Av receiver recommendation

[Eric2706]

will be ordering a nice set of 5.1 surround speakers this weekend.

FRONT SPEAKERS 2 RP-280F

CENTER CHANNEL 1 RP-450C

BACK SPEAKERS 2 RP-250S

SUB- R-112SW

all, I need help choosing a good receiver. I've been looking for a while now and pulling the trigger in a couple of days. I'm leaning towards Denon or Marantz. Some say marantz have better audio but not sure whata true. But either way. Can anyone reccomend a receiver and tell me why they'd choose it?

I'm looking at the

Denon AVR-4400h, denon AVR-7200WA, marantz SR7012.

I'm open to other models and brands but those are what I seem to gravitate towards. I may expand to atmos so i need atmos capability.

System will be in my living room which is rectangle shaped and the back speakers will be on the back wall. Couch is on the wall as well, with TV and front speakers and sub on front wall.

Any ideas which is best for me?

 

[PENG]

The 7200 has the best build quality and audio specs, but the 4400 has the lowest street price. The 7012 is virtually the same as the 4400 but it has 7.1 analog inputs and HDAM modules in the preamp output stage. Some people believe those modules will make a difference in sq. To me, adding another analog stage there does not make much logical sense if the goal is to improve sound quality.

 

[Eric2706]

The 7200 has the best build quality and audio specs, but the 4400 has the lowest street price. The 7012 is virtually the same as the 4400 but it has 7.1 analog inputs and HDAM modules in the preamp output stage. Some people believe those modules will make a difference in sq. To me, adding another analog stage there does not make much logical sense if the goal is to improve sound quality.

Thanks for your input... So 7200 is the best of that bunch? Will it be enough to drive the speakers I'm getting and give me good quality sound? 99% of usage will be for movies/TV. .

 

[PENG]

Thanks for your input... So 7200 is the best of that bunch? Will it be enough to drive the speakers I'm getting and give me good quality sound? 99% of usage will be for movies/TV. .

With the Klipsch speakers you have, any of the 3 can give you movie cinema loud performance in a medium to medium large room sitting 12 ft from the screen.

The 7200 is a 3 year old model, so while it appears to be the best value due to the clearance pricing, just make sure you can still get the full Denon Warranty. It may be a good idea to email Denon support to get it in writing.

Other than that, it does provide the following benefits that are not insignificant:

- A larger power supply. The main reason it is 8-9 lbs heavier than the other two.
- Has the AK4490 DAC, the previous AKM flag ship DAC chip that is used (still is..) in many high end external DACs.
- The preamp/processing section is very similar to the $4000 Marantz AV8802A AV controller, except the Marantz obviously has the HDAM modules and balance connections.
- Has a preamp mode.
- A very flexible amp assign feature that allows you to drive just about any channels, for example, the front 3 channels with external amps, and re-assign the freed up internal amps for any other channels.
- The power amp section has a much better layout, for better noise performance.
- Overall better build quality, you can see it for yourself just by looking at the internal layout.

Being an older model, you won't be able to get the following updates that the 4400 and 7012 can:

- Cannot use the Audyssey Editor App, but it can do the same, even better if you are wiling to pay for the Pro kit.
- Apple airplay 2 (it can do airplay, just not 2)
- eARC (no use unless your TV has eARC as well, this is a 2018/2019 feature).

So for the latest features, I would say go for the X4400H for $800-900, or the SR7012 for $1200, for made in Japan build quality, better audio specs and a little more power, you can't beat the 7200 WA for $1300-$1500.

Audioholics.com did review the X7200WA, it is a good read if you want to know about about some of the features, but they did not bench test the unit.
https://www.audioholics.com/av-receiver-reviews/denon-avr-x7200wa-network-receiver-review/conclusion

 

[Eric2706]

With the Klipsch speakers you have, any of the 3 can give you movie cinema loud performance in a medium to medium large room sitting 12 ft from the screen.

The 7200 is a 3 year old model, so while it appears to be the best value due to the clearance pricing, just make sure you can still get the full Denon Warranty. It may be a good idea to email Denon support to get it in writing.

Other than that, it does provide the following benefits that are not insignificant:

- A larger power supply. The main reason it is 8-9 lbs heavier than the other two.
- Has the AK4490 DAC, the previous AKM flag ship DAC chip that is used (still is..) in many high end external DACs.
- The preamp/processing section is very similar to the $4000 Marantz AV8802A AV controller, except the Marantz obviously has the HDAM modules and balance connections.
- Has a preamp mode.
- A very flexible amp assign feature that allows you to drive just about any channels, for example, the front 3 channels with external amps, and re-assign the freed up internal amps for any other channels.
- The power amp section has a much better layout, for better noise performance.
- Overall better build quality, you can see it for yourself just by looking at the internal layout.

