautious. Perhaps sensible marketing to get a following at this price point and more features at a higher price when performance is accepted.

Features are the only reason to spend three or four times as much. I would certainly like more base management but I'm not spending big bucks just to get that one feature. I believe it was Curtis who perferred the 80hz crossover to the 60hz with the 340's. The Panny is a great value. Not an ultimate by any means.

David

[curtis]

Yeah...that was me.

In my room at the time, I had some kind of interaction between the mains and sub when crossed at 60hz...I got a boomy sound. I have since moved my sub and that boominess is gone with a 60hz crossover.

Unfortunately, my pre/pro has a global crossover setting for all the speakers, so now I keep it at 80hz to benefit the 170's.

[bikeman]

From an upgrade standpoint, one of the things that's attractive about this new type of reciever and amps is the price. With so much less invested, the decesion to upgrade is made a lot easier. Base management is constantly being discussed on the audio groups and that could translate into it being incorporated at lower price points at some juncture. I'd pay double for this receiver if it came with a tweakable BM program. 65hz for the 340's, 80hz for the 170 and 100hz for the 200's should just about do it.

David

[fastbike]

From an upgrade standpoint, one of the things that's attractive about this new type of reciever and amps is the price. With so much less invested, the decesion to upgrade is made a lot easier. Base management is constantly being discussed on the audio groups and that could translate into it being incorporated at lower price points at some juncture. I'd pay double for this receiver if it came with a tweakable BM program. 65hz for the 340's, 80hz for the 170 and 100hz for the 200's should just about do it.

David

Well stated. Those are my thoughts as well. Audio performance is my prime consideration, connections and features secondary. My setup is basic 5.1 so the Panny connections work as is. Since I'll be on 170s and leaning toward another pair for surround, the 80hz for bass will also work well. Given the performance others have experienced (dying for the 170/340c to arrive), an incredible bargain.

If I haven't said it before, love the Ascend community!

[bikeman]

The 55 has pluses and minuses. I'll use it for at least a month before putting my Kenwood back in the main system. I don't expect to hear much difference but we'll see in September. The Panny did seem brighter when I first hooked it up but I've adapted to it. When I switch back, it will be interesting to see if I have a preference. This is not a fool proof method but it's what works best for me.

OK. I did the "switch back." It's not worth a write up. The Panny is superior. Period. I have no idea about long term durability but at this price, two years out of the Panny would still make it a bargain although I hope that dosen't turn out to be the case.

David

[funkyflush]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and waiting on my new Ascends(3rd in line for the Oct 10th parts!). I recently purchased a Pioneer 815 with autosetup, when I thought I would be getting the speakers sooner. I am probably going to return that and get the xr-55 because of all the good things I hear about it. It's also a bit cheaper.

I do have some questions.

What do I need to do to setup the XR-55, the 815 has autosetup and it seems be doing a lot of test tones. I am using my old Cambridge Soundworks speakers and the autosetup seems to do a really good job compared to the really old bundled Dolby digital decoder. Will I need to get an SPL meter? Will the manual setup sound as good as the autosetup?

Also, I would like to know how usable is the remote. I would need it to switch from CableBox to DVD to Xbox(component connection) and CD Player.

I am also considering the Pioneer 1015, I hear it has good autosetup and it uses the Elite line components.

My receiver choices are:
Pioneer 815
Pioneer 1015
Panasonic XR-55

Not in that order. I am leaning towards the XR-55 if the manual configuration is easy to do and the remote is decent. The small footprint of the XR-55 is a plus.

Thanks.

[bikeman]

Not in that order. I am leaning towards the XR-55 if the manual configuration is easy to do and the remote is decent. The small footprint of the XR-55 is a plus.
Thanks.

It's a lousy remote and there is no auto set-up on the XR-55. I used an SPL meter and AVIA to set it up.

David

[funkyflush]

It's a lousy remote and there is no auto set-up on the XR-55. I used an SPL meter and AVIA to set it up.

