looking to upgrade receiver

[kinggimp82]

i currently own a lowend pioneer receiver (model VSX-D514) and am looking to upgrade. I happy with the sound but need something with more features. like more xover choices. Im not sure but video up conversion sounds like its pretty convienient feature. most ill use is 5.1 sound. Other than that im not sure what else ill need. what are some nice receivers from pioneer that are between $350 and $550. the pioneer VSX-1016TVK seems pretty nice. anyone have experience with that model?

in case it matters i run 170 se mains, 340 se center and 200s for surrounds with hsu stf-2.

thanks,
andrew

[drewface]

i've never heard it and it's panasonic instead of pioneer, but a lot of people on this board seem to enjoy the panasonic sa-xr57. it's listed for $879 on panasonic's site, but a quick web search shows it can be found for under $400 easily:
http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=3301
might be worth checking out...

[dpristin]

In your price range, currently the most talked-about receiver is the new Onkyo-SR605.

[chas]

I had a Pioneer 1014tx which was a nice unit and a solid upgrade from the Pioneer 912 I had before it. I have a couple of receivers for sale right now if you're interested in anything other than Pioneer.

A Yamaha RX-V659:
http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/yamaha-rx-v659

and a Denon AVR-2106:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-tCNeXJALQJA/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=10420&tab=review&i=033AV2106B#Tab

I believe Pioneer has the 1017 coming out this summer...don't know if it's worth the wait over the 1016.

If you really want crossover control, HK and Onkyo have some affordable units with the ability to set different crossover points for each speaker group (Center, front, surrounds).

[Johnal]

I agree with the suggestion of the Onkyo 605.

[kinggimp82]

the Onkyo 605 is a definate possibility. Has a lot of features. crossover at 40/50/60/80... thats nice. ill probably compile a list of several options and the 605 is near the top so far.

[Sam1000]

the Onkyo 605 is a definate possibility. Has a lot of features. crossover at 40/50/60/80... thats nice. ill probably compile a list of several options and the 605 is near the top so far.


Also Check out HK 247. HK might have couple of features less than Onkyo, but I truly loved the HK sound. I relegated my panasonic xr57 right away. I might even sell it on craigslist and get a HK stereo receiver for the bedroom.

[steveklein]

the onkyo 605 is a good choice.... as is the onkyo 674 [that's what i got about 6 months ago].

that being said, that pioneer you are looking at is a good receiver as well.

[sensibull]

I'm a big fan of the HK sound... but FWIW, I just "installed" (if you can even call it that) a Yamaha RX-V661 in my brother's home theater and there's a lot of bang for your buck in that model. Perhaps a tad shy in horsepower (it's in a big room), but pretty painless all around and one of few in that range that seems to have little to no HDMI handshake issues.

[DPlettner]

Right now I am driving my five Sierras with an old Sony STR-DB830 from 1999, which at the time was in between the DE and ES series. It puts out 100 watts on each of its five channels, and I think it sounds great with the Sierras. However, it is getting a little long in the tooth, and I am sure that the digital section is pretty outdated.

Since the Sony is working fine, I figured I would wait for the new HDMI 1.3 receivers. Right now, I am leaning towards the Onkyo TX-SR875 or the TX-NR905. However, the Denons look good too, so I want to wait until all the new models have been introduced and read the reviews.

-Dave

[Mike^S]

Right now I am driving my five Sierras with an old Sony STR-DB830 from 1999, which at the time was in between the DE and ES series. It puts out 100 watts on each of its five channels, and I think it sounds great with the Sierras. However, it is getting a little long in the tooth, and I am sure that the digital section is pretty outdated.

Since the Sony is working fine, I figured I would wait for the new HDMI 1.3 receivers. Right now, I am leaning towards the Onkyo TX-SR875 or the TX-NR905. However, the Denons look good too, so I want to wait until all the new models have been introduced and read the reviews.

-Dave

mmmmm, five Sierras. I am envious. :p

[DPlettner]

mmmmm, five Sierras. I am envious. :p

I know, it is a bit extravagant. However, I had my old speakers for a long time, and figured I would do it right.

Actually I started off with five CMT-340's in April, and I loved them. When the the Sierra was announced, I called Ascend and talked to Dave, and decided to upgrade since I was within the 30-day purchase period. With the B-stock discount, it was only around $500 more to get the five Sierras.

