Now this may be a temporary solution, but the sub channel on my Onkyo TX-SR604 blew and I missed that bass particularly for movies. It cost about 6 bills new
I found what some would call and entry level Sony strd-h820 that I'd like some general advice on setting up. (my neighbor sold it to me for 100 bucks new they were 3-400) So I figure worth a college try, eh?
At this juncture I have it set up, and it
appears not to sound as good to me as the Onkyo with the same speakers (which I like, a lot) But I may not be comparing apples to apples yet as I do not have all the settings dialed in. I have had many many sytems over the years from vintage to new fangled. The Onkyo plus my Wharfdale Modus 8 towers (and Modus center.....Vardus surrounds) has been one of my favorites.
I sure as heck have no golden ear, and lets face it my hearing is not the greatest.
I have a feeling I never had the onkyo set up quite right as far as crossover levels. I generally stuck with digital sources and usually had best results with digital direct no neo this or plx that hall concert jazz settings.
My setting sounded great to me particularly in stereo but also home theater wise.
Pertinant info:
The Speakers: I think you'd call my setup 5.1? A pair of front towers. A center. A pair of small surrounds (I place them as rears....I know naughty me, but that is what works in my room. a choice of a hefty wharfdale Subwoofer or a smaller mission one....but for apples to apples testing...we will go with one of them. perhaps later I'll run two in the future.
I need to look up the crossovers. The "mains" I believe are 50. The center around 70 as well as the rears.
The Sony:
Specs: specs/STRDH820_mksp.pdf
100/110 watts per channel.
The Onkyo:
Specs: onkyousa Products/model.php?m=TX-SR604&class=Receiver
110 watts per channel
The Onkyo is heavier. Its Heavier and it cost more so must be better, right
One confusion is the terminology. Sony call things terms that Onkyo does not. I believe that I have figured out what Sony calls digital direct.
Apples to Apples, for testing I will play All You Pretty Things by David Bowie (dont you miss him!) through HDMI through spotify on extreme quality streaming off the same laptop.
I will listen w/o the sub as the Onkyo's sub channel died.
I will not smoke too much weed or drink too much beer between listening sessions.
I basically seek general advice on how to be sure the Sony is set up best. And input on best setting up the Sony. And why's on why it may not sound as good, If after having it set up, it still doesnt sound as golden as the Onkyo before it did to my ear.
Should be easy, right. set up both to Stereo digital direct full range.
Currently The Sony as set up sounds "tinny" (not tiny) not as full or rich as I
percieve my other set up to have been.
One orange I would like to throw out there is that the Sony has the ability to bi-amp the fronts if I dont use the surround rears (I don't) Now I dont know if that means passive of active biamping....I do know that would be vertical bi amping. I imagine it would have the recievers digital crossovers take over the job of the crossovers in my bi amp-able towers. Hmmmm. I'll have to try that.
the italics and bold of perception and appear are very related to this awesome audioholics article;
The Sound of Audio Amplifiers: Can you hear a difference between Amps?