2011 $600 A/V Receiver Comparison Guide

[admin]

It's that time of year again and we're taking a look at the new receivers. At the $600 price point we have offerings from Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, Marantz, Denon, and Harman Kardon (the TX-NR609, RX-V671, VSX-50, NR1602, AVR-2112CI, and AVR 2650 respectively). Most of these are within $50 of the target price though we gave a slight edge to the Harman offering by choosing an $800 offering. Will they crush the comparison with their extra MSRP? Things to expect at this price point - 3D, Audio Return Channel, HDMI upconversion, networking, tons of power, and two zones of audio.


Discuss "2011 $600 A/V Receiver Comparison Guide " here. Read the article.

[smurphy522]

Thanks Tom for the informative and easy to follow feature-set table!

Well - It's quite sad to see that H/K has in many ways downgraded the line-up once again. Now the pwr rating is based on 2 speakers driven (likely to get in-line w/competitions ratings) and is 1.5 lbs less in weight. It seems that not only did they downgrade the amp section but they also lost the I/R in/outs as well as the 7.1 input. No video up scaling high at this $ point is still quite useful. Wonder what processor is used and what the I think with this new "50 series" line-up H/K is going to lose a lot of die hard H/K fans looking to upgrade this year - I know they lost me. I was hoping for an upgraded 3600 to replace my 247, now I will certainly be looking elsewhere. Network features is not enough to sway me.

H/K says: "Introducing the harman kardon A/V receiver that does it all." they should add: except what we did last year.

The added features of HDMI 1.4a and DPL IIz are of little interest.
The only feature I consider even mildly interesting is the network capability but as I did into that it seems it's only for Internet Radio - again of little interest and offered on last years international series.

It seems that even Infinity is dropping the better product line. Harman is of real disappointment of late (for the products that mere mortals can afford).

Sorry to rant about Harman I was really hoping for an offering like the International Series 460 or 660.

Now off to study the DM Holdings offerings against Onkyo/Integra................

[its phillip]

None of them have preouts

Out of the bunch I would probably choose the denon because of audyssey multieqxt.

[BoredSysAdmin]

None of them have preouts

Out of the bunch I would probably choose the denon because of audyssey multieqxt.

+1

and Flac HD support

[kevon27]

Does Hdmi 1.4a support 4k resolutions?

[scott911]

at this price point - hard to believe it's entry levelish this days - I would like to see everyone include at least 2.1 pre-outs.

Giving people the ability to add, say an emotiva amp, is a nice--almost no cost feature--these guys could all provide.

[Sugarbear]

The next one up the line from Onkyo, the 709, has preouts and MultEQ XT... and currently has an Amazon price that's pretty close to the MSRP for the 609.

In fact, Onkyo's HT-RC370 (the 709 minus a few minor features) is exactly at the 609 MSRP according to Amazon... still with preouts and MultEQ XT.

These ones sit in the sweet spot!

[BoredSysAdmin]

The next one up the line from Onkyo, the 709, has preouts and MultEQ XT... and currently has an Amazon price that's pretty close to the MSRP for the 609.

In fact, Onkyo's HT-RC370 (the 709 minus a few minor features) is exactly at the 609 MSRP according to Amazon... still with preouts and MultEQ XT.

These ones sit in the sweet spot!

+1
from: http://www.highdefjunkies.com/showth....2-3D-Receiver

I was trying to decide how to Review these Receivers. They are pretty much the same where it counts most. Sound and Video Processing. The RC370 and the NR709 have a few differences. The biggest to me is the HDMI outs. The 709 has two while the 370 only has one. Other than that the others are RS-232, IR input, 12 volt Trigger and 110 versus 100 watts per channel difference in favor of the 709 of course. If you do not have a complex set up and do not care about having Dual HDMI outs then by all means the 370 will get the job done. The 709 with Dual HDMI outs and 110 per channel is a terrific bargain considering what it can do. From here on out just act like I am talking about both..

[internetmin]

I had to throw in my two cents here because I'm not sure I agree with the conclusion of the article. First off, I've owned NAD and Marantz receivers and have owned NAD and Anthem separates. I've also listened to Arcam receivers. I've never owned an Onkyo, Pioneer, or HK receiver.

