Which A/V Receiver is the best ?

H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
Guys i am in a difficult position...I am buying a Computer Sound System and i dont know which A/V Receiver to get....I am between these 3...

Marantz SR4002
Denon AVR-1509
Yamaha RX-V463

Opinions ? I like the fact that the Yamaha can play MP3s via USB but is it as good as the rest when it comes to playing audio ?
 
J

jamie2112

Banned
I like the Yamaha out of those. I own the 463 and its a great unit for the price..
 
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
Since i have never owned an Receiver other than Yamaha made ones i dont really know if the DENON or the MARANTZ are as good or better...Any specific reasons you bought the 463 ?
 
J

jamie2112

Banned
I also have a Denon that I love as well. The 463 I bought for $350 and it sounds great and I have tons of headroom.....
 
M

mudrummer99

Senior Audioholic
I'll throw a second vote in for the Yamaha, I've had them for years and have never had a lick of trouble. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever made one of them go into protect mode either, and I have drove them pretty hard at times.

Mike
 
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
Im thinking of getting the Yamaha then, unless someone has something to say to defend the other two :)
 
J

jamie2112

Banned
Go with the Yamaha, you will be very happy with it for 350 I don't think you can go wrong...What speakers are you using?
 
gmichael

gmichael

Audioholic Spartan
I have two Yamaha AVR's. An RX-V2500 and the HTR-5740. They both work great. Even better news is that the Denon and Marantz are both good also. You are going to be a happy camper with any of them.
 
R

rnatalli

Audioholic Ninja
$350 for the 463 seems a bit high. I've seen the 663 for that price.
 
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
I Live in Greece so the 463 costs 350EUROS here, thats almost 500$....
What can i say , the EU is expensive :p

I was thinking of using the Pioneer S-V50 speaker set but their range is from 80HZ to 20KHZ so i dont know if thats good for a Computer system.
The Creative Gigaworks S750 have a frequency range from 20HZ to 40KHZ so that has be somewhat wondering if a complete Theater set will sound better than those....
Any inputs ? Is there another speaker set with a better Frequency responce but at the same price ?
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
I Live in Greece so the 463 costs 350EUROS here, thats almost 500$....
What can i say , the EU is expensive :p

I was thinking of using the Pioneer S-V50 speaker set but their range is from 80HZ to 20KHZ so i dont know if thats good for a Computer system.
The Creative Gigaworks S750 have a frequency range from 20HZ to 40KHZ so that has be somewhat wondering if a complete Theater set will sound better than those....
Any inputs ? Is there another speaker set with a better Frequency responce but at the same price ?
Please be aware that the specs stated for speakers, particularly computer-specific speakers are, let's just say optimistic, as opposed to downright misleading.

IOW, I've yet to see any speaker that can truthfully claim a meaningful, real-world response of 20 hz to 40 khz.
 
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
So what should i do about the speakers guys ? is 80HZ to 20KHZ good for PC use ?
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
First off, decide what you want. You're comparing apples to oranges.

So what should i do about the speakers guys ? is 80HZ to 20KHZ good for PC use ?
So, when did this thread seque from receivers to speakers?

The Creative Gigaworks S750 is an all-in-one system with built in (over-rated) amplifiers and a bunch of tiny speakers. Within it's limits (it can run out of steam fairly quickly, is best in a tiny area, and has a bloated sound which gamers love) it is a fairly decent performer. But, on the plus side, you don't need a receiver with these.

A "real" receiver and "real" speakers will have a more "musical" or "realistic" presentation, will fill a larger area with clean sound, and you'll have more flexibility for growth but you'll pay a bit more.

So, decide what you want. Those specs you listed are useless. Better yet, most of us are from N.A and don't know your market. Why not list some speakers (makes/models) in your price range that are available to you.
 
Last edited:
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
Well the room i have the Computer in is 4meters by 5meters and about 5 meters tall so its rather small...

The speakers currently in my price range are the following :

PIONEER S-V50

TANNOY EFX 5.1

YAMAHA NSP-270

KENWOOD KS-8200HT

So if i get the Yamaha RX-V463 which one of those will be better ?

Also is there even the slightest chance that the Creative S750 will perform better ?
 
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
This is the receivers section and thus i am asking which receiver is best while at the same time asking if the speakers which i will pair it with are good enough thats all. I think it wont be meaningfull to start 2 different threads.
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
Not being familiar with any of the speakers mentioned I bowed out of that issue. But, my spidey sense suggests that the Tannoy would be the most neutral, assuming that's what you are after. Add to that the fact that Tannoy has been known for their speaker experetise since their inception in 1926. All the others do speakers as an afterthought.

But, the receiver is far, far less important to the overall sound than the speakers. IOW, the speaker you choose will sound the same on any receiver you wind up with. Any of the receivers listed will do you fine.
 
Last edited:
J

jamie2112

Banned
I agree with Mark.Tannoy has been around for a long time. I have mixed a few projects on Tannoys at several well known studios. They are used in Very Hi End studios and have been for years. The other 3 companies you mentioned are AVR and DVD specialists not speakers..Just My 2 cents Go with the Tannoy
 
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
So the fact that the TANNOY have a 140HZ-78KHZ doesnt matter ? The very high starting point i mean...
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
So the fact that the TANNOY have a 140HZ-78KHZ doesnt matter ? The very high starting point i mean...
Hey, you asked for opinions. You got 'em. I'll stand by mine.

Remember, it's called a system. No one speakers is expected to be a stand-alone unit. It depends on the subwoofer to fill in the bottom.

As I stated earlier, specs can be very misleading. All the systems you mention use tiny mains. None of 'em can really go too much lower. At least give Tannoy credit for being honest in their specs. Heck, at least one of your chosen systems doesn't even include a subwoofer!

But, ultimately, the only way to make a judgment call is to hear them for yourself. That's the downfall of virtual shopping.

You might want to spend some time here : http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/

You might want to step back and analyze what you really want. Maybe you don't really want or need a receiver.

1) Any of those receivers you listed are capable of driving "real" speakers, not these little systems you listed here. A lot of responses were most likely offered with that in mind.

2) If all you want is to do is plug it into your computer, and all you want is a little system, then perhaps that Creative Gigabyte thingie might be just the thing for you. After all, you do seem to be using that as your reference. It's cheaper. you like the specs and seem to be fascinated with it anyway.

So, exactly why do you feel you want/need a receiver as opposed to the all-in-one thing?
 
Last edited:
H

HellasVagabond

Enthusiast
Well i dont mind giving a couple of hundred more if i am getting a better system than the Creative speakers. Besides quality-wise i cant compare them with the Yamaha Receiver and the TANNOY or PIONEER Speaker systems.
I read the entire how to buy article but it doesnt cover me meaning i care about future usage too. Its better to have something more than you need than not have it if you need it one day. Also i dont care about having much better sound than the Creative speakers but at least i wish i can get the same sound as them in a better quality package.
I wish i could hear both the TANNOY and the Pioneer but i cant :(
Either way all 4 of them include subwoofers since i have seen them. Now which one is better i dont know.
 
newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top