New receiver purchase - Need some advice on 'future proof' factor

[Kbarnett]

Hey all - My Onkyo TX-nr609 appears to have died. No longer routing a video signal through HDMI. I can hear audio fine, though.

I'm looking at the Marantz sr5008 as its replacement. I've just got a few questions for the experienced folks.

1. Do you recommend this receiver?
2. Is it literally overkill for my small Energy Take Classic speakers? They're rated for 100W peak.
3. I want to upgrade to SVSound's Ultra Bookshelfs and Center down the road - Do you think this Marantz will have the punch to drive those with good performance? If not, what should I be doing different?

Thanks

 

[rojo]

I think the Marantz SR5008 is a fine choice. No, I don't think it's overkill for your Energy speakers. And yes, I think it'll drive the SVS LCR just fine. If you like to listen loud, you can always upgrade to external amplification via that receiver's pre-outs. But you'll most likely be satisfied with the built-in power plant anyway. I highly endorse every part of your plan.

 

[Kbarnett]

Cool - Thanks for the reply. My room is pretty small, 11x12 so I'm not worried about sound output. I've been looking at Emotiva if I need to get some more juice, but ideally i'd like to stick to just a receiver.

Thanks for advice

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hey all - My Onkyo TX-nr609 appears to have died. No longer routing a video signal through HDMI. I can hear audio fine, though.

I'm looking at the Marantz sr5008 as its replacement. I've just got a few questions for the experienced folks.

1. Do you recommend this receiver?
2. Is it literally overkill for my small Energy Take Classic speakers? They're rated for 100W peak.
3. I want to upgrade to SVSound's Ultra Bookshelfs and Center down the road - Do you think this Marantz will have the punch to drive those with good performance? If not, what should I be doing different?

Thanks

What price are you seeing with the SR5008? The SR5009 is $900.

Some people have gotten the Denon X4000 from Electronics Expo for $900 brand new on the phone. I think the X4000 is superior to the SR5008/5009 because it has Audyssey XT32 + Sub EQ HT (dual sub EQ).

 

[Kbarnett]

What price are you seeing with the SR5008? The SR5009 is $900.

Some people have gotten the Denon X4000 from Electronics Expo for $900 brand new on the phone. I think the X4000 is superior to the SR5008/5009 because it has Audyssey XT32 + Sub EQ HT (dual sub EQ).

Found the SR5008 for $566, seemed like a great price... but that X4000 for $900 seems like quite the bargain.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Found the SR5008 for $566, seemed like a great price... but that X4000 for $900 seems like quite the bargain.

Well, I think the SR5008 for $566 brand new from an authorized dealer is pretty good. I would get it.

 

[zieglj01]

Found the SR5008 for $566, seemed like a great price... but that X4000 for $900 seems like quite the bargain.

I would go for the SR5008

 

[GIEGAR]

Found the SR5008 for $566, seemed like a great price... but that X4000 for $900 seems like quite the bargain.

$566 is a great price for the SR5008, provided it's from a genuine authorised dealer. If you think a second sub is somewhere in your future, seriously consider the X4000 at the $900 price, for the superior Audyssey implementation that AcuDefTechGuy mentioned.

Also with an eye to the future, Gene's recent review of the SVS Ultra bookshelves indicated they are in fact a 4Ω nom. speaker with impedance dips to 4.7Ω @ 55Hz and 4.1Ω @ 200Hz. This Test Report: SVS Ultra Tower Surround Speaker System Page 3 | Sound & Vision indicates the Ultra Center is also a 4Ω nom. speaker with a minimum impedance dip to 2.9Ω @ 89Hz. This should not be an issue for the SR5008, provided you run a sub up to a 80 - 100Hz crossover higher the better), don't usually listen at VERY LOUD levels and keep the AVR adequately ventilated. If you don't meet all these conditions, a power amp may be in order down the track. What's normally your maximum master volume level (-XdB) on the Onkyo?

 

[Kbarnett]

$566 is a great price for the SR5008, provided it's from a genuine authorised dealer. If you think a second sub is somewhere in your future, seriously consider the X4000 at the $900 price, for the superior Audyssey implementation that AcuDefTechGuy mentioned.

