Best $1000 (or cheaper) Musical Receiver (Pre/Amp)?

[Stump909]

As of right now, I think I've settled for 3 requirements:

1. High Quality Sound (sadly most people have differing opinions on how much a receiver/amp affects this)
2. Quality Room Correction (since I can't sound treat my room)
3. Under $1000 (Preferably lower since my speakers barely crossed that threshold)

That leaves me with only two options I think. The Onkyo 818 with XT32 or the Anthem MRX 300 with ARC. Both XT32 and ARC are highly regarded and I doubt either will disappoint me. Am I missing a receiver/set-up that meets these requirements?

[Erik]

The Marantz SR5007 should meet your criteria. A benefit of Marantz is that it has a full set of 7.2 preouts, incase you want to use an external power AMP in the future and use the 5007 just as a processor. Looks like the Anthem also has the preouts.

[Stump909]

The Marantz SR5007 should meet your criteria. A benefit of Marantz is that it has a full set of 7.2 preouts, incase you want to use an external power AMP in the future and use the 5007 just as a processor. Looks like the Anthem also has the preouts.

My only reservation is the Audyssey XT over XT32. I've read numerous reports stating that while not bad, it's not as accurate in the low end as it needs to be. Still I've heard good things about the 5xxx over the 6xxx series.

Edit: Whoops mixed up my Marantz models. Wasnt there a year where the quality took a plummet?

[Erik]

I'm not sure about the quality issues with the Marantz. I do know that the SR5007 has a 3yr warranty which is pretty good. The Anthem has a 3yr warranty as well; Onkyo 2yr.

Have you compared the video processors on each? Maybe that will help you choose between the two you like. Video is an important component of the A/V equation

[Veda]

For a receiver under $1k it'd be hard to beat the power and features of the Pioneer Elite SC61. 125W@8 of ICE class D multichannels is almost like paying for that many individual ICE amps without the HT features. You should check out the reviews and owners' opinions.

If for some reason you decide to get some other brand then I'd go with a Marantz instead of Onkyo or Denon. I simultaneously bought receivers from 5 brands a few years ago just to check out which has the best sound quality. Marantz came out on top.

[Mag_Neato]

For a receiver under $1k it'd be hard to beat the power and features of the Pioneer Elite SC61. 125W@8 of ICE class D multichannels is almost like paying for that many individual ICE amps without the HT features. You should check out the reviews and owners' opinions.

If for some reason you decide to get some other brand then I'd go with a Marantz instead of Onkyo or Denon. I simultaneously bought receivers from 5 brands a few years ago just to check out which has the best sound quality. Marantz came out on top.

!!Can of worms ALERT!!

Seriously, receivers do vary from brand to brand and finding the one you prefer can be daunting. I, too, run a Marantz AVR with my Sierra-1 NrT's and the sound, TO ME, is among the best I've heard in my system. I've had Outlaw(1050), Denon and Onkyo. The Marantz replaced an Onkyo.

If you, like most of us, cannot invest the cost and/or time to buy all of the possible models and do an in home evaluation, you must rely on our opinions/experiences and choose from there.

To pour gasoline on the fire.......I just replaced my generic 12Ga. speaker wire with a pair of MITerminator 6 cables I had in storage. Bought them in 1998 and figured why let them go to waste. Do I notice a difference? No. They say they need 2 days burn-in to reach 75% of their full potential, and 2 weeks to reach 100%. Snake oil? No comment. They do not seem to negatively affect the sound so I will let them play for now.

Good luck on your sound journey!

[Kisakuku]

In non-treated rooms, good room correction beats a lot of other features. Onkyo 818 does have XT32, but without SubEQ, so really the best choice is trying to find a Denon 4311 for 1K as BB close-out.
Recommending Marantz over Denon is a bit silly, relabeling a Denon doesn't make is it sound better. Also, all good receivers with adequate amps sound the same in double-blind tests (in direct mode).

[curtis]

Having said that, I'd rather just get the Pioneer SC-61 7.2 with its super powerful and efficient 125W/ch ICE amps and plenty of features. Given their highest damping ratio out of any class d I'd say the ICE is more suitable for HT than music. I think it's discounted to about $750 online.

Veda...I thought Pioneer stopped using ICE and is noe using their own class D amps.

[Stump909]

In non-treated rooms, good room correction beats a lot of other features. Onkyo 818 does have XT32, but without SubEQ, so really the best choice is trying to find a Denon 4311 for 1K as BB close-out.
Recommending Marantz over Denon is a bit silly, relabeling a Denon doesn't make is it sound better. Also, all good receivers with adequate amps sound the same in double-blind tests (in direct mode).

I was under the impression SubEQ was only beneficial for multiple subs (which I don't need), and that it wasnt included in the 818 because it's two sub outputs are really just one line. I like how ARC provides you with graphs for each speaker, but will the improvement over XT32 be a $200 improvement?

[Dark Ranger]

For a receiver under $1k it'd be hard to beat the power and features of the Pioneer Elite SC61. 125W@8 of ICE class D multichannels is almost like paying for that many individual ICE amps without the HT features. You should check out the reviews and owners' opinions.

FYI - Pioneer/Elite no longer uses B&O ICEpower modules in their products (as Curtis mentioned). The new receivers use a different Class D amp design called "D3." I believe International Rectifier was involved with the design and as a component supplier.

The new D3 design is claimed to address several problems with previous versions of digital amplification. If you want an ICEpower AVR, you'll have to look at previous Elite generations available on the used market.