A Christmas Upgrade Advice-- AV Receiver- Please

[Eppie]

Unfortunately measurements for Fyne speakers are hard to find, although Fyne is available in Canada as well. Is Hsu available in Dubai? Their VTF-TN1 is a great performer in a taller size cabinet. A pair of PB-1000 or PB-2000 can work well on a budget but avoid the 3000 Micro; that is best for small office systems and not a home theatre.

 

[greatestboss]

Unfortunately measurements for Fyne speakers are hard to find, although Fyne is available in Canada as well. Is Hsu available in Dubai? Their VTF-TN1 is a great performer in a taller size cabinet. A pair of PB-1000 or PB-2000 can work well on a budget but avoid the 3000 Micro; that is best for small office systems and not a home theatre.

Unfortunately Hsu are not available in Dubai. Very limited choices in this part of the world. There are few brands I'm not familiar with like DYNACORD, Mackie, dB Technologies, Montarbo, RCF, HEDD, FBT, QSC, Neumann,

 

[Eppie]

A number of those are professional audio companies for commercial applications. Not generally recommended for home theatre because pro audio subwoofers are more about maximum output and long throw (projecting over greater distances). They tend to be designed for strong mid bass and often do not go below 30Hz or higher, so you loose the sub 30Hz content that is in movies. You want a sub rated down to 20Hz, or lower if you like the subsonic vibrations.

 

[greatestboss]

I number of those are professional audio companies for commercial applications. Not generally recommended for home theatre because pro audio subwoofers are more about maximum output and long throw (projecting over greater distances). They tend to be designed for strong mid bass and often do not go below 30Hz or higher, so you loose the sub 30Hz content that is in movies. You want a sub rated down to 20Hz, or lower if you like the subsonic vibrations.

Thanks, very clear. Now it's up to me to pick between the options we discussed. C30 on top of list along with the Subwoofer. 1 or 2 subs is the decision to make. It all depends on the overall cost.

 

[Tankini]

I don’t think you will want for anything going with the Cinema 30 in that room. The upgrades from the Onkyo are many concerning audio and video capabilities. I’d consider an additional subwoofer and a PS5.

Nicely stated! Put money where the most fun will be added. Seems like OP is looking to spend Money where it's not really needed.

 

[greatestboss]

Nicely stated! Put money where the most fun will be added. Seems like OP is looking to spend Money where it's not really needed.

I know the Sub is the priority but I really have an opportunity to sell the Onkyo for $1,000 and it's almost 10 years old. So I was thinking why not.
I will buy myself a Sub, I'm debating between the X15 and PB3000 but my preference is for the latter as I got a good deal on it. I will start with 1 Sub and in few month I will add the second.

 

[Tankini]

I know the Sub is the priority but I really have an opportunity to sell the Onkyo for $1,000 and it's almost 10 years old. So I was thinking why not.
I will buy myself a Sub, I'm debating between the X15 and PB3000 but my preference is for the latter as I got a good deal on it. I will start with 1 Sub and in few month I will add the second.

For HT, movies be it: 5.1-5.2 or full blown Atmos. Sub/'s are money well spent. Music only 2.1-2.2. two Subs dialed in correctly will put an big smile on one's face.

Always and I can not state this enough, give your L/R mains room to breathe.. getting 1k for an old AVR? You would be fortunate on an open market getting anywhere close to a couple hundred bucks.

That Onkyo runs hot at reference level, can't remember is it push/pull? Gene or PENG would know. Outside of wanting what a new/er AVR brings to the table Atmos, DTS-X, HDMI newer versions. You won't get much if any better sound quality upgrading.

Electronics can only go so far. Speakers are where you'll notice the most improvement. But you know all this. Happy hunting.

Edit: I just did a look see at some of the photos you posted up. Pull you L/R main out away from your TV at least 1-2ft in front of your TV. Sure won't look as pleasing anesthetically looking it looks good.

