Trouble deciding what AV receiver to buy. Current system is a 5.1 with a Pioneer Elite VSX-21TXH receiver, Martin Logan Motion 40 fronts, Motion 8 center, Motion FX surrounds, Dynamo 700 Sub and a Panasonic 60" Plasma. Would like to upgrade Receiver and maybe a second sub. I want a good quality receiver for music as well as Home theater. The living room area is 21' x 18' and one side opens into the kitchen area, so it's not optimal. Thinking about adding a second sub if the room is not to small, so I would like discrete sub outputs on receiver. Also maybe adding two ceiling speakers. The Yamaha RX-A2080 seems to be the starting point with discrete sub outputs and I'm not familiar with Denon (X3300W - X3500W but they seem to be loaded with many features. I'm open to suggestions.
When you refer to discreet sub outputs, do you mean actual sub outputs or are you talking pre-outs for all channels? Because all modern receivers made by Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony, and other brands (Anthem, Cambridge, etc.) have sub outputs built in. If they are 7.1 channel, for example, they will have 1 discreet sub output. If 7.2, they will have 2 discreet sub outs. You can use splitters to expand to more subs if needed as well.
But if you mean pre-outs for each channel, you will have to go with their upper tiered products in general to get that.
Denons have a laid back, smooth sound. You will either like it or hate it, and it changes a bit according to what class Denon you get (with more expensive models being a little richer and warmer sounding). They are good for music and movies and I personally like the sound. They tend to have a warmer tone (especially for the X3500 and such you are looking at),so they go well with Aluminum, dome, or leaf tweeters. The X3500 does have pre-outs and has Audyssey Multi-EQ XT32 room correction, which is one of the best if not the best room correction available for consumer level gear. Just shut off Dynamic EQ and turn up your sub a bit and surrounds 1 dB higher. Dynamic EQ is only good for low level listening, it does work well to preserve low frequency sound and surround sound at low volumes, but it sounds unnatural for music and such at normal to louder volumes. I personally never use it.
Yamahas have a slightly cooler sound than mid-higher tiered Denons, but more forward sounding as well. They are good for music and movies, and Yamaha has nice DSP modes to tailor the sound. YPAO never worked well in my room, but it usually works well. It is definitely inferior to higher level Audyssey versions found in Marantz, Denon, and older Onkyos. I found it inaccurate for speaker settings and speaker sizes, but I could have had a defective setup mic?
Now I just got a Marantz SR7012, and I can say with certainty if you want increased audio performance and want pre-outs, latest features, and the best sound quality for the price paid, go for Marantz. Same company that makes Denon, D+M holdings. Marantz has better audio circuitry and more inputs than a comparable Denon, and sound better for music with a warmer and more musical sound. I have consistently found my Marantz receivers to be my favorites. The only thing with Marantz is you are going to pay more than the Denon equivalent. But I would go with a SR5012 (or SR5013 if you can swing the extra money). You can also look at refurbished units if you want more bang for buck, but you won't get the same warranty.
Denon you get more features for the money, but they won't sound as good as a Marantz. Marantz has more inputs and always pre-outs, heavier builds than Denon, and special circuitry called HDAM which makes it sound better than Denon. It is not snake oil, made up stuff either. There is a definite sound quality difference in Marantz.
No matter what you go with, you cannot go far wrong. But if you want sound quality, features, pre-outs, 7.1 inputs, and the best room correction? Marantz is an easy choice and my favorite brand. Trust me, I have tried multiple models from each maker of receivers and my Marantz units have always been a bit better than the rest. The only thing you need to consider with Marantz is the portal design. I like it, but it is not everyone's cup of tea.
