Denon 4306 vs Pioneer Elite 84txsi

[Talus721]

I am ready to purchase a new HT receiver to be used as 7.1 and am wondering whether to purchase a Denon 4306 or Pioneer Elite 84TXSi. I like the Denon, but it doesn't have THX cert or post processing. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[T2T]

Have you listened to any of the receivers yet? During some of my sessions of listening in the past, I could hear differences between the Denon, Pioneer Elite and Yamaha receivers. Each one had their own weak and strong points when it came to sound. Listening with your own ears will provide you some good direction on which one to select.

 

[racquetman]

I wouldn't worry about the Denon receiver not performing well because it is not THX certified. That is a mostly a marketing scheme to get you to buy a product.

You definitely will want to listen to both of them with your speakers if you can.

Both receivers will likely perform well. Usually what it comes down to is little things that bother you about one or the other. Try and do some research and find out which one has the easier setup and which one has the best layout, interface, remote, etc. . . .

I have the 4306 and I can tell you that the remote is a piece of junk. That's usually not a make it or break it feature that people think about, but a bad remote certainly is annoying. I'm shopping for a universal remote at the moment to ease my suffering. Otherwise I think the Denon is a great receiver.

 

[Geno]

I agree with alandamp about the THX certification - it's pretty much just a marketing gimmick. I've got a 4306, too, and I love it. That's not to say I wouldn't like the Pioneer just as much, but it wasn't around when I got the Denon. Face it - all the receivers in this price class are going to be pretty much outstanding performers, so pick the color, features, and deal you like best. You won't be disappointed.
BTW, I like the Denons remote just fine, but only use it for initial setup. I have a Harmony and Home Theatre Master I use for daily system operation.

 

[Talus721]

Cool. Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like I should listen to both. It also seems like THX isn't a big differentiator in performance at this level of receiver which means I may get more bang for my buck without it.