Processor Trade-offs

[mattjcurry]

Hey All,

Looking to upgrade my setup. I recently built some amps for my system and so I am using an old Denon AVR-4306 as a processor. I watched the recent video on the processors and it seems to me like they all rated about the same and that the real things that mattered was room correction ability and how well the video switching worked. I have seen some commentary on it being nice if the processor is fully differential from input to output.

Here is my situation...
I listen to 80% stereo music.
I am very comfortable using REW to try to get the room dialed in.
It would be nice to have balanced outputs, but I am not sure I necessarily need them because my runs are pretty short.
I would like to be able to support 4k video
It would be really nice if I could support some of the newer audio formats
My current setup is 5.1. I have some in-ceiling speakers for atmos, but I am not sure it is worth it since most of the content I watch is not Atmos enabled.
I basically have a Pi-Hat that runs Roon as one device (RCA out) and an Nvidia Shield (HDMI) as the second input device.

Options:
1.) buy a used Anthem AVM-60 - Seems like it would be about and check all the boxes including atmos. ($2200)
2.) Keep the denon and buy a minidsp DDRC-88a (dirac) as well as an HDMI audio extractor of some kind. ($1200ish)
3.) Buy a used Yamaha CX-5100 or CX-5200 and just mess with room correction until I get it dialed in. ($1800-$2000) (wondering if the 5100 would be better because of the distortion issues found in the 5200 review.)
4.) Buy a new Outlaw 976 and get a minidsp for room correction ($2000)

Wondering if I have hit all the good options and if there are other things I should consider. Thanks for taking the time to look and help me think through this.

 

[Pogre]

Buy a Denon AVR 3600 for $799, pat yourself on the back for being a thrifty spender and enjoy your system. The 3600 should cover all your bases very nicely. Great room correction, 4k, all the newset audio formats and HDMI. No need to worry about balanced outputs with short runs. I'm using a Marantz SR6011 (Denon/Marantz being the same company) as a pre for my Monolith and am super happy with the setup.

 

[PENG]

Hey All,

Looking to upgrade my setup. I recently built some amps for my system and so I am using an old Denon AVR-4306 as a processor. I watched the recent video on the processors and it seems to me like they all rated about the same and that the real things that mattered was room correction ability and how well the video switching worked. I have seen some commentary on it being nice if the processor is fully differential from input to output.

Here is my situation...
I listen to 80% stereo music.
I am very comfortable using REW to try to get the room dialed in.
It would be nice to have balanced outputs, but I am not sure I necessarily need them because my runs are pretty short.
I would like to be able to support 4k video
It would be really nice if I could support some of the newer audio formats
My current setup is 5.1. I have some in-ceiling speakers for atmos, but I am not sure it is worth it since most of the content I watch is not Atmos enabled.
I basically have a Pi-Hat that runs Roon as one device (RCA out) and an Nvidia Shield (HDMI) as the second input device.

Options:
1.) buy a used Anthem AVM-60 - Seems like it would be about and check all the boxes including atmos. ($2200)
2.) Keep the denon and buy a minidsp DDRC-88a (dirac) as well as an HDMI audio extractor of some kind. ($1200ish)
3.) Buy a used Yamaha CX-5100 or CX-5200 and just mess with room correction until I get it dialed in. ($1800-$2000) (wondering if the 5100 would be better because of the distortion issues found in the 5200 review.)
4.) Buy a new Outlaw 976 and get a minidsp for room correction ($2000)

Wondering if I have hit all the good options and if there are other things I should consider. Thanks for taking the time to look and help me think through this.

As Pogre suggested, the AVR-X3600H appears to be a good choice. Or if you prefer Marantz, you can get the SR6013 for $899 or SR6014 for $1,499. They will all do the job for you and should not make any audible differences. Coming from the 4306, I am sure you won't be disappointed as you are getting much more for much less.

None of the processors mentioned so far offers differential signal path from input to output, the last Denon that offered the fully balanced design was the $7,500 (in 2008) AVP-A1HDCI. If Denon were to market another one, they would probably be listed in the $10,000 range. In fact Gene said at the time:

Denon AVP-A1HDCI AV Processor Review

Review: The Denon AVP-A1HDCI AV processor is packed with the latest HD audio and HDMI connectivity and THX Ultra2 Certification. It supports 12 channels of audio and is a technological masterpiece.

www.audioholics.com

"Denon boasts the AVP-A1HDCI is the world’s ONLY fully balanced processor from input to output....."

So unless you are prepared to pay, may as well forget about "fully balanced.."

 

[mattjcurry]

The only other options which I considered was the XMC-1 from Emotiva, which sounds amazing, however, I worry about the support and reliability over the longer term.

 

[Gmoney]

yeah

The only other options which I considered was the XMC-1 from Emotiva, which sounds amazing, however, I worry about the support and reliability over the longer term.

who knows if Emotiva will offer service after it’s out of warranty. With that said do any others offer repair service after their AVR’s or Pros?

 

[PENG]

The only other options which I considered was the XMC-1 from Emotiva, which sounds amazing,

Just curious, how did you establish that? Did you compare it with your 4306 at home using the same setup, and some high quality recordings that you are very familiar with?

 

[mattjcurry]

Oh sorry, I meant that I know someone who has one who is very happy with it and looking at the specs/reviews it "sounds amazing". Sorry for the confusion over the use of the word sounds Not literal.

Perhaps I should have said...It looks amazing.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'm very happy with my CX-A5100. I have friends who are very happy with their CX-A5200.

Talk to some Yamaha dealers. They may have some brand new CX-A5100 available for discounted prices.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

yeah

who knows if Emotiva will offer service after it’s out of warranty. With that said do any others offer repair service after their AVR’s or Pros?

Emotiva won't service their products after warranty. Gene will attest to that.

ATI will service their Amps and Pre-pros after the Warranty Period.

I would think Yamaha will also.

I always thought most people would service their own products until I heard Gene talked about Emotiva. Makes absolutely no sense. If EMO made your own products, why can't they service them after warranty for a price?

 

[Gmoney]

Nothing at all after warranty? Wow! Glad I sold off All my Emo gear.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Nothing at all after warranty? Wow! Glad I sold off All my Emo gear.

Seems like they took a dump after they got picked up by BB. That IS conjecture but seems that the timeline in my little brain supports the thought.

 

[AVUser001]

Nothing at all after warranty? Wow! Glad I sold off All my Emo gear.

Dont give me ideas ;-) Mine is 5 yrs old and still going strong. I know what I'm getting next (Mono Mono)

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Nothing at all after warranty? Wow! Glad I sold off All my Emo gear.

If EMO were to put on their website "WE WILL NOT REPAIR ANY COMPONENTS AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRES", I bet they would lose 90% of their customers.

It's almost like saying, "After we take your money, you're on your own!"

Run, Forrest, run!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think if you're going separates, you might want to go with companies who will take care of you and who are known for being reliable.

Otherwise, just buy an AVR on sale for $500-$600 and get a new one in a few years.

 

[ryanosaur]

Though the sample size is small, the AVS forum for the HTP-1 shows many people ditching their Emo Processors for the Monolith. General gist of what I saw is that Emo has never really gotten their act together on that front with buggy gear and unfulfilled promises. Conversely, Monolith has been actively working to solve problems with their early users, Dirac works, they've already released several firmware updates, and have even helped people solve in-home network issues.
What's Emo done for us lately?

So unless you really need to go all out for something like that, I agree, the 3500, 3600, 6013 etc are all good options well worth considering; and for the cost, easily replaceable every few years as one might want to keep it shiny and up to date with the latest protocols /offerings.