Need help chosing Pre Pro/Receiver

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'm gonna be using the SVS Ultra Tower/Center and surrounds/bookshelf.

-Arcam AVR30
-Audiocontrol XR-8

You have $2K/pair speakers and you want to spend $6,600 on an AVR?

Keep in mind that Auto Room EQ is meant to HELP improve the sound of your speakers with your room acoustics.

If your room acoustics is already very good, Auto Room EQ may not AUDIBLY subjectively improve the sound quality.

And if your room acoustics is a nightmare, then no Auto Room EQ in the universe may help.

No matter how much Auto Room EQ cost, they are not going to MAGICALLY turn your $2K speakers into $200K speakers.

This is why if you search the internet, you will see some people swear that certain Room EQ are magic, while some people swear that all Room EQ don't do much for them.

Before spending north of $6K on an AVR, you might want to actually hear for yourself the before-and-after comparison between some of these Room EQ.

Now, of course, if you are a billionaire, then the $6.6K AVR might not be anything. Carry on.

 

[PENG]

What pre amp/pro/receiver would you recommend with dirac and EARC and supports all the codecs and dolby vision and such. Need a 7 channel that can add amps on it. Maybe a 16 channel.

Sorry I am not the right person to ask about Dirac Live as I have only tried the 2 channel trial version. Based on my limited experience with it and my extensive reading about it and Audyssey XT32, I have formed the opinion that its more hype than facts. In fact, I found now that D+M has the MultEQ Editor App and the availability of a very user friendly UI by a 3rd party, I do not believe Dirac Live could be better than Audyssey in the frequency range below the Schroeder (know as room transition) frequency. With the App, I was able to achieve +/- 1 to 2 dB in the 20-150 Hz range and can shape curve within that tolerance to my liking, found no issues with phase, decay times etc.. Hypes get amplified via hearsay on the internet, there are believers for sure, of anything too actually, and they may be right or not... So again, I am the wrong person to ask. I can only tell you what I have already, based on specs and measurements, that boutique brands will likely cost you more and you get less.

 

[PENG]

This forum is filled with a ton of people that are huge AVR fans. They don't like true separates (Pre/pro and Amps). I love separates and will be investing a ton more for my next theater build. Specifically the Trinnov Altitude 16 paired with ATI amps.

With due respect, I don't think they are "fans", but perhaps, pragmatist. I love separates, but for HT, I am no longer willing to pay more for less, been there done that, and still own quite a few o them..

Until there is a pre/pro that measured better than a mid range AVR such as Denon and Yamaha's, I have to say no thanks for now to another pre/pro. I have yet to see anyone posting they "don't like" separates, but I have read any posts that explain why they opted for AVRs, but again, not a matter of don't like this and fan of that as such.

 

[mazersteven]

Is Integra still a player in the Pre/Pro segment?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Is Integra still a player in the Pre/Pro segment?

I can't seem to find anyone (Crutchfield, Amazon) who is selling Integra.

A distributor I work with carries Integra and Onkyo, and they don't have any Integra in stock either.

 

[mazersteven]

You have $2K/pair speakers and you want to spend $6,600 on an AVR?

Should be the other way around.
Could have a pair of Aerial Acoustics 6T's

 

[PENG]

There is one that appears to be a 2019 model.

Integra 11CH Flagship AV Processor & Receivers Promise Best in Class Features

Integra announced three new “reference-grade” products at the CEDIA Expo including their flagship 11.2-channel DRC-R1.3 processor and DRX-R1.3 receiver and a 9.2-channel DRX-7.3 AV receiver.

www.audioholics.com

Onkyo's PR-RZ5100 is a 2016/17 model, and measured a little worse than many AVRs. I didn't see newer models on the Onkyo website. On sale for $1,100 off.

Hi-Fi | Onkyo

Onkyo stereo receivers, amplifiers and CD players will take your audio to the next level. Shop Now!

www.onkyousa.com

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You have $2K/pair speakers and you want to spend $6,600 on an AVR?

Should be the other way around.

I might have been implying that a little bit.

Although I've had 2 clients ordered Yamaha Integrated Amps that retailed ($4K and $8K) a lot more than their Ascend and Dynaudio bookshelf speakers.

Some people value their electronics more than speakers.

 

[Movie2099]

I might have been implying that a little bit.

Although I've had 2 clients ordered Yamaha Integrated Amps that retailed ($4K and $8K) a lot more than their Ascend and Dynaudio bookshelf speakers.

Some people value their electronics more than speakers.

We need more people that have McIntosh equipment to chime in. I haven't heard many complaints of people spending on McIntosh equipment when lets say they "only" have a $6k pair of speakers, but have like $20k in McIntosh gear.

This is just my observation when going through these forums. I just don't see a lot of people mention McIntosh.

 

[PENG]

I might have been implying that a little bit.