My argument against the conclusion of the article is that bags the Harmon Kardon receiver because of features. Ok, from a feature comparison POV, you can see inputs, processing modes, etc. However, a receiver or separates are much more than just their feature set. In fact, the more expensive the equipment, the more likely it will have have LESS features. Why? Because the emphasis is on the quality of the sound and not bells and whistles.

Years ago, I once went in to a higher end audio store to listen to speakers and told them I had a Marantz receiver. They played the speakers on the Marantz, an NAD and then an Arcam. The audible difference between each was remarkable. I mean, absolutely remarkable. When the Arcam was switched on, it was like the speakers were totally different--they had more life and the sense of space was simply extraordinary.

The Arcam had LESS features than either the NAD or Marantz yet I could certainly have lived with it and been much happier.

From my POV, that's what I always find missing and potentially misleading about "feature comparison" reviews. Sure, you can review products and from features alone have a chart that provides a guide. However, features in no way determine the quality of sound of the product. So from that perspective, I think it's unfair to bash the Harmon Kardon or tout the Onkyo. It may very well be that from this group, the Marantz or the Pioneer are actually the 'best' receivers. Having lived with a Marantz with a ton of features, I found myself using very few of them at the end of the day. All I know is that my current Anthem preamp and power amp setup are among the best bang for the buck setups for sound and quality. Sure, I don't have SRS surround any longer or Dolby IIz or whatever, but I have a simply killer audio system. It just sounds right and it sounds great every time.

So, I would caution that "feature reviews" are good at just listing features but in no way determine the quality of the sound or the quality of the implementation of those features.

Thus, maybe it's the one Harmon Kardon guy who is really getting the last laugh on the other nine

[BoredSysAdmin]

I had to throw in my two cents here because I'm not sure I agree with the conclusion of the article. First off, I've owned NAD and Marantz receivers and have owned NAD and Anthem separates. I've also listened to Arcam receivers. I've never owned an Onkyo, Pioneer, or HK receiver.

My argument against the conclusion of the article is that bags the Harmon Kardon receiver because of features. Ok, from a feature comparison POV, you can see inputs, processing modes, etc. However, a receiver or separates are much more than just their feature set. In fact, the more expensive the equipment, the more likely it will have have LESS features. Why? Because the emphasis is on the quality of the sound and not bells and whistles.

Years ago, I once went in to a higher end audio store to listen to speakers and told them I had a Marantz receiver. They played the speakers on the Marantz, an NAD and then an Arcam. The audible difference between each was remarkable. I mean, absolutely remarkable. When the Arcam was switched on, it was like the speakers were totally different--they had more life and the sense of space was simply extraordinary.

The Arcam had LESS features than either the NAD or Marantz yet I could certainly have lived with it and been much happier.

From my POV, that's what I always find missing and potentially misleading about "feature comparison" reviews. Sure, you can review products and from features alone have a chart that provides a guide. However, features in no way determine the quality of sound of the product. So from that perspective, I think it's unfair to bash the Harmon Kardon or tout the Onkyo. It may very well be that from this group, the Marantz or the Pioneer are actually the 'best' receivers. Having lived with a Marantz with a ton of features, I found myself using very few of them at the end of the day. All I know is that my current Anthem preamp and power amp setup are among the best bang for the buck setups for sound and quality. Sure, I don't have SRS surround any longer or Dolby IIz or whatever, but I have a simply killer audio system. It just sounds right and it sounds great every time.

So, I would caution that "feature reviews" are good at just listing features but in no way determine the quality of the sound or the quality of the implementation of those features.

Thus, maybe it's the one Harmon Kardon guy who is really getting the last laugh on the other nine

1) In Audio Direct mode all amps/receivers sounds same
2) Louder amp will sound better to humans
3) No one canceled placebo effect from affecting humans
4) Maybe HK watts are understated and in "pioneer" watts is actually 1.5 times more powerful, it still doesn't excuse serious lack of mandatory features compared to equivalents.
5) Tom's Andry logic is 100%, I think it's your logic is somewhat affected by Hi-End virus...