Looking to get a better receiver.

[DDigitalguy06]

Hi guy's.
I currently own a low entry level pioneer vsx-515k home theater receiver.
I am shopping for a better sound quality unit for low entry level area.
I like pioneer and yamaha brands. but if you have any better recommendations,please feel free to post them in. budget is u.s. $400.00. I would like to hear better quality in sound.


ddigitalguy06

 

[rexracer]

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that if sound quality is what you're after, a speaker upgrade may be more effective. You didn't say what kind of speakers/sub you're running, but unless they're worth 20 times more than your receiver, at least, that's where I think you'll find better sound. you can spend $10,000 on a receiver and it won't sound any better if you have sub-par speakers.

 

[Nick250]

Ditto to what Rex said, he is pointing you in the right direction. If you want, post all of your components for feedback on where to best spend the $400.

Nick

 

[DDigitalguy06]

I currently have and i am happy with them are,
Sony ss-550h towers.
Sony ss-cn550h center channel.
Sony Subwoofer 250 watt sa-wx700
pioneer vsx 515k not happy with sound quality.
speaker wires,thx standard version.
subwoofer cable thx
audio cables. moster thx.

 

[Seth=L]

Sony speakers aren't known for their quality, but they are probably better than the Profesional Digital Speakers you had. I would say a better receiver is in order, but then again the speakers play a much larger role in your "sound quality" (I know it sucks because you just uprgaded). I would save some more money up and upgrade your fronts and the receiver at the same time. For the receiver I would go with the Yamaha RX-V659 or the HTR 5960 or some big box store equivelant to the 659. For the speakers you have so many choices. The sub should be fine for the moment.

Do you still have the Pro Digital speakers? you could be using those as surrounds. And if you decide to go 6.1 you could use the Pro Dig. center as a rear surround.

One last thing, please don't spend anymore of your hard earned money on new Monster Cables. If you get them for dirt cheap then fine, but at retail they are not worth the money. Monoprice and Blue Jeans cables will do exactly the same as Monster at a fraction of the price. If you don't want to order of the internet try Acoustic Research or Belkin's Pure AV. Cables are cables, they don't affect your sound, unless you buy speaker cables that are too thin.

 

[DDigitalguy06]

I am very happy with the sound quality from my sony speakers. and plan on to keep them for awhile. thats close to $500 speaker system i got here.with out the receiver.but,would a pioneer vsx 1016 k improve sound quality? i read lots of really good feed back on avsforum that low entry level people says thats a excellent receiver.yea,i got these at radio shack for about 45 bucks. online.i will be sure to read up on those receivers that you posted.

 

[Nick250]

I currently have and i am happy with them are,
Sony ss-550h towers.
Sony ss-cn550h center channel.
Sony Subwoofer 250 watt sa-wx700
pioneer vsx 515k not happy with sound quality.
speaker wires,thx standard version.
subwoofer cable thx
audio cables. moster thx.

What makes you think your receiver and not your speakers are responsible for your dissatisfaction with the sound quality of your system?

Nick

 

[DDigitalguy06]

gotta have that ear candy.

 

[djsHTnut]

I have the 1016 and it is really a great reciever. I have an older pioneer 514 which I like, but the 1016 is the best budget reciever IMHO, blows away the 514. I got it on sale for 400 at bestbuy online. I also have that sony 700 sub, it puts out a ton of bass, what do you think of yours?

 

[djsHTnut]

Also if you like the sony 550's, you would love the 750's, i have a pair in the closet. I just replaced them with a pair of HTD HD-W80 inwalls, my dogs kept moving them. Now that my JBL's will be leaving my weight room I will be hooking up the 750's with my older pioneer 514.

 

[Seth=L]

No offense, but there is no way you could tell the receiver is causing the "sound quality" to not be good using your ears. I am not trying to be mean, but Sony doesn't make speakers for sound quality, they make them to look like they sound good. To be perfectly honest, they aren't much of a step up from your Denmark Digital Profesional whatever speakers.

Amplifiers for the most part (especially transistor amplifiers) sound they same. They are intended to be transparent, and they are just that, transparent. I am using a crap Magnavox receiver with some decent BIC speakers in my bedroom and that setup sounds pretty good, not as good as the one in my living room, but not poor sound quality.

Having said that, the receiver still needs upgrading. It is a bottom of the line receiver that lacks power for intense situations. That receiver in particular has issues and shuts down with the easiest of loads when pushed even just a little. If you haven't had any shut downs, then you are fine on that for now.

End rant.

 

[djsHTnut]

I have run my pioneer 514 with 6 ohm floorstanders that had 5 drivers and a tweeter and never had it shut down or over heat on me. I have heard people say the pioneers shut down in tough loads, but have not personally experienced this.

 

[Seth=L]

I have run my pioneer 514 with 6 ohm floorstanders that had 5 drivers and a tweeter and never had it shut down or over heat on me. I have heard people say the pioneers shut down in tough loads, but have not personally experienced this.

That just goes to prove my point, unless the unit is damaged or is shutting down it shouldn't being any different in SQ than any other receiver.

 

[djsHTnut]

I love my 1016 dont get me wrong, and I think it is well worth even its retail price tag, but I agree with seth, different speakers will sound different. If you are a budget keep the receiver and get different speakers, but if you have the money I think the 1016 would be leaps and bounds ahead of the 515, but you could still get better sound by getting different speakers. If you really like the sony's take a look at the 750's, they sound really good. I suspect the 515 sounds good just as my 514 does, but everyone likes a different sound, so to you, you might not like the 514. Also have you played with the settings on the 515, my 514 has a few, the 1016 has a ton, but when I get the setting right the 514 sounds much better than when I dont take advantage of them.

 

[rexracer]

I have to agree with seth. If you want to upgrade your reciever, that's fine...I would just for the features and connection options you get with a better receiver. (I have a yamaha 659) I wouldn't expect better sound quality going from a Pioneer 514 to a 1016, though. Do you have any friends that have a system that you think sounds significantly better than yours? If so, maybe they will let you bring their mains over and hook them up to your receiver. I bet you'll have second thoughts about this debate if you do.

 

[MichaelJHuman]

I agree with all the above posters. Odds are your best sound improvement would come from better speakers.

Some people think the room the speakers are in makes the biggest contribution to sound. There's sense to this argument; the flattest speakers in the world can have 10Db peaks and valleys in their response curve when put into a real world room (10Db is roughly twice as loud.)

Another common sound flaw is the source. Some recording sound bad. A common trend is to overcompress music getting rid of it's dynamics. Overcompressed music is blamed for music "fatigue"...perhaps your brain can only handle so much unaturally compressed sound.

Speakers definitely sound different! Amps and receivers on the other hand sound so much alike that listeners in an ABX test could not tell the difference between an entry level receiver and a very pricey tube amp (http://www.bruce.coppola.name/audio/Amp_Sound.pdf).

 

[jcPanny]

Speaker and Receiver upgrade

AV123 has recently gone no-risk on their bookshelf speakers. Consider trying out a pair of their Onix X-LS speaker with your current receiver. If you have $2-300 left consider adding the Onix X-sub or the Yamaha HTR-5960 or 5860 receiver to your system. All of these should be a significant upgrade over your current gear.

 

[Nick250]

I like jcPanny's suggestions. Solid and well founded they are.

Nick

 

[Tom Andry]

I like jcPanny's suggestions. Solid and well founded they are.

Nick

Strong this one is with the force. Wise he is. His advice, listen to you should.