Although I've had 2 clients ordered Yamaha Integrated Amps that retailed ($4K and $8K) a lot more than their Ascend and Dynaudio bookshelf speakers.

Some people value their electronics more than speakers.

You got to admit those 4K/8K integrated look great with the big meters. If they would sell them with everything thing removed except what is need to light up the meters and make them move a bit and vary with the volume, I will buy one from you and put it beside my AVR. Put Placebo on steroid!!

 

[mazersteven]

McIntosh.

Mcintosh is a Lifestyle

 

[PENG]

We need more people that have McIntosh equipment to chime in. I haven't heard many complaints of people spending on McIntosh equipment when lets say they "only" have a $6k pair of speakers, but have like $20k in McIntosh gear.

This is just my observation when going through these forums. I just don't see a lot of people mention McIntosh.

I think you are right, I don't recall reading anything negative about them either, and I read a lot... Someone may not like their use auto transformer at the output, but that's just personal like/dislike, I don't count that as a negative comment, and definitely not a complaint.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You got to admit those 4K/8K integrated look great with the big meters. If they would sell them with everything thing removed except what is need to light up the meters and make them move a bit and vary with the volume, I will buy one from you and put it beside my AVR. Put Placebo on steroid!!

You know I have my broken Denon AVP-A1HDCI sitting pretty above my Yamaha RX-A3080 in the rack!

But yeah, would be cool to just get those big 8K integrated amp chassis for aesthetics. They sure are pretty.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

We need more people that have McIntosh equipment to chime in. I haven't heard many complaints of people spending on McIntosh equipment when lets say they "only" have a $6k pair of speakers, but have like $20k in McIntosh gear.

This is just my observation when going through these forums. I just don't see a lot of people mention McIntosh.

Yeah, not too many for sure.

I know one member who bought the B&W 802D2 around the same time I bought my B&W 802D2. He also bought his dream McIntosh amps and preamps.

Then some time after I sold my B&W 802D2, his B&W/McIntosh "honeymoon period" was over and he ended up selling his B&W 802D2 and all his McIntosh components.

If people have the money, spend away. It is fun spending a lot of money. I've had my thrills.

Another member - Grassy from Australia who also had the Denon AVP-A1HDCI like me - ended up with the McIntosh Pre-pro (Lyngdorf Auto Room EQ). I haven't heard from Grassy in a while - probably enjoying his McIntosh pre-pro, JVC PJ, and all-Yamaha speaker system.

 

[mazersteven]

They sure are pretty.

Those 275 Tube Amps are Pretty

 

[everettT]

We need more people that have McIntosh equipment to chime in. I haven't heard many complaints of people spending on McIntosh equipment when lets say they "only" have a $6k pair of speakers, but have like $20k in McIntosh gear.

This is just my observation when going through these forums. I just don't see a lot of people mention McIntosh.

I chimed in at the beginning and wont be going down that road again unless I just want pretty.

 

[lovinthehd]

I've used separates (and still have them, albeit only 2ch) vs avrs....the separates weren't better in any meaningful way except the amps were more powerful. Tools for the job and all that. I'd put the bulk of the expenditure on speakers rather than electronics these days.....

 

[PENG]

You know I have my broken Denon AVP-A1HDCI sitting pretty above my Yamaha RX-A3080 in the rack!

But yeah, would be cool to just get those big 8K integrated amp chassis for aesthetics. They sure are pretty.

One thing about those big meters is that you can clearly see how little power is actually used when playing music at loud level. I watched a pair of the Mc1kW monoblocks driving a pair of the big KEF Blades in a large room, it rarely peaked pass the 100 W mark, most of time just a few watts. And yes, those analog meters are analog driven and supposedly do show instantaneous values, so what you see should be pretty much what you get. My Marantz SM-7's meters shows my 2 channel system average less than 0.5 W or lower, but would peak pass 25 W occasionally. The Mc1kW's are much larger and more pleasing to the eyes, much easier to read obviously.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

One thing about those big meters is that you can clearly see how little power is actually used when playing music at loud level. I watched a pair of the Mc1kW monoblocks driving a pair of the big KEF Blades in a large room, it rarely peaked pass the 100 W mark, most of time just a few watts. And yes, those analog meters are analog driven and supposedly do show instantaneous values, so what you see should be pretty much what you get. My Marantz SM-7's meters shows my 2 channel system average less than 0.5 W or lower, but would peak pass 25 W occasionally. The Mc1kW's are much larger and more pleasing to the eyes, much easier to read obviously.

It is funny to see people actually using ~ 1W most of the time.

Especially when they have 300W, 400W, 500W, and even 1,000W amps.

 

[PENG]

It is funny to see people actually using ~ 1W most of the time.

Especially when they have 300W, 400W, 500W, and even 1,000W amps.

It is even funnier to read posts that claimed such power amps made their system sound better even when listening at such low levels. Reality could be the opposite if you look at the power curves of some low power amps, they do very well at levels below 1 w in terms of distortions.