request recommendations on mid-price integrated or receiver to replace old separates

[Todd WI]

Have you tried taking Audyssey out of the loop by running in pure direct mode?

[jlb14ski]

Have you tried taking Audyssey out of the loop by running in pure direct mode?

Yes, I use the pure direct mode when listening to music. My real question is whether or not a higher end receiver will improve my sound. If I spend around $1000 is it possible that my listening experience will be improved over my AVR-X2000.

[curtis]

Yes, I use the pure direct mode when listening to music. My real question is whether or not a higher end receiver will improve my sound. If I spend around $1000 is it possible that my listening experience will be improved over my AVR-X2000.

The issue may very well be your expectations and what you are accustomed to hearing are affecting what you are expecting.

[sludgeogre]

I'm not really sure what I am missing, because this is my first foray into a real setup. The bass on the Sierra 2s is more than sufficient, I just think the Denon is poor quality and could be affecting the way I hear my music. I am just not impressed with the mids, and I know the mids are supposed to be the Sierra 2's strong suit. What is the benefit of a preamp connected to the emotiva? I am considering a Yamaha Aventage 1050, with the hope that it will improve overall sound.

Well, with a receiver you're not getting the best DAC implementations out there, and the amps are a bit noisier, from what I see out there. If you want totally flat mids, you are going to need a more expensive receiver with a better DAC impelentation combined with room correction and room treatments. It's not easy to get your speakers to reproduce flat mids. Headphones are much easier. That being said, I'm still very happy with my system the way it is, but I could do with more vocal clarity, but I'm only going to get that with a better room and some treatments and/or a better processor with better room correction.

I think you'll be totally blown away if you invest in something that has Dirac Live, everything I've ready about it is pretty amazing, and midrange presence is supposed to be vastly improved over other room correction implementations from what I've read, but Dirac is really expensive to get. I haven't heard any of Yamaha's receivers or researched them, so I can't really tell you how they stack up.

As far as putting in a preamp, it just allows me to run a really beefy amp with tons of headroom instead of using a receiver amp that tends to be far less powerful. In my experience, having a lot of headroom makes a huge difference, especially in loud passages where your speakers may be dipping down into very low impedance ranges. Most receivers are only rated at two channels driven, and barely give you enough juice to make your music satisfying, but I listen to a lot of metal, so I really need power.

Unfortunately your current receiver doesn't have preamp outputs so you can't really test that theory if you were to purchase an amp. I think you should definitely get an amp with honest, decent power ratings (above 150 watts per channel is what I typically prefer for larger, HT purposed speakers) and a a good DAC. The stuff that has been mentioned here will get you there. I honestly don't think the Yamaha Aventage 1050 will be that much of an upgrade. It uses another lower tier DAC and is only rated at 110 watts with 2 channels driven. That is barely an improvement over what you have. You'd really only be hoping that the room correction makes a huge difference, and I wouldn't hold my breath for that.

I think Outlaw is the best value you're going to find and which fits your budget. For $999 you can get their Model 975 processor and Model 5000 amp that is 120 watts into all channels driven. This will give you lower THD, higher filter capacitance, and many other big pluses IMHO.

http://outlawaudio.com/products/975.html

[white_darren]

I purchased the Sierra 2s, and I made the mistake of pairing them with a Denon AVR-X2000. The sound is not what I was hoping for.

I'm not really sure what I am missing, because this is my first foray into a real setup. The bass on the Sierra 2s is more than sufficient, I just think the Denon is poor quality and could be affecting the way I hear my music. I am just not impressed with the mids, and I know the mids are supposed to be the Sierra 2's strong suit.

I would focus first on room integration. Optimize speaker placement and then give Audyssey a chance. Or maybe 3. It may not be the absolute best room correction on the market but it's actually quite capable. I had to go through the process a few times with variations on mic placement before I finally got good results but it made a huge difference in my room and I have absolutely no complaints about the results (I've got a Marantz SR-6008 AVR).

I've got LCR Sierra-1, which is supposed to have a little deeper bass than the Sierra-2. A lot of people say they have plenty of bass for music but, in my very large and open listening area with lots of glass and tile, I always felt they sounded a little thin until I added in a Rythmik E15. For me it took a combination of speaker placement, a good sub and Audyssey to really let my Sierras shine. I can't even relate to the improvements the Sierra-2 or RAAL Towers would offer (although someday I will go visit Ascend, meet Dave and audition the RAAL Towers).

Curtis also has a good point about your expectations. Perhaps the Sierra-2 are just such a step up in clarity from what you're used to listening to that your ears are still "missing" the sounds that never really should have been coming from your old speakers to begin with.

I guess the point I'm trying to get at is not to jump to conclusions about the equipment. While receivers can definitely color the sound, I'd be truly surprised if your disappointment is strictly due to your Denon AVR. Even if it's a contributing factor, don't assume replacing it will be a magic bullet.

Also, while I have no first hand experience with either of the receiver models you mention, internet lore would indicate that Denon tends to be a warmer/smoother sounding receiver and Yamaha brighter/harsher. If there is any truth to that, I'd think you would be moving in the wrong direction with the Yamaha. There's only one sure way to know how something is going to sound in your room though... and that is to listen to it in your room.