Looking for a good receiver for both music and (future) A/V capability

[wahoo730]

In my younger (college) days, I was into a lot of the higher-end audio gear and used, at various times, Bang & Olufsen and Tandberg equipment as the core components of my system. With no real need or desire to replace this equipment over the years, I've been slow to upgrade but did add a Denon CD player, Spica TC-50 speakers and a Mirage sub in the last 15 years. Did I mention that I was slow to upgrade equipment? To the point... My B & O receiver just breathed it's last breath and I'm looking to purchase a good used high-end A/V receiver that will be used primarily for listening to music, but will undoubtedly be expanded to include video at some point. My room isn't terribly big, so I don't know that 5.1 vs. 7.1 is a huge factor, but I would like the capability to connect an XM radio dock, iPod dock, turntable and CD player. I have a separate unit that allows/controls multi-zone output for 4 additional zones, but imagine that a lot of A/V receivers may have this built-in. Assuming anyone is still with me at this point, I'm looking for recommendations for an A/V receiver that can deliver good 2 channel audio. I've looked at some units from Rotel, NAD, Harman Kardon and Marantz, but thought I'd ask here. Some of this will boil down to personal taste, I'm sure, but want to make sure that I'm on the right track and that I've solicited input from those that are better versed with modern day technology.

Thanks in advance.

 

[PENG]

Some of this will boil down to personal taste, I'm sure, but want to make sure that I'm on the right track and that I've solicited input from those that are better versed with modern day technology.

Features and look may boil down to personal taste but if you are talking about sound quality for 2 channel music listening then it depends more on what you would like to believe than your personal taste.

If you are inclined to go with hearsays (I guess from the old days), I predict either you have already heard, or you will soon be told the following:

NAD, HK - get you honest power ratings and are high current blablabla...
HK, Marantz - sounds "warm".
Denon - I am not too sure but some may say they sound clinical, boring etc Yamaha - on the bright side.
Onkyo - not particularly bright or warm and not boring like Denon, but reliability may be questionable.

If you prefer to rely more on technical reviews that are supported by lab measurements, specifications, and real world listening, you may conclude that within the same price bracket and power rating group they all sound similar enough that you cannot tell them apart in real world listening, under controlled environment to ensure they are compared under the same conditions. In that case your decision can be based on the feature set that appeals to you, the look, their reliability track record and price.

 

[tcarcio]

Budget????

 

[AVRat]

Spica TC-50 : http://spicaspeakers.com/specifications/spica-tc-50-datasheet.php

Specifications:
Released: 1983, est. 20,000 total sold (post)
approx 7,500 TC-50's / 12,500 TC-50i
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker.
Drive-units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.5" pulp-cone woofer.
Low-frequency alignment: sealed-box Q=0.78.
Crossover frequency: 2kHz.
Crossover: high-pass slope, approximately first-order, 6dB/octave; low-pass slope, fourth-order, 24dB/octave, Bessel; both drivers connected with the same polarity.
Frequency response: 60Hz-17kHz (-3dB).
Sensitivity: 84dB/W/m.
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3.6 ohms min. at 4kHz).
Amplifier requirements: 25-100W.
Maximum power handling: 50W continuous, 100W peak.
Dimensions: 15.5" (394mm) H x 13" (330mm) W x 11.6" (295mm) D
Weight: 20 lbs (9.07 kg) each.
Price: $420/pair (1984) / $450/pair (1986-1988); $550/pair in oak or walnut

 

[sholling]

At the sub-$2000 price point receivers are going to sound the same when outputting unprocessed music. Any differences are going to come from the flavors of processing offered by the manufacturer and that you chose to use. For example flavors of Audyssey are found on Denon and Onkyo. Yamaha has YPAO. These are designed to calibrate the sound to fit your room. Then there are the more foo-foo processing options that the companies add as you move up the price food chain.

What I would do is research features and then pick a 4ohm stable receiver that will comfortably power your speakers and that has the features that you want. Honestly you should be able to find something perfectly suitable for $400-700.

