Help me

[caupina]

Guys: I'm planning on getting a new receiver with HDMI when I go digital on the video part, so I'm deciding between a Denon AVR 3806, MSRP 1,299 and a Yamaha RX-V4600. This dealer is offering me a deal on this Yamaha, which is a display unit but it looks in very good condition, for USD 1,300 OTD including 5 year warranty. My only concern is that this receiver seems to be on most part of the day but it is not connected to anything like speakers, dvd or cd players, so it not under some kind of daily constraint if you know what I mean, but I don't know if being on all day could cause some damage to the internals, circuits, processors, etc. It is in a very well ventilated area all by itself. The Denon I'd have to buy it brand new (I recently bought a Denon DVD player DVD2930CI). Any of you have any word of advice???

By the way I have a question, if I connect the Denon Link cable from the DVD player to a Denon Receiver, that means that the Denon Receiver DAC would be doing the conversion, right????, I read that the DAC of the player are much better so it'd be more convenient to connect the player to the receiver using the RCA cables (Multi Ch input), is that correct???. If that's the case when it comes to SACD or DVD-A, the Denon Link would not make much sense, so if I choose the Yamaha over the Denon, I'll be OK, right????

 

[riceaterslc]

have you checked out the new onkyo line? lots of models with HDMI 1.3...just something else to consider. can't answer any of your specific questions though...

 

[Sounds Good]

dont want to get too far off subject... but what do the link cables do exactly.. i think my onkyo calls it AI link, i assume that your refering to the headphone like jack....

anyhow good luck with your search, i am actually in the same boat... but i think i already know the reciever.... a 990 from outlaw , the only downfall is that you would need to buy dvi -> hdmi cables..... its got a new price too its in the 900 range, but still under 1000, very high WAF lol

 

[MDS]

Guys: I'm planning on getting a new receiver with HDMI when I go digital on the video part, so I'm deciding between a Denon AVR 3806, MSRP 1,299 and a Yamaha RX-V4600. This dealer is offering me a deal on this Yamaha, which is a display unit but it looks in very good condition, for USD 1,300 OTD including 5 year warranty. My only concern is that this receiver seems to be on most part of the day but it is not connected to anything like speakers, dvd or cd players, so it not under some kind of daily constraint if you know what I mean, but I don't know if being on all day could cause some damage to the internals, circuits, processors, etc. It is in a very well ventilated area all by itself. The Denon I'd have to buy it brand new (I recently bought a Denon DVD player DVD2930CI). Any of you have any word of advice???

By the way I have a question, if I connect the Denon Link cable from the DVD player to a Denon Receiver, that means that the Denon Receiver DAC would be doing the conversion, right????, I read that the DAC of the player are much better so it'd be more convenient to connect the player to the receiver using the RCA cables (Multi Ch input), is that correct???. If that's the case when it comes to SACD or DVD-A, the Denon Link would not make much sense, so if I choose the Yamaha over the Denon, I'll be OK, right????

Being on all day doesn't cause any extra wear and tear and it should be fine if it has no cosmetic damage but I personally would only buy a floor model if it was offered at a substantial discount. Either of the receiver choices will be a good choice but I'd lean toward the Denon if you already have the Denon DVD player.

DenonLink is their own proprietary digital connection for transporting the audio from sacd/dvd-a discs from the player to the receiver but only works between their own players and receivers. That is another reason I'd lean toward the Denon receiver if it is in perfect condition so you can mate it with the Denon DVD player. Yes if you use DenonLink the receiver will do the decoding. Whether the player or receiver's DACS are better is a matter for your ears to decide but one advantage to using the digital connection is that you will be able to use the bass management features of the receiver which will surely be superior to what the player offers.

dont want to get too far off subject... but what do the link cables do exactly.. i think my onkyo calls it AI link, i assume that your refering to the headphone like jack....

Onkyo doesn't offer anything similar to DenonLink as far as I know. I think you may be referring to what they call RI (Remote Interactive). The new models use RI over HDMI and they have a new acronym for it (which I don't recall at the moment) whereas the older models require analog connections for RI to work. Like DenonLink it is a proprietary system that only works between Onkyo devices but unlike DenonLink it isn't for transport of audio between devices - it is for control.

RI allows 'convenience' features like:
- Turn on the dvd player (or press Play) and the receiver automatically turns on and selects the DVD input.
- Turn off the dvd player and the receiver automatically turns off too.
- Similar features for working with tape decks or their iPod dock.

While the RI features are 'neato', they aren't really necessary nowadays as you can accomplish the same thing with macros on a universal remote.

