Help matching a new receiver to my speakers.

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G

Guapo

Enthusiast
I sold some Infinities to my cousin, who picked a Yamaha V1800 to power them. Long story short, they sound so much better on his receiver than they ever did on my Harmon Kardon 630. I've had H/K receivers for years, but now that I've had a chance to listen to Yamaha & Denon and a few others and I'm disappointed with the H/K. Power isn't an issue, but the sound isn't as crisp and clear and I know now that I'm missing a lot of detail.

So I'm looking for recommendations to power my speakers? I have RBH MC 616 LCR & some in wall MC 6 for the rears. I like the Denon 3806 and the comparable Yamaha, but perhaps some other owners of RBH speakers can give me their thoughts?
 
Z

zumbo

Audioholic Spartan
The 1800 is a pretty big step-up from your 630. Probably why you noticed a difference. Could be the room. Could be your memory. Could be the ear wax, or sinus issue;)

However, I am liking what Marantz and Denon have to offer currently. With Marantz, you get a three year factory warranty. At Audioholics Store, you can get a three year warranty on Yamaha too. Any one of those three brands would be my suggestion.

I purchased my Marantz BD player from the Audioholics Store, and it was a fantastic experience.

http://store.audioholics.com/
 
Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
Guapo said:
they sound so much better on his receiver than they ever did on my Harmon Kardon 630.
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I'm sure that his rec'r was in a different room and that is a huge part of what you are hearing. If you want to compare the rec'rs, find some bench tests and compare. It might sound crazy but does your cousin's room look nicer than your room? They say that those kinds of things count in our perception of sound quality. But then again, they say a lot of things. :)
 
J

jamie2112

Banned
IMO you can't go wrong with either Yamaha or Denon.......
 
G

Guapo

Enthusiast
I'll concede that rooms are different and speaker calibration / position makes a difference. My room is actually pretty big. I've got the speakers positioned pretty well too. The calibration may be slightly off, but not by much.

I won't say my H/K unit is a bad receiver, but I will say (after hours and hours of listening) that it is not as crisp and clear through the mids. The highs aren't too bad, but I'm missing a lot of detail.... and I want it!

Any thoughts to an amp & pre-amp combo? Anyone out there use the MC series speakers?
 
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
I would take your Harmon Kardon 630 receiver to his place, and connect it to the speakers. Then after you've had the chance to hear them to see if it's the receiver your hearing. Or the room that has made the biggest difference. Then make a decision on gear. JMO
 
STRONGBADF1

STRONGBADF1

Audioholic Spartan
mazersteven said:
I would take your Harmon Kardon 630 receiver to his place, and connect it to the speakers. Then after you've had the chance to hear them to see if it's the receiver your hearing. Or the room that has made the biggest difference. Then make a decision on gear. JMO
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Ditto.

My bet is that the room is the difference but don't count out calibration. If one or both of you are using any tone controls or EQ all bets are off. Set everything flat and then have a listen.

SBF1
 
Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
zumbo said:
Hey, I just answered the question. I didn't ask it.:p
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I get that but a guy running an AVR 630 who just sold some 360's might not be looking to spend 5 grand. :eek: I only say that because I have a similar set up.

He could use his 630 as a pre amp with a Behringer EP 2500, a DCX 2496 and a couple of subs but that's my rock & roll fantasy.

Mazer is making more sense here than anybody. Go figure. :)
 
G

Guapo

Enthusiast
I'm pretty sure it's not a room/speaker placement issue. Some amps just sound different than others. I've had the same amp and speakers in two houses and I think what I'm missing is a HK characteristic with the mid range. I could be wrong. I could pull out my trusty meter and recalibrate it. Either way, the HK unit is 4 years old and it's time for something sleek and sexy.

That Marantz amp/pre-amp would be so awesome. It's out of my price range though. I capped myself between $1000 - $1500, or maybe slightly more if something ridiculous fell into my lap.

Thanks for the posts.

P.S. - I sold some Infinity Overtures, not 360's. Kind of getting long in the tooth, but they still sound phenomenal. Yeah, the 630 was a bit pricey at the time, but I got a good deal. Hindsight being 20/20, I may have waited and picked up a 3805 a few months later.
 
Z

zumbo

Audioholic Spartan
Alex2507 said:
I get that but a guy running an AVR 630 who just sold some 360's might not be looking to spend 5 grand. :eek: I only say that because I have a similar set up.
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That is the exact reason I posted it. A surround processor with a matching amp isn't cheap. But, when I am asked my thoughts on a set.........
 
Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
zumbo said:
That is the exact reason I posted it. A surround processor with a matching amp isn't cheap. But, when I am asked my thoughts on a set.........
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Yeah, I know.
It's to be expected from a guy who just dropped 2 grand on a player.
I hope the rest of your stuff is just as nice. :)
 
Z

zumbo

Audioholic Spartan
Alex2507 said:
Yeah, I know.
It's to be expected from a guy who just dropped 2 grand on a player.
I hope the rest of your stuff is just as nice. :)
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It's coming along. But, as it has come along, upgrades have been made.

Yamaha RX-V1400.(used as pre-pro)
Adcom 7605.
Yamaha S-840 DVD-A player.
Yamaha up-converting dvd player(1080i) DV-S5950.
Yamaha 5-disc cd player CDC645.
Adcom ACE-315 power conditioner.
MB Quart QLS 830.(x4)
MB Quart QLS 330.
NHT SW-12.
Toshiba Regza 42" 1080P LCD (POS)
Marantz BD8200.:D

I plan on replacing the Yamaha 1400 with the new Marantz pre-pro. I will soon be selling the dvd-a player, and the up-converting player. I also plan to use the 5-disc player in a dedicated 2-channel system. It has a gain control, so I just plan on running it with an amp. I will start my 2-channel rig out with my old CV D7's, and then plan to find a deal on some used B&W 802D's.

EDIT: Guapo, sorry for the hi-jack.
 
Last edited:
Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
dm_4u said:
Yes...but you get "free" shipping :cool:
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Whoa! I can't exactly put into words why, but I don't like the sound of that. It seems like you are suggesting that they are trying to pull a fast one. Personally, I don't think these guys would be caught dead doing that.

Alex
 
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