Looking for a receiver with great sound quality and power

[matt houser]

I am looking to buy a new home theater receiver, One that focuses more on power and sound quality rather then all these new network features etc, 5.2-7.2 channels and I'm not really into the new Dolby Atmos, what's most important to me is knowing that I have plenty of power and that I am getting excellent sound quality, my price range is around $500-$600, what receiver options are out there that trade features for quality

 

[3db]

I am looking to buy a new home theater receiver, One that focuses more on power and sound quality rather then all these new network features etc, 5.2-7.2 channels and I'm not really into the new Dolby Atmos, what's most important to me is knowing that I have plenty of power and that I am getting excellent sound quality, my price range is around $500-$600, what receiver options are out there that trade features for quality

Need more info...

1. make and model of loudspeakers
2. volume of room
3. sitting distance from main speakers
4. how loud do you intend to play them
5. New or refurbed?
6. WHat are you using now and why change it?

 

[fmw]

Pretty simple. If you line up all the receivers two truths will emerge. The first is that they are all within 3 or 4 db of each other in terms of power. The other is that, except for minor differences in the way their room calibration work, how the sound will not be an issue. All of them are capable of delivering sound without audible distortions. If you have a brand preference then choose it. Choose one with the features you want and will use.

In other words power and sound quality are not meaningful factors in choosing an AV receiver.

 

[DD66000]

But how an AVR matches a particular brand of speaker is a factor. In my experience, with JBL speakers, Parasound, Marantz, HK are my go to AVR/amp brands. To my ears, matching Yamaha, Onkyo, in particular, with JBL just does not get the job done.

 

[KenM10759]

The "watts per channel" rating a receiver you may get is meaningless without considering the type, number, efficiency and your distance from them.

That said, it seems NAD is famous for providing their customers (me among them) with less features for more money in the name of "music quality first." It's borne to be true to a certain extent, and I wouldn't have mine if not for factory refurb unit from Spearit Sound.

 

[matt houser]

Thanks for all the help guys, I plan on getting the ascend acoustics 5.1 system with the cmt 340 SE for my fronts, I plan on pairing them with the hsu VTF3-mk5 hp sub, my room is not all that big, standard size 19x14x8, sitting distance from the fronts are about 7ft, although on a few occasions I will use the system for parties so I do want to have some extra power capabilities, I want to be able to crank up the volume and have crisp clear high-quality sound, whether the receiver is refurbished or not is no big deal to me as long as it's quality and the reason for my upgrade is that the current receiver I have now is an older Harman Kardin AVR 125 that does not support HDMI so I am using the capability of things like Dolby true HD, thanks for the input guys and I look forward to hearing from you again

 

[PENG]

I am looking to buy a new home theater receiver, One that focuses more on power and sound quality rather then all these new network features etc, 5.2-7.2 channels and I'm not really into the new Dolby Atmos, what's most important to me is knowing that I have plenty of power and that I am getting excellent sound quality, my price range is around $500-$600, what receiver options are out there that trade features for quality

Thank you for the detailed info. Your room isn't really small but if you sit 7 ft or even 10 ft from those speakers you will be fine with the Denon 3100/3200, Maranz 5009/5010 or Marantz 6009. If you don't believe in Audyssey , then go with an equivalent Yamaha.

 

[ccmclaughlin]

You might want to keep an eye out for last year's models. There's still pretty good inventory out there right now and, if you keep an eye out, you'll find some great prices. If you're partial to Denon, I've seen the 3100 below $500. I've also seen the 4100 around $650. You can find the Pioneer Elite SC-81 for under $500 right now too. Most are about half the price of the equivalent current model. I picked up a Pioneer SC-85 (new) for $799 off of Amazon a week or so ago, about half off the factory list price.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[speakerman39]

The thing about going refurbished is that at accessories4less.com they ONLY carry factory refurbished. I recently purchased a Marantz SR6009 and absolutely love it! But, if I had to do it all over again I would have opted for the Denon 3100W. Why YOU ask? It is because they are essentially the same exact receiver for less money. Have had NO issues with my refurbished Marantz whatsoever. Can NOT recommend them enough. Great people; Great prices; Great selection. What more is there, no? Here is a link for YOU:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrx3100w/denon-avr-x3100w-7.2-receiver-wi-fi/bluetooth/airplay/1.html

Good luck with YOUR decision!

Cheers,

Phil