 

[Seth=L]

The Onkyo TX-SR805 is very comparable to the other two models suggested, with perhaps more power and features. THX Ultra II, HDMI 1.3, all the new audio processing features, and it is quite a monster weighing in at about 50 pounds.

 

[caupina]

Thanks MDS!!!!. That's exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. So Denon it is

 

[darien87]

but I personally would only buy a floor model if it was offered at a substantial discount. Either of the receiver choices will be a good choice but I'd lean toward the Denon if you already have the Denon DVD player.

I'd second that. I've bought demo stuff before, but that's because it was about 1/3 the price of a new unit.

 

[jcPanny]

Denon link

That Yamaha model is a year or two old, The Yamaha RX-V2700 should be more comparable to the Denon you are looking at and also includes video upscaling to 720p or 1080i.

The Denon link is pretty much obsolete because HD-DVD, BluRay, and compatable DVD players can send the audio to the receiver via the HDMI connection. The Oppo DVD players for example can send SACD and DVD-A audio over HDMI to the receiver.

 

[Seth=L]

I would like to add that the Onkyo TX-SR805 has more features and power(more than likely given the mass and spec of the unit, than the Denon at a lower suggested retail. The only thing the Onkyo lacks is the Denon-link, which is a moot point with HDMI, as jcPanny already noted in his last post.

 

[caupina]

Thanks a lot for your input. I did considered the RX2700 but I'm not that much into Ipod or network connectivity for that matter. The Onkyo I have not read much about but I will certainly. I haven't made up my mind yet so I guess there's a lot of reading and searching I should do. As I told you my main interest is listening to some music, so SQ is a must, and that also includes watching music concerts on DVD (by the way I did get the LD player for free, it works flawlessly, I had almost forgotten how big and heavy the LDs are). I should look into upgrading my speakers probably, but I don't have any complains about the set up I have know, in fact I have always wondered how a good set of nice speakers is supposed to sound like compared to the ones I have now. Other thing I did notice is the quality and finish of the Denon DVD player compared to the Onkyo one I bought a couple of years ago, certainly quite different (specs on the Denon are much better than Onkyo's). I'm leaving the Denon exclusively for SACD and DVD-A duties.

 

[Seth=L]

Thanks a lot for your input. I did considered the RX2700 but I'm not that much into Ipod or network connectivity for that matter. The Onkyo I have not read much about but I will certainly. I haven't made up my mind yet so I guess there's a lot of reading and searching I should do. As I told you my main interest is listening to some music, so SQ is a must, and that also includes watching music concerts on DVD (by the way I did get the LD player for free, it works flawlessly, I had almost forgotten how big and heavy the LDs are). I should look into upgrading my speakers probably, but I don't have any complains about the set up I have know, in fact I have always wondered how a good set of nice speakers is supposed to sound like compared to the ones I have now. Other thing I did notice is the quality and finish of the Denon DVD player compared to the Onkyo one I bought a couple of years ago, certainly quite different (specs on the Denon are much better than Onkyo's). I'm leaving the Denon exclusively for SACD and DVD-A duties.

Here is the finish for the Onkyo TX-SR805 that will be released soon, within the next month or so (site says it is available now, but you might not see them is stores for a few weeks).

Pictures of TX-SR805

Product Information

You can't exactly put all your stock into how much a receiver or amplifier weighs, but it serves as a good reference point. Having said that, this baby weighs around 50 pounds, which is about 15 more pounds than the Denon or the Yamaha receivers mentioned weigh. Neither of the other two receivers sport HDMI 1.3, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD master audio, and THX Ultra II. The Onkyo also comes ready for XM HD and Sirrus satelite radio. The Onkyo also has Burr Brown processors and three HDMI inputs instead of only two.

As far as musical quality, I would say that since most transistor amplifiers based on the same principle topology sound near identical running their respective power ratings, the Onkyo should not be lacking in musical performance. If it is able to drive speakers with 4 ohms and lower (more than likely can considering the muscle it has) it should sound great with two channel and surround sound. It should sound dynamic and uncompressed with little distortion at higher SPLs.

My personal experiance with amps and receivers is they all tend to sound pretty much the same until you start testing their comfortable operating range, then they get bright and the bass loses its finesse.

Just out of curiosity, what speakers will you be using? What about your subwoofer?