Being an older model, you won't be able to get the following updates that the 4400 and 7012 can:

- Cannot use the Audyssey Editor App, but it can do the same, even better if you are wiling to pay for the Pro kit.
- Apple airplay 2 (it can do airplay, just not 2)
- eARC (no use unless your TV has eARC as well, this is a 2018/2019 feature).

So for the latest features, I would say go for the X4400H for $800-900, or the SR7012 for $1200, for made in Japan build quality, better audio specs and a little more power, you can't beat the 7200 WA for $1300-$1500.

Audioholics.com did review the X7200WA, it is a good read if you want to know about about some of the features, but

Thank you so much for all the info. I thought the higher the model number the newer the product. Whoops... if I'm reading the specs correctly now 4400H and the 6400H were released last year (2017).

Now, I'm leaning towards the 4400H vs the 6400H. I like the power rating on the 6400. In your opinion is the difference in power noticable between the 2? I'm hoping to get great audio fidelity at any volume.

I am hoping to future proof the set up a little so getting a newer model that can take the online updates is very important to me. But also want great sound for my movies.

Thank you for taking the time to explain this stuff to me. Online research only tells me so much.

 

[PENG]

The power output rating between the X4400H and X6400H is negligible, and really not enough to make a difference at all for practical use. What you gain is better build quality and you may feel better that it is one of the only 3 D&M models that are still being made in Japan. You do get two more amp channels, but that's only good if you are going to use all 11 channels and don't want to use any external power amps.

 

[Eric2706]

thank you... now.. last question. In my research I've read people using cooling fans for their denon 6400H's. One I've heard the most about is the aircom t9 by ac infinity.

have you had any experience with this? Do you think it's something that helps long term durability?

again thank you for you time and answers

 

[Drunkpenguin]

Cooling always helps durability in any electronic device.

 

[PENG]

thank you... now.. last question. In my research I've read people using cooling fans for their denon 6400H's. One I've heard the most about is the aircom t9 by ac infinity.

have you had any experience with this? Do you think it's something that helps long term durability?

again thank you for you time and answers

It helps, because the set point for the build in fans are set quite high. I suspect the manufacturers set them high enough so that fan noise won't become an issue, yet low enough to help reduce thermal failures during the warranty period but not low enough to help improve longevity of the unit.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Both Grassy and I had a $7500 Denon AVP-A1HDCI that died after about 8 years.

So I wouldn't say that something that is more expensive or that appears to be better built is the best.

Probably something that doesn't try to horseshoe all of creation into that little chassis is probably the best.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would stick to either the Denon X4400 for $900, Yamaha RX-A2070 for $1119, or Sony 2100ES for $1280.

Yamaha might have the best repair record.

Sony ES has the best warranty (5YR).

Denon has the lowest price. If you care about room correction EQ, then the Denon has the best of the 3 (some people love room EQ, some people hate room EQ).

 

[PENG]

I do understand the pain of losing a $7500 AVP after only 8 years. There are many AVPs out there still working fine, and I hope Denon know, and I believe they do, the culprit and/or weak link that caused the early failures; and have taken the appropriate action to help prevent similar failures. Sometimes people never learn, but sometimes they do..

Onkyo appeared to have some older models that failed more often than other popular brands, but it seems that their more recent models are doing well, though it may also be a case of too early to tell.

The newer D&M AVRs, especially Denon's, seem quite trouble free as I have not read much complaints about the x4200w through x6400h. There are plenty of certified "refurbished" units for sale, but I bet the majority of those are just returns that are not actually defective. A good way to mitigate the risk of premature failures is to stick with the one year outdated models with full warranty, at 55 to 60% of the original list price.

 

[tmurnin]

thank you... now.. last question. In my research I've read people using cooling fans for their denon 6400H's. One I've heard the most about is the aircom t9 by ac infinity.

have you had any experience with this? Do you think it's something that helps long term durability?

again thank you for you time and answers

The price on ACInfinity units is so low relative to the cost of the other electronics that this is kind of a no brained to me. Heat is the enemy of all electronics. If your equipment is out in the open, you probably don’t need a fan, but if it’s in a cabinet at all, I’d get one.