Best $1,000 AV amp for music

[Nephidoc]

I probably listen to more music than watch tv. I want a good amp but one that favors the music end of the spectrum. I want to spend around $1000, but money is not my greatest concern.

I'm currently using an Onkyo SR600 and am not impressed, but not depressed with the sound. I have an Onkyo 805 being held with a package of Polk RTiA9s and the CSiA6, with FXiA6 for surrounds. I'm waiting for them to all come in and can change my mind if I want.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Seth=L]

By "amp" do you mean receiver, or are you looking for a seperate amplifier?

What speakers are you using now?

What features (other than power) will you need for your home theater (HDMI, Multizone capabilities, Autosetup...etc)?

 

[Nephidoc]

I am looking for a receiver... wish I had the knowledge for separates.
I would like to go all HDMI. HD/Blue-ray and HD satellite.
No need for zones or auto-equalizing.

For music I was hoping to use a computer with a DAC.
I'm still researching this end. At first I'll just be using my
old Sony CD player.

I'm using an old pair of RBH bookshelf speakers and woofer.

stan

 

[mouettus]

I am looking for a receiver... wish I had the knowledge for separates.
I would like to go all HDMI. HD/Blue-ray and HD satellite.
No need for zones or auto-equalizing.

I'm using an old pair of RBH bookshelf speakers and woofer.

stan

Marantz
NAD
Yamaha (RX-V1800 and up)

All are pretty good for music. Lotsa musicality and headroom. Yamaha sacrifices a bit of this musicality for features though.

 

[fmw]

Marantz
NAD
Yamaha (RX-V1800 and up)

All are pretty good for music. Lotsa musicality and headroom. Yamaha sacrifices a bit of this musicality for features though.

How do you define the "musicality" of a receiver? The Yamaha receivers tend to have very good measurements - flat frequency response, inaudible distortion and a damping factor high enough to keep them out of trouble. What makes them lack "musicality?" How are the other two units more "musical?"

 

[Rickster71]

How do you define the "musicality" of a receiver?

It's one step above "danceable," you silly.

 

[Seth=L]

I am looking for a receiver... wish I had the knowledge for separates.
I would like to go all HDMI. HD/Blue-ray and HD satellite.
No need for zones or auto-equalizing.

For music I was hoping to use a computer with a DAC.
I'm still researching this end. At first I'll just be using my
old Sony CD player.

I'm using an old pair of RBH bookshelf speakers and woofer.

stan

Honestly, I would just stick with what you have already decided on. The Onkyo is quite powerful to meet home theater and music demands. I has Burr-brown DACs, which is nice to have in this level of gear. The Onkyo has more power the comparatively priced models from other manufacturers.

 

[jostenmeat]

I probably listen to more music than watch tv. I want a good amp but one that favors the music end of the spectrum. I want to spend around $1000, but money is not my greatest concern.

I'm currently using an Onkyo SR600 and am not impressed, but not depressed with the sound. I have an Onkyo 805 being held with a package of Polk RTiA9s and the CSiA6, with FXiA6 for surrounds. I'm waiting for them to all come in and can change my mind if I want.

Any help would be much appreciated.

When you listen to music, is it in stereo as with me? While I agree with Seth that the 805 will offer a significant upgrade in power, there is another option to consider...

Perhaps a 705 ($600?), and add outboard amplification for 2-channel (and using the receiver's amp for the other channels). However, this is assuming that amplification is the weak point that is causing your lack of complete satisfaction.

 

[fmw]

It's one step above "danceable," you silly.

Ahhh! And I suppose pace and rhythm go along with that, or maybe that is knee slappingness. I always thought of Yamaha receivers as being knee slapping. Now that I'm thinking of it, maybe I should get a Yamaha receiver. The specs look really good.

 

[nova]

I don't think I'd waste money on a new receiver if you're running compressed music off of a computer.

Which RBH speakers do you have? The Polk's may also be a waste of money.

So, are you unhappy with the sound from the Sony, or music you are listening to off the computer?

 

[Seth=L]

I don't think I'd waste money on a new receiver if you're running compressed music off of a computer.

Which RBH speakers do you have? The Polk's may also be a waste of money.

So, are you unhappy with the sound from the Sony, or music you are listening to off the computer?

Regardless of what one may thing, the sound from many MP3s is actually quite good. They aren't as good as CDs in most cases, but not so poor that better speakers would have no affect on the sound.

Also, he is wanting to get into the HD formats. So the receiver and speakers will improve SQ there for sure.

 

[Nephidoc]

The music I'm listening to is non-compressed, well at least not "post" compressed from what the engineer did on the original CD. The RBH's (old beat up 61 SE) and Onkyo just don't have the clarity, openness, fullness.... je ne sais quoi, I'm looking for. I listened to a pair of Von Schweikters and a tube amp that sounded like a dream and I guess that is what I'm striving for.

