ascend + yamaha

[seagull]

Hi,

I've just ordered the ascend speakers
(2x340se,340sec,2x170se,vtf3 mk2)
and initialy I thought pairing them with
rxv 2500, but I see a lot of people don't
like this pairing.
anyone here have any experience with this
combo?

any alternative suggestions for a suitable reciever
(at the same current price range of the rxv 2500
which is 550$ online can go up 100$ if its worth it )

Thanks.

ps. maybe I should have posted it at recievers section sorry

 

[soundhound]

i would say HK or denon. i think you can get an hk 435 for right around $500, though i'm not sure what ascend is selling them for. maybe even less and you could budget for a 635.

 

[jcPanny]

Receiver options

You would be hard pressed to find a receiver with comparable features and performance to that Yamaha in the $500 price range. The Denon 3805 and HK 635 both usually cost a couple hundred more.
The mid-fi Yamaha's are very trasparent and the Ascends are know for a flat frequency response. I can't see why this would be a bad combination. You could always use the EQ cabilites of the receiver to account for room issues if necessary.

 

[AVRat]

Like jcPanny said, "GO FOR IT!"

 

[Sheep]

Don't listen to poeple that say yamaha receivers are bright. They're audio snobs.


SheepStar

 

[seagull]

thanks

okay you've convinced me to stick with
the yammy
thanks to ALL the posters here.

 

[soundhound]

i have a yahama - htr5860 - and the sound quality of these lower level AV receivers is pure crap. it's very flat and 2 dimensional. i would no way recommend them for sound unless you have a decent amp to pre-out it to. the yamaha digital effects suck pretty bad too, imo. they're okay for the dolby and surround stuff.

i was talking to the guy at axiom about all this, and the impression i came away with is that the HKs have better power supplies, transformers, etc. and therefore might sound better. so go for yamaha if you want, but after my experiences, i would no way 1) buy yamaha over HK or Denon (at these price levels at least, ~$500), or 2) buy *any* AV receiver that doesn't have pre-outs. that yam probably does, not sure, but make sure you have a good amp or receiver to use with it.

luckily i had some old receivers with good SQ that i could tell the difference in comparison to. i think a lot of people have just never heard decent SQ so they think the entry level AV receivers sound okay. but take my word for it, they don't. i've tried a few times hooking up the speakers directly to the receiver, thinking i must have been mistaken, or had some settings wrong or something like that. everytime i try it, i listen for about 30 seconds and that's all i can take, it's that bad. i plug back in through the external amp, and voila, back to decent sound again. next time, or if i can get rid of the yamaha (interested? i'll give you a good deal ) i'm all about HK, Denon, NAD, etc.

 

[Sheep]

i have a yahama - htr5860 - and the sound quality of these lower level AV receivers is pure crap. it's very flat and 2 dimensional. i would no way recommend them for sound unless you have a decent amp to pre-out it to. the yamaha digital effects suck pretty bad too, imo. they're okay for the dolby and surround stuff.

i was talking to the guy at axiom about all this, and the impression i came away with is that the HKs have better power supplies, transformers, etc. and therefore might sound better. so go for yamaha if you want, but after my experiences, i would no way 1) buy yamaha over HK or Denon (at these price levels at least, ~$500), or 2) buy *any* AV receiver that doesn't have pre-outs. that yam probably does, not sure, but make sure you have a good amp or receiver to use with it.

luckily i had some old receivers with good SQ that i could tell the difference in comparison to. i think a lot of people have just never heard decent SQ so they think the entry level AV receivers sound okay. but take my word for it, they don't. i've tried a few times hooking up the speakers directly to the receiver, thinking i must have been mistaken, or had some settings wrong or something like that. everytime i try it, i listen for about 30 seconds and that's all i can take, it's that bad. i plug back in through the external amp, and voila, back to decent sound again. next time, or if i can get rid of the yamaha (interested? i'll give you a good deal ) i'm all about HK, Denon, NAD, etc.

The RXV2500 is NOT an entry level receiver.

Do your research.

Seagull, don't listen to him.

SheepStar

 

[soundhound]

there's no real difference between the htr and rxv lines. the 2500 might not be entry level, but i still wouldn't risk it without listening first, or from someplace with a good return policy. especially if you're getting neutral speakers like the ascends. just my .02 based on my experience with yamaha. i always try to listen to all opinions with an open mind and then find out for myself, but listen or not, it doesn't matter to me. gl

 

[Sheep]

there's no real difference between the htr and rxv lines. the 2500 might not be entry level, but i still wouldn't risk it without listening first, or from someplace with a good return policy. especially if you're getting neutral speakers like the ascends. just my .02 based on my experience with yamaha. i always try to listen to all opinions with an open mind and then find out for myself, but listen or not, it doesn't matter to me. gl

Actually there is.

