help me please. Best match for my athena speakers under 500

N

nocondorfx

Enthusiast
So far the Pioneer VSX-1014TX-K looks to be my fav. due to the fact that it is THX certified. It would be nice to match with my pioneer 578 universal dvd player I plan on buying too.
I was also looking at the onkyo 602 and the yammy 1400 (ya i know its older)due to the price. The yammy might sound "too bright" with athena speakers from what I have heard around the net. Will anyone with experience help. Athenas with the Pioneer?? sound good? :) TIA
 
H

hopjohn

Full Audioholic
no easy answer, because your approach is well...., sorry, but wrong

The sound you'll get from any adequately powered, properly configured receiver is gong to pretty much sound the same. What will effect the qualty of the sound most is the acoustics of your room, speaker placement, and the speakers themselves, not the receiver. Assuming you have the F2's, which I've listened to and read quite a bit about, they have a tendencey to be a little on the bright side anyway, and are recommended to be used in larger rooms, and fed an abundance of power to sound their best. While seperates may be beyond your budget. I highly recommend Outlaw amps., they are an excellent value compared with what else is out there. If you are more inclined to have a receiver, I would recommend pioneer's latest line of elite receivers, which are highly underrated in these forums, in favor of yamaha, which I don't feel are built as well, all things else being equal.

Think i'm full of S*it about the room making the difference?... try moving your speakers from room to room in your home and you'll see what I mean.

Another good tool to keep in mind when evaluating the quality of the room sound, is to talk with someone moving room to room and listen to the quality of your partners voice. If you know the person well, you get a real sense of what room is best for conversation, and this will also be the best for your speakers in terms of sound. Your brain likes voice most when it is direct and natural, and when it doesn't require it to fight through echoes, reverberations, other irregularties, ambient noise etc.
 
toquemon

toquemon

Full Audioholic
nocondorfx said:
wow, noone knows
I own Yamaha with Yamaha and it's a lie that its sound is bright. Better judge for yourself and tell us if the sound is bright with the Athenas. I don't believe in this "brightness" of Yamaha because the latest receivers are pretty linear (RXV1400 included), so i think this is another merchandising lie that the competitors are still using against Yamaha, all pure BS to me.
 
N

nocondorfx

Enthusiast
The room its going to be in is a 10x10 room. College budget calls for a mid-fi receiver only, cant do seperates. I'll have the f2s up front b2s in back and the center. So... pretty much it doesnt matter if its pioneer, yammy, onkyo, etc. It'll sound pretty much the same from what i am getting. Also I have to go by what I hear on the net. Going to school in the middle of nowhere doesnt give me the time or places to shop around and test different receivers out. Thanks for the suggestions guys :)
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
ever consider Denon?

I'm using a 2802 with a pair of F1's, a pair of B2's and the C1 (with a velo sub) and it's as clean and and loud as I would hope for. Those Athenas are incredibilidy efficient and it doesn't take a powerhouse to get the most out of 'em. As long as whatever watts you feed 'em is clean, you're good to go.

Search for closeouts while you're at it. I got my 2802 for $395 when the 2803's first hit the market. Obsolete? PErhaps in the eyes of the marketplace but that kinda depends on ones definition, doesn't it? It does all I need and want it to. ...and quite well.
 
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nm2285

Senior Audioholic
The pioneer should be a good unit. I'd most seriously consider harman kardon. Their 230, 330, 225, 325 should match the Athena very well and will provide substantial power even though their ratings are lower.
 
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