Do I buy the Yamaha 2600 or Denon 4306 (Or anything else I should consider)

Do I buy the Yamaha RX-v2600 or Denon AVR 4306? Is there anything else I should be looking at in that price range (an no higher)? I'm just looking for best P4P Receiver in that range, and was about to pull the trigger on the 2600, but then saw the score that the 4306 got on CNET (is CNET even credible in this arena?). I have the Pioneer Elite 1130 Plasma I will be hooking it up to, and plan on throwing down on a badass speaker package next year. Is there anything on the horizon I should hold out for??????

Please help me out, gentlemen.

Thx.

Method

Method said:

Do I buy the Yamaha RX-v2600 or Denon AVR 4306? Is there anything else I should be looking at in that price range (an no higher)? I'm just looking for best P4P Receiver in that range, and was about to pull the trigger on the 2600, but then saw the score that the 4306 got on CNET (is CNET even credible in this arena?). I have the Pioneer Elite 1130 Plasma I will be hooking it up to, and plan on throwing down on a badass speaker package next year. Is there anything on the horizon I should hold out for??????

Please help me out, gentlemen.

Thx.

Method

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You may want to check out the new Pioneer Elites...72 or 74

great product as well as those Yamis and Denons

Since you are using an Elite plasma, may be a logical choice...

I'm in the same boat as you but I'm trying to decide between the Yamaha 2600 and the Denon 3806. IMO, there are only a few features that the 4306 gives you over the 3806, including 10 more watts / channel, iPod interface and an Ethernet port. While those features are nice, are they worth the extra $800?

I know that they 2600 and the 3806 are very similar receivers and, from everything I've read on this forum, I'd be happy with either one. That's certainly also true for the 4306 in your case. The Yammy does offer video up-scaling through it's HDMI output. I don't know if that's a consideration but, if it is, it might tip the scales in favor of the 2600...it's also less expensive than the 4306.

You may want to nail down your speaker package first to make sure the receiver you choose can power them.

there's a pretty big difference in price between the 2 amps. its the 2600 vs the 3806 or the 4600 v the 4306.

i just bought an amp and considered goingup that one level to the 4600 or 4306 and the difference in performance was negligable for the money. if i were you i'd pocket the money and use it for better speakers.

i can tell you one thing for sure. you will get a MUCH bigger perfomance difference in your system by spending $800 more on speakers than $800 more on the receiver.

That's great advice. All the receivers mentioned are of the highest quality in their price class. I think you would be happy with any of them from a sound quality/power standpoint. The only differentiating factors are the features, like video up-conversion or iPod interface.

I agree with AVRat and Rooz. You need to select your speakers before you can know what sort of amplification you need, and you should spend more money on speakers than on your other audio equipment. Any of the receivers mentioned would be more than adequate in most situations.

If it were me, I would probably at this point go with the Yamaha RX-V2500 (refurbished), from www.ubid.com as it is going for under $500 delivered (to my address, anyway), and then spend the rest on better speakers (which, again, would need to be selected before ordering the receiver, just in case there would be an issue with them). This sale is so good I almost wish I needed a new receiver.

Wait until HDMI 1.3 is supported.

When ?

ironlung said:

Wait until HDMI 1.3 is supported.

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When will that be?? Most receivers I'm looking to upgrade to don't even support 1.2 yet. Do these upgrades require different hardware or could this be a firmware upgrade to existing receivers with RS-232 ports?

i don;t see the point in waiting. 1.2 is still quite new. when 1.3 comes out you may as well say "wait for 1.4 support" like any tech item they will be outdated b4 you know it but you have to take the plunge some day.

Receiver options

The Yamaha 2600 or denon 3806 would make a great receiver for your system. If you are willing to spend more, consider adding outboard amplification down the road as the Yamaha has proven to be a great pre-amp.

It is also a good idea to decide on the speakers first, then determing the receiver / amp power that is necessary to drive them.

A good amp will make a lot of difference in how good your system will sound.

If I were you, I'll probably just us the receiver as a pre/processor later on, and get some beefy external amps.

I agree with AVRat and Rooz. You need to select your speakers before you can know what sort of amplification you need, and you should spend more money on speakers than on your other audio equipment. Any of the receivers mentioned would be more than adequate in most situations.

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I hear you all on this. Problem is that my cash flow is such that I have my receiver money now, and won't have the discretionary speaker money until next year...i have it now in savings, but just bought a pad and spent a bunch of loot on other things that I'll never get the old lady to be cool with spending another 3,500-8,000 on a potential speaker system right now...it's easier for me to get away with spending 1000-1400 on a receiver as it tends to go more "unnoticed". When I get my $150K-$200K commission next December, she'll be so overwhelmed by that that me saying, "Oh, by the way, I am gonna take 8K (or 5k or whatever) and buy speakers.