You'll get better sound quality from your mains spreaded little out more and pull them out closer to your seating area. Just saying, advise on a form take what you want and leave the rest your room your system enjoy.

 

[greatestboss]

For HT, movies be it: 5.1-5.2 or full blown Atmos. Sub/'s are money well spent. Music only 2.1-2.2. two Subs dialed in correctly will put an big smile on one's face.

Always and I can not state this enough, give your L/R mains room to breathe.. getting 1k for an old AVR? You would be fortunate on an open market getting anywhere close to a couple hundred bucks.

That Onkyo runs hot at reference level, can't remember is it push/pull? Gene or PENG would know. Outside of wanting what a new/er AVR brings to the table Atmos, DTS-X, HDMI newer versions. You won't get much if any better sound quality upgrading.

Electronics can only go so far. Speakers are where you'll notice the most improvement. But you know all this. Happy hunting.

Edit: I just did a look see at some of the photos you posted up. Pull you L/R main out away from your TV at least 1-2ft in front of your TV. Sure won't look as pleasing anesthetically looking it looks good.

You'll get better sound quality from your mains spreaded little out more and pull them out closer to your seating area. Just saying, advise on a form take what you want and leave the rest your room your system enjoy.

Thanks for your advice, I'll move the front speakers forward and check how the sound improves. I have someone ready to buy the Onkyo for 1K. In here there are very limited second hand market for high end AVR's. I'm more into Movies than music, hence the preferred setup full blown Atmos. Adding two good Subs will complete my ideal HT Experience.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I am amazed that you’re able to get anywhere near 1k for an old AVR like that. But, good for you, I’d probably do it too. If svs is high on your list, I’d also consider a pair of PC2k pros. They’re only 16” in diameter, and can fit more places than many boxes. They’re also very light compared to box subs. The 3000 series(not micro) is the best value from svs, but due to size and weight, the PC’s might be better for you. They’re also cheaper, and dual pc’s will offer better performance and the potential for better FR. Considering the looming threat of an eviction notice though, it might not matter lol.

ETA: considering subwoofers, almost anything will be an improvement.

 

[greatestboss]

I am amazed that you’re able to get anywhere near 1k for an old AVR like that. But, good for you, I’d probably do it too. If svs is high on your list, I’d also consider a pair of PC2k pros. They’re only 16” in diameter, and can fit more places than many boxes. They’re also very light compared to box subs. The 3000 series(not micro) is the best value from svs, but due to size and weight, the PC’s might be better for you. They’re also cheaper, and dual pc’s will offer better performance and the potential for better FR. Considering the looming threat of an eviction notice though, it might not matter lol.

ETA: considering subwoofers, almost anything will be an improvement.

I've been looking for these Subs for the past month, they're sold out in Dubai and Kuwait. So I'm left with the X15 or PB3000 or their younger brothers.

 

[greatestboss]

I'm back after a long day visiting HT Retailers, I have found the following Subs and need some more advice as some of the Subs are new to me. Specifically those two.

1. ASCENDO The12 SUB ACTIVE VENTED subwoofer "Made in Germany"= $1,460
2. Krix Seismix 3 = $1,460

https://www.aia-cinema.com/products/subwoofers/the12-sub-active-vented.html

https://www.krix.com.au/products/seismix3-mk7


Please let me your thoughts on the above in case you are familiar with the brands. Take into consideration that I might need two Subs if they are small.

Also the Paradigm X12, X15 and SVS PB3000 are available but 1 piece each. So I booked all three until tomorrow in case I make a decision. So I'll have to do with only one Sub between the SVS or Paradigm for now

As for the ASCENDO and Krix, they have more than one in stock.

Moreover they have one brand new Perlisten D215s Subwoofer for $6,475. but without the box, never used or connected. It's massive in weight and sound. I'm not sure it's for my size of a room. It's really excellent price for one of the best brands in the world but it's out of my budget given that I want the Marantz C30 unless I give up the Marantz dream. They also offered me the following Perlisten Subs;

• R212s $5,810
• D15s = $6,135
• R210s = $5,160

Finally, they have the Integra DRX-8.4 for $3,400. How does it stand against the Marantz C30, Onkyo TX-RZ70 and Denon AVR-X6800H.