 

[caupina]

Thanks Seth=L for the info. Regarding the speakers....trust me you don't want to hear about them....I own a complete Bose set up....no flame war please. It's a couple of 701 SII floor standing speakers which I don't have any issues with and the VSC-30 package (VSC 10 center and the 161 surrounds). They sound pretty decent to me, that's why I was wondering what I'm missing in terms of SQ (probably a lot some (all) of you may say), but again nothing bad to say about them in my case. Anyway, I'll look into the Onkyo receiver, looks very nice.

 

[caupina]

Hey guys: I'm still debating and going crazy if I should get another receiver. My current one is a Yamaha HTR 5980 which has served its purposed very well, but as you know no HDMI in this baby, so I think I should open my horizon and look elsewhere. Again, I'm only interested in music (CD, SACD, DVD-A) and music concerts DVDs. I do rent a movie every once in a while, but I'm not much into movies or video games (I do own a Playstation 2 though but it is connected directly to the TV). My other gear are an Onkyo DX-C390 (CD player duties), Onkyo DVCP-802 (DVD player duties), Denon DVD-2930CI (SACD and DVD-A player duties). I also have a Pioneer CLD-201S (LD player duties) and a Panasonic PV-V4522 (VHS player duties). Back to the receiver question, I'm torn between the Onkyo 805 and the Denon 3806, but first of all, I don't care about Ipods, satellite radio, Ethernet, USB ports, I just like to listen to uncompressed music, and I love buying anything that has good music in it, especially jazz, and pop, whatever the format as long as it is uncompressed. I do buy some VHS and LD at times, because I haven't been able to find a re release in a more convenient digital format, ie: Pat Metheny's "More Travels" (the DVD available is region 2), Sting's "Ten Summoner's Tales", Go West's "Aces and Kings" among others, although I'm still looking. So the question is: regardless of my current speaker package, and considering everything I have mentioned here, which way I should go: Denon or Onkyo, or should I just stick with the Yamaha which I don't have any issues with???. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything as far as SQ is concerned when it comes to electronic equipment.

 

[jcPanny]

System upgrade

You have a decent Yamaha receiver with plenty of power and can easily add an HDMI switch ($50-100) if you run out of inputs on your TV. The multichannel analog inputs on your current Yamaha should work great for DVD-A and SACD and will utilize the D/A conversion and bass management in the Denon. You would have to use the exact same analog connections to your new receiver.

The speakers (and room acoustics) are the most important components of your audio system. Unless you plan to upgrade these components, IMHO, you shouldn't waste money on a new receiver.

You might consider spending the money on a BluRay or HD-DVD player, new display, or subwoofer upgrade instead.

 

[dem beats]

You said regardless of speakers... so

You should change nothing.

The only reason to upgrade a receiver is if you need new functions. Or you need more power and your current doesn't have pre-outs.

I do not think you will have any benefit from an upgrade whatsoever.

 

[caupina]

Thanks for the responses. I knew deep inside that I have an excellent receiver that could give me years of enjoyment but I guess I got caught up in this quest to get the better and latest technology. And yes I should look into other areas that may need improvement ie: room acoustics and....speakers (maybe???) To be honest I like the Bose 701, but I would probably get another surround and center speakers.

 

[caupina]

Yamaha RX-V4600. This dealer is offering me a deal on this Yamaha, which is a display unit but it looks in very good condition, for USD 1,300 OTD including 5 year warranty.

Today I got a call from this dealer saying that he had a good deal on this receiver, so he goes "I sell it to you for USD 990 OTD" plus the 5 year warranty included". This receiver is a demo one, but it looks in very good condition, so I started to compare it with the HTR 5890 that I have now, and to be honest they don't differ that much, I mean the 4600 is more powerful, has HDMI (ver 1.1 though), more DSP programs (22 vs 16), it looks nicer but I don't think if I bought it I'd be getting much more in terms of SQ. Any comments????

 

[davidtwotrees]

Boy, you're just itching to pull the trigger........firstly, you've answered your questions yourself throughout this thread. Your receiver is fine. If you want to upgrade your music the front speakers are the way to go. And you said you are happy with those. The only thing I noticed on your system was you have a LD, a VCR, a DVD, a CD, as well as the new Denon 2930-yet said you really don't watch movies.......I guess if you have the ld's and a collection of vhs tapes........but the denon should at least replace the DVD player, and possibly the cd if it's not a multi disc player....

 

[caupina]

hahahaha....you're right. I should just let it go, and focus on speakers. The other day I went to BB and enter one of those Magnolia demo rooms, and I heard a guitar sound so clear coming out of a pair of Definitive Technology speakers and I thought to myself "I don't recall hearing the same crispy sound of a guitar out of my 701s"...so there it goes, my new quest for better sound.