David

Thanks for the input. Does the remote do basic commands? Component switching, basic tv/dvd operations? I don't mind if it doesn't have advanced functions on it.

I guess this is subjective, but from what I hear, the sound quality should be much better than the pioneer 815 I currently have? It's the quality vs. convienience factor for me. If the quality is noticeable, I can deal with the more complicated setup. If the quality is not, then it's much easier to keep what I have. Also, if the quality of the 1015 is better than the panasonic, I would pay more for the convienience and better remote.

I guess the HK 335 is about the same price as the 1015, so if I spend more, I would have more choices and research to do.

Too bad I have until this weekend to keep/return the 815 and I will not have my Ascends until after the 17th of this month. I would like to do a side by side comparison.

Thanks for the help.

[bikeman]

The remote runs basic TV which is also a Panny. It is not a universal remote so it does not do DVD player,etc. It also dosen't do menu settings on the recevier itself. The remote sucks.
The only way I can tell a difference with anything but speakers is to listen to it for a month and then go back and listen to what I'd been used to before. That's the only way I could tell that the Panny was better (for me) than my Kenwood. I would not expect to find much of an acoustic difference between the Kenwood and the 1015. They have a lot in common. The 1015, being newer, has more features.
Before I listened to the Panny, I've felt that buying a recevier based on features was a better way to go that on preceived differences in sound. I still feel that way about analog amps in general but the digital amp is a different animal and I've probably bought my last analog amp in this lifetime. If I had a bunch more disposable income, I might still consider an analog amp.
The quality of the 55 is unknown. It's brand new. By the time it has a reliable track record, it'll be history. It's a gamble with any relatively new, relatively low cost piece of electronics.
My sense is that you'd be happier with the 1015. Lotta folks think it's a heck of a receiver at it's price point.

David

[Eddie]

I am probably going to return that and get the xr-55 because of all the good things I hear about it. It's also a bit cheaper.

What do I need to do to setup the XR-55, the 815 has autosetup and it seems be doing a lot of test tones. I am using my old Cambridge Soundworks speakers and the autosetup seems to do a really good job compared to the really old bundled Dolby digital decoder. Will I need to get an SPL meter? Will the manual setup sound as good as the autosetup?

Also, I would like to know how usable is the remote. I would need it to switch from CableBox to DVD to Xbox(component connection) and CD Player.

I am also considering the Pioneer 1015, I hear it has good autosetup and it uses the Elite line components.

I am leaning towards the XR-55 if the manual configuration is easy to do and the remote is decent.

The $40 Radioshack SPL meter and the Avia calibration DVD is all you'll need for the setup. If you have Netflix you can rent the Avia DVD. I've read a fair number of complaints about the lack of accuracy by the automated setup features especially on the low- and mid-priced AVRs so doing it manually might be better anyhow.

The remote is definitely one of the limitations of the Panasonic, but if it really bothers you, universal remotes are pretty cheap these days and the Panny is already saving you a good $100-200 compared to the HK335 or Pio 1015 so no biggie.

The Pioneer 1015 is certainly better than the 815 but probably doesn't have the same sound quality as the xr55...it certainly does have more features though. Its similarity to the Elite line is limited to the entry level model, from what I've read and there's some debate as to exactly how identical it is. David is correct about these Panny digitals being very new and not time-tested (like plasma TVs), but let me add that I also occasionally see 1014/1015 owners posting about reliability issues about 1 year later on the hometheaterforum.com so I don't think it's perfect either.

Ease of use...probably about the same between the 1015 and xr55, which is to say not as good as it could be. Onkyo and Sony usually have the most user-friendly interfaces and manuals (my Onkyo 601 definitely did, I barely had to skim the manual once), unfortunately not much else.

If you're ordering the xr55 online and have to return the 815 before it arrives, I'd just go out and buy another analog receiver in that price range like the 1015 to do an AB comparison with. (There are a small number of people who simply prefer analog to digital sound, just as there are some who swear that no CD can sound as good as an LP.) That way you can come away being 100% sure you made the right choice.