Many thanks.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I'm back after a long day visiting HT Retailers, I have found the following Subs and need some more advice as some of the Subs are new to me. Specifically those two.

1. ASCENDO The12 SUB ACTIVE VENTED subwoofer "Made in Germany"= $1,460
2. Krix Seismix 3 = $1,460

https://www.aia-cinema.com/products/subwoofers/the12-sub-active-vented.html

https://www.krix.com.au/products/seismix3-mk7


Please let me your thoughts on the above in case you are familiar with the brands. Take into consideration that I might need two Subs if they are small.

Also the Paradigm X12, X15 and SVS PB3000 are available but 1 piece each. So I booked all three until tomorrow in case I make a decision. So I'll have to do with only one Sub between the SVS or Paradigm for now

As for the ASCENDO and Krix, they have more than one in stock.

Moreover they have one brand new Perlisten D215s Subwoofer for $6,475. but without the box, never used or connected. It's massive in weight and sound. I'm not sure it's for my size of a room. It's really excellent price for one of the best brands in the world but it's out of my budget given that I want the Marantz C30 unless I give up the Marantz dream. They also offered me the following Perlisten Subs;

• R212s $5,810
• D15s = $6,135
• R210s = $5,160

Finally, they have the Integra DRX-8.4 for $3,400. How does it stand against the Marantz C30, Onkyo TX-RZ70 and Denon AVR-X6800H.

Many thanks.

Interesting. To me, I like the ascendo better than the krix as it looks nicer, and on the surface looks more like what I’d expect for a quality HT subwoofer.(I know, a book and its cover etc). However, the spec sheet shows 30hz as the low FR. That somehow seems like a typo, lol, but also imo is really too high for movie playback.
I like the x15 of the other choices. Can’t remember the cea numbers off hand but recall it’s very solid.(shadyJ reviewed it and liked it very much). The pb3k really is a good subwoofer, but in the US, svs has IMO, become victims of their own success. Their CS is exemplary, but it’s baked into the cost of their products and I’ve outgrown that as an end user. So imo, they just don’t represent the same value they used to. Not sure how the retailer where you are handles issues with svs.
The perlisten? Well, their products are very special indeed. But I don’t get the feeling that you’re a customer at this point.
Does the AV store you’ve been to offer any in home trials? That would be ideal.

 

[Teetertotter?]

Per this thread Topic Header, I would suggest a Denon or Yamaha AVR. My previous AVR was a 2016 Denon and then replaced with a 2020 Denon in 2020. Before that, it was always Denon. I watch movies and use Denon's HEOS for internet MP3.

 

[greatestboss]

Interesting. To me, I like the ascendo better than the krix as it looks nicer, and on the surface looks more like what I’d expect for a quality HT subwoofer.(I know, a book and its cover etc). However, the spec sheet shows 30hz as the low FR. That somehow seems like a typo, lol, but also imo is really too high for movie playback.
I like the x15 of the other choices. Can’t remember the cea numbers off hand but recall it’s very solid.(shadyJ reviewed it and liked it very much). The pb3k really is a good subwoofer, but in the US, svs has IMO, become victims of their own success. Their CS is exemplary, but it’s baked into the cost of their products and I’ve outgrown that as an end user. So imo, they just don’t represent the same value they used to. Not sure how the retailer where you are handles issues with svs.
The perlisten? Well, their products are very special indeed. But I don’t get the feeling that you’re a customer at this point.
Does the AV store you’ve been to offer any in home trials? That would be ideal.

Thanks for your input, I feel the same about SVS, the stores here don't offer home trials unfortunately, this is limited to the US and Western Europe.
I think you've put it perfectly, Perlisten are special but I'm not a customer at the moment. It seems I will go for the X15. I've read shadyJ and it only reinforced my belief in the X15 and made my choice easier.