Also with an eye to the future, Gene's recent review of the SVS Ultra bookshelves indicated they are in fact a 4Ω nom. speaker with impedance dips to 4.7Ω @ 55Hz and 4.1Ω @ 200Hz. This Test Report: SVS Ultra Tower Surround Speaker System Page 3 | Sound & Vision indicates the Ultra Center is also a 4Ω nom. speaker with a minimum impedance dip to 2.9Ω @ 89Hz. This should not be an issue for the SR5008, provided you run a sub up to a 80 - 100Hz crossover higher the better), don't usually listen at VERY LOUD levels and keep the AVR adequately ventilated. If you don't meet all these conditions, a power amp may be in order down the track. What's normally your maximum master volume level (-XdB) on the Onkyo?

Dang. It was a Best Buy Magnolia open-box deal a few miles from me. Was listed as new condition, zero damage so I figured i'd give it a shot but by the time I called yesterday, it had already been sold.

Well, moving on. I've decided that I'll probably just save a bit more $ and purchase a receiver and the speakers (and probably sub) all at once (to make for a VERY exciting day while I wait for the FedEx truck), so I've got a few months to make sure I do everything right.

I see that SVS recommends with their subs setting crossover to 60Hz, so I'd like to get away with doing what they recommend. The speakers can reach down to 45Hz based on their specs, so I would be happy with that. The info on impedance you bring up maybe be an issue then, I guess? For movies, I like to listen just below reference, or at least however accurate "THX REF" is on the Onkyo (that's what it displays when I turn it up to that point). I'll be honest, I don't know how to get the Onkyo to display the -XdB - It always displays on a 0-100 scale. I'll see what I can find in the settings and get back to you. It sounds like I may need to go with a power amp though. I certainly want to be able to drive the bookshelves, the center, and the surrounds to their fullest potential. Nothing ear-drum shattering, but rich sound with all of the best qualities the speakers have to offer coming out to their fullest.

Also, while I'm looking for good home theater quality audio, if I get also get a pretty great sounding 2.1 setup out of the same hardware for music listening, that would be perfect.

I think I need to add a PB-2000 to my list. My current energy sub is fine for what they're paired with, but it's a weak sub that doesn't reach down very far.

 

[Irishman]

I think they SR5008 is a fine AVR, and will do everything you want it to do.

If you move to a larger volume HT room, you can also connect it to an external amp to boost output to fill that larger space. That's great.

It's got wi-fi, bluetooth, Airplay. It can play audio files loaded up on a thumb drive and plugged into its front USB port. So much to love (I was considering this AVR myself in 2013 as a replacement for a pre-HDMI Yamaha unit), but the title of your thread asks for an answer from a future proofing standpoint.

Well, from that standpoint, the new 2014 SR-5009 is out, and it does one thing oriented towards future-proofing that the 5008 doesn't do. It has HDMI 2.0 support. The 5008 has HDMI 1.4a. The point of that is that the 5009 can properly support 2014 and newer devices that support the updated standard - most famously UHD at 60Hz.

If you're getting the 5008 at a substantial clearance discount, go for it. If not, get the 5009 (the prices are the same at about $899) and know you've made your new AVR relevant for at least another year or two.

 

[rojo]

The SR5008 doesn't have wifi, but one can find a really good wireless bridge on Amazon for around $25. It doesn't have bluetooth either. But if you use a PC as one of your sources, getting a $10 Bluetooth dongle for it that supports AptX would offer better sound quality than an AVR with Bluetooth already built in. It does have Airplay, and it'll stream 24/192 FLAC, ALAC, mp3, wav, and other formats via UPnP / DLNA over its ethernet connection.

If you're still interested in the SR5008, A4L has them refurb for $500 + shipping. They're an authorized vendor, and the unit still comes with a 1 year manufacturer warranty. My SR6008 was a refurb, but it's immaculate and indistinguishable from brand new.