I am not planning on using MP3 compression but copying the original data to the hard drive and then using a DAC to play music. I thought that was the wave of the future.

Thanks for the help

Stan

 

[fmw]

The music I'm listening to is non-compressed, well at least not "post" compressed from what the engineer did on the original CD. The RBH's (old beat up 61 SE) and Onkyo just don't have the clarity, openness, fullness.... je ne sais quoi, I'm looking for. I listened to a pair of Von Schweikters and a tube amp that sounded like a dream and I guess that is what I'm striving for.

I am not planning on using MP3 compression but copying the original data to the hard drive and then using a DAC to play music. I thought that was the wave of the future.

Thanks for the help

Stan

Personally, I have a music collection that is large enough that storing it in an uncompressed form is not an option. I don't compress them a lot. I transfer them to 320 bps MP3 format which is about half the file size of an uncompressed FLAC file. Personally, I can't hear a meaningful difference and they sound just as impressive and satisfying as the original. There are levels of compression and, if you go too far like the MP3's you download from the internet, the sound will be thin. If you are more conservative with the compression you will be surprised at how good they sound.

But all compressed files are not the same. Check it out for yourself. I use these files both on the computer and with a Squeezebox through my home theater system. They sound great.

 

[nova]

They aren't as good as CDs in most cases, but not so poor that better speakers would have no affect on the sound.

Yes, but better speakers and he may be able to hear that he is missing something , of course I don't think the Polk's are better than the 61-SE, so,...

Also, he is wanting to get into the HD formats. So the receiver and speakers will improve SQ there for sure.

Agreed, I would just hope he is not expecting to hear a huge difference because of a new receiver.

 

[mouettus]

Yes, but better speakers and he may be able to hear that he is missing something

Do me a favor: rip you favourite CD on mp3s @ 320 kbps and then do a blind test. I'm sure that you won't be able to tell the difference, 5000$ speakers or not. I agree to a certain level though. Under 200-250kbps, you're starting to hear the effects of compression. Conclusion: I have all my CD collection on mp3s and FLAC and they sound perfect to me on my setup.

 

[nova]

Do me a favor: rip you favourite CD on mp3s @ 320 kbps and then do a blind test. I'm sure that you won't be able to tell the difference, 5000$ speakers or not. I agree to a certain level though. Under 200-250kbps, you're starting to hear the effects of compression. Conclusion: I have all my CD collection on mp3s and FLAC and they sound perfect to me on my setup.

Which takes us back to the original point,... looks like a waste of money if you are looking for improved performance by down grading your speakers and up grading your receiver,.... probably not gonna hear a difference for the better, especially with MP3's. Not saying an upgrade is a total waste if he needs the HDMI or other features of a new receiver. I just think if he is expecting "musicality" or some other audio revelation in moving from an SR600 to an 805 he is going to be sorely disappointed.

The speakers, on the other hand could be a subject of debate. Personally I prefer the sound of the RBH to the Polk, but thats just my personal preference. I'm sure just about anyone could hear a difference between the two and would choose one over the other.

 

[Nephidoc]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I'll let you know how it sounds.

Stan

 

[fmw]

Which takes us back to the original point,... looks like a waste of money if you are looking for improved performance by down grading your speakers and up grading your receiver,.... probably not gonna hear a difference for the better, especially with MP3's. Not saying an upgrade is a total waste if he needs the HDMI or other features of a new receiver. I just think if he is expecting "musicality" or some other audio revelation in moving from an SR600 to an 805 he is going to be sorely disappointed.

I don't think anybody is disagreeing with you. Certainly not I. My only point was that all compressed files are not the equivalent of those sold on line by the music services. It is possible to have compressed files - even MP3 files - that sound close enough to the original that the differences are meaningless. The "sound" of a receiver should be about the same as any other receiver - in other words, there should be no sound other than that of the amplfied signal.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I am looking for a receiver... wish I had the knowledge for separates.
I would like to go all HDMI. HD/Blue-ray and HD satellite.
No need for zones or auto-equalizing.

For music I was hoping to use a computer with a DAC.
I'm still researching this end. At first I'll just be using my
old Sony CD player.

I'm using an old pair of RBH bookshelf speakers and woofer.

stan

I have listened to a $900 Onkyo 805 and a $2,500 Denon 4308. I can't hear much of a difference in terms sound quality.

IMO, if you want the best music quality, you need to do some research into separate amps & line-level preamplifiers or at least a preamp/processor. It's a hobby. Take some time and enjoy gaining the knowledge to get the best sound within your budget.