What about the Integra, should I stick to my dream C30.

 

[greatestboss]

Per this thread Topic Header, I would suggest a Denon or Yamaha AVR. My previous AVR was a 2016 Denon and then replaced with a 2020 Denon in 2020. Before that, it was always Denon. I watch movies and use Denon's HEOS for internet MP3.

Thank you for your comment. I'm sure Denon and Marantz are twins however the Marantz is an aesthetically more pleasing piece of equipment.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Thanks for your input, I feel the same about SVS, the stores here don't offer home trials unfortunately, this is limited to the US and Western Europe.
I think you've put it perfectly, Perlisten are special but I'm not a customer at the moment. It seems I will go for the X15. I've read shadyJ and it only reinforced my belief in the X15 and made my choice easier.

What about the Integra, should I stick to my dream C30.

Well… As far as Marantz goes… if that’s the dream, then I think you’ll only be satisfied by going that direction. Their sister brand, denon, is more of a value proposition in terms of straight performance. However imo, the Marantz looks much more elegant and a little more classy. Doesn’t matter much when the lights go down, but they’re probably on more than not.
I’ve owned and used all the major brands. IME Onkyo has the easiest menu system and Yamahas is absolutely stupid. I currently have a Marantz in my main system and like it very much. The porthole is pretty much useless, but the gui is good enough so I don’t care. The front panel looks nice and clean. I also use an external amp on my mains. Just sharing my anecdotes from experience. YMMV.
Integra/onkyo got a black eye for hdmi failures, but they were not the only ones, and went WAAAY above and beyond to take care of customers, including myself. The main reason they got nuked by everybody for the HDMI thing was, imo, because the ratio of onkyo AVR’s out in the wild was higher than everyone else. Personally, I would wait and see how this “new” onkyo turns out. Of course that will take some time.

I feel compelled to recommend buying a denon over a marantz just to save money, and have the same performance. But I know how this game works. It will nag at you and slowly buyers remorse will settle in and you’ll always wonder, what if.
Ok. Ramble over.

 

[Trebdp83]

Thank you for your comment. I'm sure Denon and Marantz are twins however the Marantz is an aesthetically more pleasing piece of equipment.

If you can afford the one you really want in your system, get it and enjoy it.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

If you can afford the one you really want in your system, get it and enjoy it.

Well, that was much more to the point than my ramble. Lol!!!
Merry Christmas Treb.

 

[Trebdp83]

And a Happy New Year to you and all!

 

[greatestboss]

Well… As far as Marantz goes… if that’s the dream, then I think you’ll only be satisfied by going that direction. Their sister brand, denon, is more of a value proposition in terms of straight performance. However imo, the Marantz looks much more elegant and a little more classy. Doesn’t matter much when the lights go down, but they’re probably on more than not.
I’ve owned and used all the major brands. IME Onkyo has the easiest menu system and Yamahas is absolutely stupid. I currently have a Marantz in my main system and like it very much. The porthole is pretty much useless, but the gui is good enough so I don’t care. The front panel looks nice and clean. I also use an external amp on my mains. Just sharing my anecdotes from experience. YMMV.
Integra/onkyo got a black eye for hdmi failures, but they were not the only ones, and went WAAAY above and beyond to take care of customers, including myself. The main reason they got nuked by everybody for the HDMI thing was, imo, because the ratio of onkyo AVR’s out in the wild was higher than everyone else. Personally, I would wait and see how this “new” onkyo turns out. Of course that will take some time.

I feel compelled to recommend buying a denon over a marantz just to save money, and have the same performance. But I know how this game works. It will nag at you and slowly buyers remorse will settle in and you’ll always wonder, what if.
Ok. Ramble over.

Thank you so much for your valuable input, Buyers remorse, that is the key and decisive word.
FYI, in here The Denon AVR-X6800H is for $3,410
Marantz C30 for $4,055.
Anthem MRX-1140 for $4,950 (I wonder how it compares to the C30)