Denon AVP, Arcam 888 or Krell HTS 7.1- HELP!!!

[Bopper]

I need help- I am looking for a processor just for movies- Will be buying used-
Can use the analog outs of the OPPO 83 for decoding- Is the krell HTS 7.1 still a viable option for 7.1 OR should I step up to a used Denon or Arcam- I have heard the arcam is very buggy??? Since I obviously want the best SOUND which one would you guys recommend- I want to stay under $3500 as I am going to go with a seperate 2 channel pre- thanks!!

 

[InTheIndustry]

I need help- I am looking for a processor just for movies- Will be buying used-
Can use the analog outs of the OPPO 83 for decoding- Is the krell HTS 7.1 still a viable option for 7.1 OR should I step up to a used Denon or Arcam- I have heard the arcam is very buggy??? Since I obviously want the best SOUND which one would you guys recommend- I want to stay under $3500 as I am going to go with a seperate 2 channel pre- thanks!!

Absolutely NOT on the Krell.

I would do he Denon 1st, followed by the Arcam.

I'm a Denon dealer and would actually recommend the 4311Ci before the AVP for a 7 channel system. Unless there's a feature or connectivity problem solved by the the AVP, the 4311Ci does everything a client would need. As I stated in the thread I linked, we could've gone with anything (including the newer Krell S-1200) we wanted for our show room's reference theater and I chose the Denon 4311Ci to do our processing. THAT'S how good it is. Our client's trust us to help them spend their money, not waste it & I think high end value & real world performance stops at the 4311. You can get a brand new one of those for less than half of your stated budget & it will perform flawlessly.

 

[AVRat]

Ditto on the Denon, but more info regarding your room, speakers, etc. will help with other possible options.

 

[Bopper]

thanks- My room has been prof. treated so really do not need room correction just eq- Speakers are a full 7.4 ATC active fully balanced- Do not need video as I run my video right thru to my sim2 PJ- I have the OPPO 83 with the modwright upgraded analog outs so I could use that for the new codecs- Just want the best sound for the $$ for movies- Thanks all for your help!!

 

[AVRat]

Ok, the first issue I’d have with your setup scenario is that the rears would go unused when running a 5.1 movie soundtrack. The Oppo doesn’t feature any processing to steer some of the sound to the rears.

While your room may have great acoustic treatment, as you know you’ll probably need some Eq to smooth the room response even more which the ARC will do for you. And if the processor is Audyssey Pro capable, you could have a pro tweak it even further.

If you’re dead set on sending the video signal straight to the PJ, which really isn’t necessary given the level of processors we’re talking here send the signal through untouched, you may want to consider upgrading your Oppo to the 93/95 model that has the dual HDMI outs.

And if you’re against an unbalanced to balanced connection then only a pre-pro will do so I’d suggest the Marantz AV7005.

 

[Bopper]

Hey- I am not opposed to running the video through the processor as long a it has video bypass- I was thinking of the Marantz it just seems to offer so much for so little I figure it must be cutting corners somewhere??? I do not need half the things it does-I just want the best sound for movies at my price point!!

Do u think the marantz is that piece??- thanks so much

 

[Bopper]

Since this is only for movies am I better off with a used Denon AVP or a new marantz 7005-thanks

 

[GranteedEV]

If you don't even plan on using auto-EQ then there's basically nothing that an AV7005 won't do exceptionally well. I'd guess it has a good 10+ V pre-outs.

With that said, having a room that's "treated" does not mean your acoustics are necessarily ideal. Have you ever done an RTA of your room? And what speakers do you plan to use?

 

[Bopper]

yes- i have had my room professionally calibrated using the latest equipment(senacore) and all I have needed according to those that have measured my room is a little final EQ- i am running ATC active speakers- thanks for all your help- So u feel the Marantz will sound(steer) as well as any of the higher price units??- that would be great!!

 

[AVRat]

bopper, you’ve already done most of the audio work by having your room acoustically treated. Your active ATC speakers (model #s ?) already have the amplification covered. The video from the Oppo can be run through the AV7005 unmolested to the SIM2 PJ. The Marantz offers a whole host of surround options to choose from to make good use of the rear surrounds when a 5.1 soundtrack is input. About the only significant difference between the 7005 and the Denon 4311 mentioned earlier that I can think of is the Audyssey version. And I can tell you first hand that MultiEq XT is no slouch. Also, the money saved, not buying a more costly unit, can be used toward the Audyssey Pro calibration I mentioned earlier to dial in your 3/4 mismatched subs.

If you’d like a review: http://www.hometheater.com/content/marantz-av7005-surround-processor-and-mm7055-amplifier-page-4

One of our very technically minded members, TLS Guy, purchashed the older 8003 a while back and is very impressed with its performance.

I assume you're bill gordon on AVS?

 

[Bopper]

yup thats me- Just trying to make the right decision- thanks so much- I think I will go with the marantz