Anthem or Denon Set Up.

[Maddys]

I am still not sure which was to go, and am looking for your input.


Anthem AVM 30 and Anthem PVA 7 $4600

or

Denon 4806 $3500

Which would you prefer with 90% HT and 10% Music?

If you have something better, let me know.

Thanks

 

[smokey007]

it all depends on what you want. what kind of speakers well you be using. How big is the room. seperates are mostly for systems driven in big rooms at high levels. I went with the anthem avm30 and two mca30 amps. i couldn't be more satisfied. I had a reciever before seperates and wouldn't go back again. but thats just my opinion. also anthem is hard to beat for home theater sound which is what your after. Best advice that i can offer is go demo and see what you like. after all your own ears are the best reviewer on audio equipment.

 

[Maddys]

Thanks,

I have a 21x21 room and will be powering NHT VT-2 for the next few years.

Michael

 

[gene]

Personally I would look into a Yamaha RX-V2600 or Denon AVR-3806 as a pre/pro with a nice 7CH amp such as the Emotiva MPS-1. These receivers offer excellent preamps and IMO better processing and certainly more usable features (HDMI, Upconversion, etc) than the Anthem.

Yammie 2600 + Emo MPS-1: $3,500 which comes out $1k less than the Anthem combo and certainly provides more muscle than the Denon AVR-4806 at the same price to handle your moderately efficient NHTs in a good sized room

 

[smokey007]

that size of room seprates would be a good choice. Go demo some anthem i'm sure you'll like it.

 

[DaveOCP]

Maddy's, what about the Denon 5805?

 

[DaveOCP]

Another possibility is the Onkyo TX-NR1000 (or the Integra DPS 10.5). It doesnt have quite the power of the Denon 5805, but its got a Theta style modular architecture that makes it about as future proof as you can get. Its 12 coax and optical inputs can all be replaced with firewire ports, and its entire video section could be replaced with HDMI (1.2) ports. You cannot say that about the Denon, or any other flagship receiver.

 

[gene]

You cannot say that about the Denon, or any other flagship receiver.

I wouldn't be to sure about that. Denon has been one of the most consistant manufacturers offering upgrades on their Non modular receivers. Look at the 5800 as an example.

 

[DaveOCP]

Sure they can do software updates, so can Anthem. The AVM-20 got some 5 or 6 software updates during its lifetime, each of which added JUST DSP features. Just adding HDMI switching to an AVM-30 will cost hundreds of dollars and require a trip to the dealer. You cannot say, completely remove all of its rather useless S-video and composite connections without ripping the entire thing apart. Same with the 5805.

 

[gene]

either way most upgrades require dealer intervention. The 5800 did both software and hardware upgrades and I expect the same with the 5805. Integra Research and especially Athem have dissapointed many owners with their infrequent updates despite touting it as a main marketing feature.

 

[DaveOCP]

Most high-end SSPs are generally behind the bleeding edge curve set by flagship receivers. They just dont get replaced as often. On the other hand, you generally do not see receivers with XLR or AES\EBU in\outputs and BNC video connectors.

 

[thxgoon]

I am still not sure which was to go, and am looking for your input.


Anthem AVM 30 and Anthem PVA 7 $4600

or

Denon 4806 $3500

Which would you prefer with 90% HT and 10% Music?

If you have something better, let me know.

Thanks

Maddys, you may also check out the B&K Ref 50. It's one I've had my eye on for some time for its flexibility of setup and sound quality. For less than a grand you can get a great sounding used amp to go with it. Parasound 2205??? Maybe overkill.

I'd have to dissagree on using a receiver as a pre/pro. In my experience with two different flagship receivers (Denon 5700, Yam Z9) as a pre mated to a dedicated amp, a dedicated processor sounded better in my opinion for less money than the receiver. Unless of course you have plans for that receiver in the future. Say, bedroom theater

 

[Maddys]

Doesn't the B&K have a popping sound problem still?

 

[thxgoon]

Doesn't the B&K have a popping sound problem still?

???Popping sound? I never heard of this. Where did you hear about it?

 

[buckyg4]

it all depends on what you want. what kind of speakers well you be using. How big is the room. seperates are mostly for systems driven in big rooms at high levels. I went with the anthem avm30 and two mca30 amps. i couldn't be more satisfied. I had a reciever before seperates and wouldn't go back again. but thats just my opinion. also anthem is hard to beat for home theater sound which is what your after. Best advice that i can offer is go demo and see what you like. after all your own ears are the best reviewer on audio equipment.

I would disagree with the statement that separates are for big rooms at high levels. I would use separates in a 10x10 room because IMO I can get a better sound out of separates. Separates are nice because its alot easier to upgrade. A power amp is going to last you a long time and its nice to upgrade the pre/pro as technology changes. Also when you go high end your only choice is separates. Your resale value should be better with separates.

 

[gene]

Also when you go high end your only choice is separates.

Yes that is true since high end is usually equated to high price

 

[gene]

extra hundreds or probable thousands of dollars for a seperate tuner, pre-amp, and slave-amps everywhere, is just not necessary with what's on the market nowadays, imo.....

Many folks fail to realize the laws of diminishing returns happen rather quickly with electronics. Many of the exotic brands are simply repackaging less sophisticated electronics in a fancy box and pawning them off as Separates solutions.

What is even more amazing is that people are willing to dump 10s of thousands of dollars on electronics but do nothing with the room with respect to acoustics and treatment.

I'd take a $5k system in a stellar room any day over a $500k system in a glass house with vaulted ceilings and tile floors

 

[thxgoon]

I'd take a $5k system in a stellar room any day over a $500k system in a glass house with vaulted ceilings and tile floors

Absolutely agreed! I've had my system in a total of 5 different rooms now and I am so fed up with room acoustics I could freak! One room sounds great for the mains but sucks for bass. The next, the opposite. The next it all sounds like crap and I realize the first room, where I nitpicked the most, sounded the best so far. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!! Honestly, this drives me nuts. When I have the money and the house, the room is the first thing to come.

 

[ht_addict]

either way most upgrades require dealer intervention. The 5800 did both software and hardware upgrades and I expect the same with the 5805. Integra Research and especially Athem have dissapointed many owners with their infrequent updates despite touting it as a main marketing feature.

Gene, do you think the 4806 maybe upgradable to handle HD-DVD/BlueRay audio when it comes out? On another note any chance off a review off the 4806 on Audioholics anytime soon?

 

[DaveOCP]

Maddys, you may also check out the B&K Ref 50. It's one I've had my eye on for some time for its flexibility of setup and sound quality. For less than a grand you can get a great sounding used amp to go with it. Parasound 2205??? Maybe overkill.

I'd have to dissagree on using a receiver as a pre/pro. In my experience with two different flagship receivers (Denon 5700, Yam Z9) as a pre mated to a dedicated amp, a dedicated processor sounded better in my opinion for less money than the receiver. Unless of course you have plans for that receiver in the future. Say, bedroom theater

The HCA-2205AT along with the entire HCA line is gone. The last 2205s and 1205s ended production in 2004. Parasound replaced them with the Halo line, specifically the A51 for the 2205. The big Parasound is definitely not necessary unless the room is REALLY large. My HCA-1203A can get incredibly loud without breaking a sweat.

I agree that spending more than $2000 on a receiver and then using it as just a pre-amp is pointless. You're paying a lot of money for a big amp section that is just going to sit there, useless. Since Dolby and DTS have stopped releasing a new surround mode every 3 weeks, dedicated SSPs have caught up to receivers in terms of surround processing modes.