The power ratings in the RXV line are 20Hz to 20KHz while the HRT line is 1KHz.

SheepStar

 

[soundhound]

Actually there is.

The power ratings in the RXV line are 20Hz to 20KHz while the HRT line is 1KHz.

SheepStar

that's actually meaningless in reality. it just reflects different methods of rating them to satisfy federal regulations governing how they are sold.

 

[gmichael]

The RX-V2500 has very good sound. It will easily handle what you are looking for. If you what to drive low efficient speakers like Maggies or ML's, then I'd say that you'd need an external amp. But not for your Ascends.
If you ever do buy tougher speakers to drive, the 2500 does have pre-outs for you to get whatever amp you need. It's a fine choice that will bring you many years of enjoyment.
But it is by far, not the only choice available. The HK's will have a little better sound for 2 channel. But are not as good at HT. They also have a higher return rate than the Yammie, Denons and Onkyo's. Same goes for Marants. A little better sound but more returns. You have to decide what means more to you. A little better sound, or better dependability. I went for the Yammie for a couple of reasons. I use it for HT more than for music. When I do use it for music I am usually not in the room just listening. I'm often somewhere else in the house doing something else. When I have the time to sit down, the music goes off and a movie or TV comes on. Also, my speakers are very efficient. I don't need more Amps. And if I every change my speakers, I can easily add external amps.
Good luck with your choice. I'm sure you will enjoy any one of the new receivers available.

Oops, also have heard good things about Outlaw and Arcam receivers.

 

[seagull]

well I did some online research on the
HK AVR635 and while they do say it's stereo
sound is better, they also say it's not the most dependable
and here I'm like gmichael, I think given the choice between
better sound to sudenly in the middle of a movie
the thing just shuts down or any other incovenience
to me its just not worth it!

but ofcourse I'll audition the yammy and see if its that bad
for myself.

thanks.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The older HTR 5890, which was the top of the line HTR, was the equivalent of the RXV 1500. The 2500 has no equal in the HTR line. I think that's true with the 1600 and 5990 as well. If you check the last page of the manual, you'll see the power ratings match.

Ubid has the Denon 3806 for $749, but there's only two units, and I'm sure they'll go quick at that price. Ubid usually carries the Yamaha 2500 for around $450, but I haven't seen them lately.

 

[gmichael]

The older HTR 5890, which was the top of the line HTR, was the equivalent of the RXV 1500. The 2500 has no equal in the HTR line. I think that's true with the 1600 and 5990 as well. If you check the last page of the manual, you'll see the power ratings match.

Ubid has the Denon 3806 for $749, but there's only two units, and I'm sure they'll go quick at that price. Ubid usually carries the Yamaha 2500 for around $450, but I haven't seen them lately.

This is correct except for the power ratings matching in the manuals. The HTR's are rated in a different way, so they end up "rated" 10 wpc higher. But really, they are the same. The differences between the HTR's and RX-V's are the face plates. The HTR's have some gold lettering and I don't think they have the cover pannel that makes the RX-V's look cleaner. Also the HTR's can be sold on-line with a warranty. Also available from Best Buy. The RX-V's can not be sold on line. Well, that's not true. But you won't get a warranty on-line with the RX-V's. They are meant to be sold by brick & morter stores. Even J&R, who is authorized to sell the RX-V's will not ship one out. You have to drive to the store. Here is a link to find an authorized dealer in your area.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/customer/dealer.aspx

 

[Nick250]

Lets not forget the basics during the receiver discussion. And that is that the room acoustics and speakers account for most of what your hear, the receiver by contrast contributes a very small amount. Yamaha, Denon make good receivers. Get the one that has the features you want and is in your budget. Most of your budget, however, should be allocated to speakers IMO.

 

[soundhound]

i definitely agree about the reliability of yamaha vs. HK. that was a main selling point for me, too, along with the pre-outs, which were a must. for the price of the better HKs, i don't mind having the yamaha + amp combination -- maybe the SQ is even better than the HKs that way. there's just something about the AV receivers that really suck on their own for music, in my experience. i was just trying to give a heads up that if the yamaha HTRs are any indication, an external amp might be necessary. and maybe the 2500 is closer to the higher end HKs, and it will sound okay on its own. i know the HTRs sure don't.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

Hi,

I've just ordered the ascend speakers
(2x340se,340sec,2x170se,vtf3 mk2)
and initialy I thought pairing them with
rxv 2500, but I see a lot of people don't
like this pairing.
anyone here have any experience with this
combo?

Most of the people who say those things dont have a clue.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

Don't listen to poeple that say yamaha receivers are bright. They're audio snobs.


SheepStar

Ditto that statement!!!

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

i have a yahama - htr5860 - and the sound quality of these lower level AV receivers is pure crap.

Comparing a beginner receiver like the 5860 to the RXV2500 is like comparing apples to oranges.