 

[wahoo730]

Budget????

Around $500...

 

[sholling]

Around $500...

If you're in the US then a factory refurbished Onkyo TX-SR707 should be fine as long as you don't plan on getting a 3D TV setup. 100wpc should give plenty of headroom for those speakers, it's rated for 4ohm speakers, and has all of the most popular features. A step up in bells and whistles would be a refurbished TX-NR807. The 807 runs a tad warm so you'll want it in a place with good air flow.

However if you want 3D compatibility you'll have to up your budget a bit to find a 4ohm stable receiver with HDMI 1.4.

 

[wahoo730]

What I would do is research features and then pick a 4ohm stable receiver that will comfortably power your speakers and that has the features that you want. Honestly you should be able to find something perfectly suitable for $400-700.

I've looked at the Rotel RSX-1550, but the specs only rate it for 8 ohms. is that a concern? The other concern that I have with any A/V receiver is that I'd like to be able to connect my turntable. Does that require a designated phono input? As you can tell, I'm out of touch with the technology now. Even the Denon CD player and Spica TC-50's that have been added are not necessarily top of the line equipment, but my objective is to have a respectable system that will provide good 2 channel output now and can be expanded to A/V in the near future.

 

[sholling]

I've looked at the Rotel RSX-1550, but the specs only rate it for 8 ohms. is that a concern? The other concern that I have with any A/V receiver is that I'd like to be able to connect my turntable. Does that require a designated phono input? As you can tell, I'm out of touch with the technology now. Even the Denon CD player and Spica TC-50's that have been added are not necessarily top of the line equipment, but my objective is to have a respectable system that will provide good 2 channel output now and can be expanded to A/V in the near future.

The speaker specs that AVRat was kind enough to post show that you're running 4ohm speakers. That being the case you really need a receiver that is rated down to 4ohms. That's a big strain on the amplifiers and they need to be rated for the load.

Both the 707 and 807 have phono inputs. They re last year's models but all they lack is 3D support which is something brand new this year. If you want to future proof for 3D then you'll need the latest and greatest which in a 4ohm certified receiver is going to cost you a bit more like a TX-NR708 or maybe a TX-NR808.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would get this Denon 3808 for $570 (original $1,700):

http://www.ecost.com/prod/Electronics/Receivers/Denon+71+CH512+CH+AV+Home+TheaterMultiMedia+Multi-SourceZone+Receiver+with+Networking+-+AVR3808CI/39372354.aspx?navid=155442295

 

[wahoo730]

I would get this Denon 3808 for $570 (original $1,700):

The Denon 3808 doesn't appear to be rated at 4 ohms...

 

[wahoo730]

The speaker specs that AVRat was kind enough to post show that you're running 4ohm speakers. That being the case you really need a receiver that is rated down to 4ohms. That's a big strain on the amplifiers and they need to be rated for the load.

Both the 707 and 807 have phono inputs. They re last year's models but all they lack is 3D support which is something brand new this year. If you want to future proof for 3D then you'll need the latest and greatest which in a 4ohm certified receiver is going to cost you a bit more like a TX-NR708 or TX-NR808.

Thanks for the feedback. I've never been crazy about Onkyo, but I imagine their quality has improved since I've looked at equipment. I'm looking for a good, used, high-end receiver that will drive the Spicas. I suppose adding a separate phono preamplifier would be an option to get around the lack of a phono input, but the unit does have to be able to drive 4 ohm speakers.

 

[sholling]

Thanks for the feedback. I've never been crazy about Onkyo, but I imagine their quality has improved since I've looked at equipment. I'm looking for a good, used, high-end receiver that will drive the Spicas. I suppose adding a separate phono preamplifier would be an option to get around the lack of a phono input, but the unit does have to be able to drive 4 ohm speakers.

Just make sure that used receiver has all the features that you need. In addition to being 4ohm stable you'll want lots of HDMI 1.3a or higher ports if you plan to use it for home theater.