-Dave

[kinggimp82]

so far im stuck between the Onkyo-SR605 and the HK 247. feature wise the both have what i need. one thing that i wonder about is why the hk has only 50 watts per channel. Is it because its power rating is conservative? I dont know much about power ratings so any info would help.

[steveklein]

so far im stuck between the Onkyo-SR605 and the HK 247. feature wise the both have what i need. one thing that i wonder about is why the hk has only 50 watts per channel. Is it because its power rating is conservative? I dont know much about power ratings so any info would help.


HK tends to be accurate with their power ratings... the others tend to be liberal with theirs.

fact is, most people feel that a 50W HK will perform as well as 100W other receivers.

a lot of people love the sound HK can deliver. that being said, HK has had some quality control issues in the past. if the HK has all the features you need, i'd go for it. then again, the onkyo 605 is widely regarded as the recieiver in the $400 price range to have...

should be clear as mud now :)

[kinggimp82]

the hk quality control issues are making me lean towards the onkyo. read a few reviews and people seemed to have issues with that HK model. And the HK is $100 more. the $400 price tag is a better price for me. Does anyone have experience with 170 se's on onkyo receivers. Im pretty sure it sounds good just curious.

[Dread Pirate Robert]

so far im stuck between the Onkyo-SR605 and the HK 247. feature wise the both have what i need.

I've been hearing about Onkyo quite a lot recently, and I'm not sure whether it's because they've been relatively quick to adopt certain new features or they've improved in quality substantially (could be both but it's probably the former). For what it's worth, although I don't have much personal experience with Onkyo, they seem to put out a decent product with good value. The only knock against them of which I'm aware is that although they'll give you about as much clean amplification as their specs claim, if you're driving more than a couple of channels hard at the same time, their power supplies have a tendency to suddenly reach their limits, which can cause clipping, and I've heard a number of stories of speakers (including Ascends) getting fried or blown as a result. While this could happen with any amplifier, to my recollection, Onkyo is probably involved in more such cases than any of the more "respected" mass-market brands, based solely on reading about these things over the years.

By the way, the THX models should be different, because as diluted as the label has become, at this level it still has strict requirements with regard to amp power ratings.


one thing that i wonder about is why the hk has only 50 watts per channel. Is it because its power rating is conservative? I dont know much about power ratings so any info would help.

Yes, HK's ratings are relatively conservative, especially as any single specification never tells the whole story about performance. For one thing, an HK receiver should be able to deliver the rated power with all channels driven equally hard. While this specific condition is probably a rare occurrence (unless you listen to "n-channel stereo"), this indicates that HK receivers have beefy power supplies and are better able to handle demanding loads, whether it's the speakers' impedance/electrical phase curves or the dynamics of the source material. These characteristics are similar to the advantages of using separate high quality amplifiers, although obviously separates can have much greater performance still. This comparison is also similar in that you won't always be able to hear the difference immediately--it depends on what you listen to, how you listen to it, and your other equipment.


HK tends to be accurate with their power ratings... the others tend to be liberal with theirs.

Well, there are laws governing what manufacturers are allowed to claim, and you have to read the "fine print" regarding the ratings, as opposed to just going by the number of watts. HK gives a very conservative spec: low distortion with full bandwidth test signals and all channels driven. Denon is not as conservative but fairly accurate regarding practical performance: low distortion with full bandwidth but usually no spec on the number of channels driven. Both will deliver at least what they claim under most circumstances, although they're making different claims. Most other companies will give you a number that is meaningless in terms of real world performance, but is more or less true on some level, such as: high distortion (e.g. 10% THD) at a single frequency (usually 1 kHz--easy) and with a single channel driven. Unfortunately, people tend to ignore the fine print, and that's how manufacturers can get away with their deception.


fact is, most people feel that a 50W HK will perform as well as 100W other receivers.

In most cases, it should be able to perform far better than that, depending on who made the other receiver, of course. In fact, it's plausible that the same HK might be able to drive power-hungry 4 ohm speakers like the Polk LSi series at more than 50 watts while the other receiver might simply overload and shut down at a modest volume level.


a lot of people love the sound HK can deliver. that being said, HK has had some quality control issues in the past. if the HK has all the features you need, i'd go for it. then again, the onkyo 605 is widely regarded as the recieiver in the $400 price range to have...

In my opinion, if the price and feature set are alright, then get the HK. If you're concerned about QC or firmware bug issues with HK, then get a Denon. If the lack of a certain feature is the reason to get something else, then I'd wait a few months...but that's just me. :)