It's a$$ backwards, gents, I know, but I figure the receivers Im looking at will power the Axiom 80/500, or a mid range Focal line or whatever.

Not the way I prefer to do things, but you gotta play the hand you're dealt.

I appreciate all of your feedback, and encourage anything further.

Thanks.

Really dig this site.

Peace.

Method

Have the 3806 which I like very much.. only complaint is that SACD is not supported with 1.1... take the plunge and enjoy

Method said:

When I get my $150K-$200K commission next December, she'll be so overwhelmed by that that me saying, "Oh, by the way, I am gonna take 8K (or 5k or whatever) and buy speakers.

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Ahhhhhh... What kind of job do you have where you get $150k-200k as a commission? Maybe I should switch jobs!

3-8k on speakers ? holy crap thats a MASSIVE price range. lol
150k commision ? ? double holy crap.

you're looking in the wrong price range for a reciever mate. lol

i can assure you that the 3806/ 2600/ 4806 will NOT drive the elektra range of focal speakers which is at the top end of the pricerange you seem to be aiming at. i know they won;t drive them properly cos i heard them on these systems not more than a week ago and they did not perform well. you need something with much more grunt especially if you are going to play them at volume for any length of time. they sound quite sloppy when underpowered.

they will drive the chorus range nicely though which is at the bottom end of your range. really improtant that you work this out imo.

i think the main advice you are getting here is plan for the future and set your budget for both speakers and amp. if you're gonna budget 8k for speakers you REALLY need to spend more on the amp to make sure they are driven properly. using a pair of focal elektra speakers with a yammy 2600 would be a crime.

Gotcha. Thanks Rooz. I know I probably sound pretty sloppy in setting such wide price ranges, but it was really for purposes of guaging the most feedback I could.

I doubt I'll be getting the Focal Elektra line, as a complete 5.1 speaker system in that line would take me way over any alotted budget. I'm a hobbyist, yeah, but I have a lot of other hobbies and my more than casual (less than die-hard) interest in all this probably doesn't justify such a big budget. We'll see.

Rooz said:

i can assure you that the 3806/ 2600/ 4806 will NOT drive the elektra range of focal speakers which is at the top end of the pricerange you seem to be aiming at.

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That is just not correct information at all. The focal line your are referring to is very efficient. From 90db to 93db and all with a nominal impedance of 8-ohms. None of those receivers you mentioned would have any problem at all driving those speakers.

I have the 2600 with Paradigm monitor series which are a little less efficient then the focals and I assure you I can reach ear bleeding levels before the 2600 even hints at distress. I have built many speakers using focal parts and they are no harder to drive than any other conventional cone speaker, they are just much higher quality and price. There would be absolutely no reason not use one of those receivers with the Focal Electra series.

Clint was driving these http://www.rbhsound.com/si6100.shtml full range withe the 2600 and had no issues. They are roughly the same effeciencey as the Focals but are 6-ohms.

Rooz said:

i don;t see the point in waiting. 1.2 is still quite new. when 1.3 comes out you may as well say "wait for 1.4 support" like any tech item they will be outdated b4 you know it but you have to take the plunge some day.

Click to expand...

Let me rephrase. Wait until the new surround formats that are going to be standards on the bluray/HD-DVDs are supported for digital signal transfer on HDMI. Unless you upgrade often.

Why don't you go with the 2807 instead ?

Hi, Method

Why don't you consider something "between" Denon 3806 and 4306 - the newest model: 2807 (8x110W - just about to be released).
It gets all the kudos from CNET:
http://www.cnet.com/4831-11405_1-6413272.html
the awards at CES-2006 and such. Apparently it also "upconverts" (or rather scales) to HDMI outpu (which 3806 does not do) and it is the whole $900 cheaper than 4306 !!! Check it out (I am thinking the same now)

-----------------------------------------
Denon 3803 (8x110W)
Paradigm Monitor 9 (v2) - mains
Paradigm CC370 (v2) - center
Paradigm Mini-Monitors (v2) - surrounds
Paradigm Mini-Monitors (v2) - ZONE 2
Paradigm PS-1200 -sub
[soon to be replaced by Carver's Dominator D-12]

Cambridge Audio Azur 540CD
Denon DVD-2200
BSR 3000EQ
Pioneer plasma HD4304
Scientific Atlanta HD8300 cable/DVR box

Audioquest and Monster cables