Denon AVR989 and below vs AVR-1508 and above

[fenderpamd]

I am a newbie so I hope I'm not just reiterating what has already been posted.

My current system is as follows...

Samsung LN46A550 46" Flat Screen
Yamaha HTR5560 Receiver
Bose 301's Fronts
Bose 201's Rear Surrounds
Bose VCS-10 Center
Direvtv HR-21 HD DVR for TV w/HDMI
LG DVD with HDMI and upconvert capability
Harmony "ONE" Remote (awesome remote, wouldn't be without it now.)

I have had the Yamaha, and Bose system for the past three or four years. It has been fine up to now, but since purchasing the new TV last month and upgrading to HD DirecTV, I wanted to enhance my viewing and listening experience with a new sub for effects and music. I purchased a Polk PSW111 8" sub woofer as well with the TV. I hooked everything up and adjusted the sub various ways but could not get anything but muddy sound out of it for music. Movies sounded just O.K. but it sounded like it was just loud all of the time and it had to be turned up almost all of the way to even here anything coming out of it.

Come to find out, after looking around a few forums, the Yamaha HTR5560 does not have the x-over it needs to get music to sound well along with movie effects. Anyway, I decided to just upgrade my receiver with a new HDMI receiver that does HDMI switching for audio and video, Since I have HDMI on everything else, why not use it. I also took back the Polk sub and will probably be getting a new SVS sub as soon as I get the new receiver.

So, all of that to ask the big question...

I have been looking at the Denon line and can't really figure out what the difference is between the models that are the AVR989 and below and the models that are the AVR-1508 and above. At least to the point of comparing the lower numered models to the higher numbered models based on similar watts. The 75 watt models compared to each other and so on up through the 100 watt models. I guess I just don't know enough about AV to know how they really compare to each other.

I want HDMI switching, but I don't think I need Up-conversion capability because of the HD DVR and my DVD is an up-convert player, so that feature really isn't a big factor in an AV receiver I wouldn't think. Other than that, I want at least 80 watts but if I can get a 100 watt for not too much more then I would like that.

I have been led down the Denon road by a couple of people that have had them and loved them so I guess I am here just checking my options and your feedback. I don't know, maybe another receiver is better. I know everyone has different opinions about what they have used and liked and yes I know it is totally up to me as to "Whatever you like the sound of best, that is the receiver you should buy." However, I do not have an AV store very close, and gas the way it is, don't really want to make multiple trips to other cities much, so when I make the trip, I want to be equipped with something I can make a decision with.

And if I forgot to explain something, please let me know and I will answer any question you might have for me.

So, any advice is welcomed and thanks in advance.

 

[Davemcc]

Denon has two nearly identical lines of receivers. The three digit line (eg. AVR-989) goes to big box stores and the four digit line (eg. AVR-2809) goes to Denon retailers. Basically, the 989 is the same as the 2809. The 889 is the 2309, the 789 is the 1909, etc. There may be minor differences between the equivalent receivers, like 12V triggers or other small features but all the major features and capabilities are identical.

I would suggest that the 989/2809 is way overkill for your Bose 301's. You should be able to run with the 789 with no trouble and still get the latest features. Don't let the wattage ratings concern you too much. The real world difference between 80 and 100 watts is minimal. Choose the model you need based more on features than wattage.

I humbly suggest that the reason you can't get music to sound good is the fault of those speakers, not the receiver. You will probably find a greater improvement in upgrading the speakers than upgrading the reciever.

 

[fenderpamd]

I humbly suggest that the reason you can't get music to sound good is the fault of those speakers, not the receiver. You will probably find a greater improvement in upgrading the speakers than upgrading the reciever.

Thanks for the info. That helps a great deal. However, the sound issue was only with the sub and not the speakers themselves. The sound is great through the Bose speakers. It was when I hooked up the sub that the sub sounded muddy, not the rest of the sound through the speakers. I listened to it at home and got muddy sound. I would go to BestBuy and listen to the same sub through the Bose speakers on a different receiver and the sub sounded great. That is why I started looking online to see what the difference was and found it was a receiver problem and not the sub.

I might try a different sub just to make sure it is the receiver causing it to sound muddy and not specifically the sub. I was seeing on some other forums that it was in fact a problem with the Yamaha 5560 that definately was causing the muddy sound through the sub woofer and not the sub itself because of a bad crossover design in the receiver. Others had had the exact same issue with that specific receiver...in that it caused a muddy sound through a sub.

Thanks for the info on the Denon line though. That gives me what I need to start looking at them when I am ready to replace my receiver. And maybe you are right. I don't know how to tell other than buying a new speaker set and sub, giving them a try, and if it doesn't sound any different, take them back. I hate to go to all that trouble if the speakers are fine.

 

[Davemcc]

Have you experimented with placement of the sub? Sub frequencies are greatly influenced by the room itself that can cause bass to sound muddy. You may be able to tighten up the bass a great deal simply by trying several different locations for the sub. Here is an article that describes how to find the best location for your sub. http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/speaker-setup-guidelines/crawling-for-bass-subwoofer-placement If that doesn't help, it may very well be time for a new receiver.

 

[fenderpamd]

Have you experimented with placement of the sub? Sub frequencies are greatly influenced by the room itself that can cause bass to sound muddy. You may be able to tighten up the bass a great deal simply by trying several different locations for the sub. Here is an article that describes how to find the best location for your sub. If that doesn't help, it may very well be time for a new receiver.

Unfortunatley I have tried moving it around trying to get a better sound to no avail. What was really strange, as it sounded muddy at home no matter where I put it, when I went to BestBuy and listened to it there, it was not in a nice listening room. In fact it was just sitting on a metal shelf beside the stereo with speakers all around it. Not in a real conducive setting for a listening environment, however, it sounded really pretty good there. As for the low bass on music, you could actually make out the distinct bass notes and not just low end thumping bass sound like at home. Pretty wierd!