 

[Kbarnett]

The SR5008 doesn't have wifi, but one can find a really good wireless bridge on Amazon for around $25. It doesn't have bluetooth either. But if you use a PC as one of your sources, getting a $10 Bluetooth dongle for it that supports AptX would offer better sound quality than an AVR with Bluetooth already built in. It does have Airplay, and it'll stream 24/192 FLAC, ALAC, mp3, wav, and other formats via UPnP / DLNA over its ethernet connection.

If you're still interested in the SR5008, A4L has them refurb for $500 + shipping. They're an authorized vendor, and the unit still comes with a 1 year manufacturer warranty. My SR6008 was a refurb, but it's immaculate and indistinguishable from brand new.

Oh wow, I looked at them but didn't know they were authorized. That's excellent, thank you. They've got the AVR-X4000 for $850. That seems like a worthwhile stretch, right? For the improved X32 room correction and power? Just a thought. Integrated Wifi isn't a concern of mine. First and foremost is sound. Bells and whistles come later. Good to know just a simple network dongle will enable it though.

Thanks for the heads up though on that SR5008.

 

[rojo]

Last I looked they were sold out of the X4000 unfortunately. But if you call Electronics Expo and they can sell it to you for $900, it's probably worth the extra $50 for another year warranty on a new, not refurb unit anyway.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Oh wow, I looked at them but didn't know they were authorized. That's excellent, thank you. They've got the AVR-X4000 for $850. That seems like a worthwhile stretch, right? For the improved X32 room correction and power? Just a thought. Integrated Wifi isn't a concern of mine. First and foremost is sound. Bells and whistles come later. Good to know just a simple network dongle will enable it though.

Thanks for the heads up though on that SR5008.

Why buy refurbished for $850 when you could get a brand new one for $900?

Personally, I would never buy something like an AVR refurbished. If you are lucky, everything is good. But if you are unlucky, you may get screwed.

 

[rojo]

Well, lots of us have refurbs from A4L. I expect there's not that much luck involved. It could be that those of us with refurbs have already had the break-in and bugs worked out for us by someone else. Besides, they still come with a year of manufacturer warranty, and possibly an additional year from your credit card company -- I think Mastercard offers this.

That's not to say I wouldn't call Electronics Expo and try to get the X4000 for $900 though. That still sounds like a good deal if it can be attained.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

That's not to say I wouldn't call Electronics Expo and try to get the X4000 for $900 though. That still sounds like a good deal if it can be attained.

Or even less than $900 as the new Denon models are released.

After the X4100 is released, I would look to Amazon. It would not surprise me if they sell the X4000 for $700 new as clearance on Amazon.

Bottom line, you have people who will buy refurbished because they have not had an issue and people who will never buy refurbished because they have had issues.

One time I sent a Denon AVR to the main Denon factory in NJ. When the AVR came back, not only was the problem not fixed, but it had even more problems. So I have absolutely little faith in refurbished. Others have better experiences.

 

[Kbarnett]

Or even less than $900 as the new Denon models are released.

After the X4100 is released, I would look to Amazon. It would not surprise me if they sell the X4000 for $700 new as clearance on Amazon.

That sounds like a plan right there. Since I've decided just to wait a bit longer and 'do it right' (all at once) for my needs anyway, this should be fine. I've had great experiences with refurb gear in the past, but i'd certainly prefer to go new of course.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

That sounds like a plan right there. Since I've decided just to wait a bit longer and 'do it right' (all at once) for my needs anyway, this should be fine. I've had great experiences with refurb gear in the past, but i'd certainly prefer to go new of course.

Especially if the new unit is the about the same price or even cheaper.

Yeah, Amazon is famous for cutting price by 50% during a clearance sale. For example, they sold the Denon 3312 for about $550 new when the 3313 was released.

But you know the sale does not last. So you have be constantly check the price.

I would put the X4000 in your Amazon shopping cart. And sometimes when the price changes, Amazon will send you an email.

 

[rojo]

Would a service like camelcamelcamel notify of a price change with enough time to take advantage, I wonder?

 

[beakergeek]

I would not worry about too much power unless you are cranking your system to ear bleeding levels its better to help ensure the longevity of the receiver in your setup. If you buy a little extra now, you have more flexibility to upgrade to speakers that require more power or have lower impedance. Marantz is a very solid brand.