I need AV advice

[Bill C]

In addition to HD's links, help yourself to the attached spreadsheet. I sorted them in order of their measured 2 channel driven outputs. The Denon AVR-X7200WA ranked right below the NAD T787. It seems like the older D&M and NAD models performed better on the S&V bench.

Thank you all for the wonderful insight , Also thank you PENG for the spreadsheet. When I tried maranz in Bestbuy with a Concert, I felt it was a bit sharper for my ears .. Not Sure any one face that Issue.. May be not the best comparison since this also due to the speakers they have configured

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you all for the wonderful insight , Also thank you PENG for the spreadsheet. When I tried maranz in Bestbuy with a Concert, I felt it was a bit sharper for my ears .. Not Sure any one face that Issue.. May be not the best comparison since this also due to the speakers they have configured

It may also depend on, aside from speakers/sources, the dsp the shop configured for the Marantz and whatever you were comparing to.

As to upgrading/repairing the NAD for $700, that would be very tempting if I owned your avr, but I do like to not junk gear but rather keep it in use....many avrs do have reliability/long term issues these days, but NAD does seem to have a fair number reliability issues for the number of units out there from my perusal of various fora.

 

[Bill C]

It may also depend on, aside from speakers/sources, the dsp the shop configured for the Marantz and whatever you were comparing to.

As to upgrading/repairing the NAD for $700, that would be very tempting if I owned your avr, but I do like to not junk gear but rather keep it in use....many avrs do have reliability/long term issues these days, but NAD does seem to have a fair number reliability issues for the number of units out there from my perusal of various fora.

Thank you lovinthehd, Before I had the Current NAD , I was using an Older version of Pioneer Elite and it was a good match with Studio 100 V5 , I wanted to ask it the Current Version of Pioneer any good ? like the SC 701 or 801 's or what are the Issues you all see my experience with Older version of Denon/Marantz in 2010 was not very great(Surely they may have improved now ), it was not able to power the Studio 100 .. Let me know your thoughts

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you lovinthehd, Before I had the Current NAD , I was using an Older version of Pioneer Elite and it was a good match with Studio 100 V5 , I wanted to ask it the Current Version of Pioneer any good ? like the SC 701 or 801 's or what are the Issues you all see my experience with Older version of Denon/Marantz in 2010 was not very great(Surely they may have improved now ), it was not able to power the Studio 100 .. Let me know your thoughts

You're asking a guy whose only prematurely dead avr (just a bit over 2 years) was a Pionner avr that died on him a fairly short while back so they've been off my radar, especially after the acquisition by Onkyo, which is another brand I've got a unit of. However after the infamous Onkyo hdmi/network board issues, (which I had early this year; the repair was quick/smooth fwiw), as well as dropping Audyssey, they've also been off my radar. For req I liked my 919's MCACC but it lacked sub eq compared to Audyssey, altho I believe more recent editions of MCACC have addressed the lower frequencies better. Onkyo's current AccuEQ seems to be pretty poor by most reports.

Not familiar with your speakers, are they particularly difficult for an amp or, rather, most avr amps? What was your experience in 2010? Do you utilize Audyssey?

 

[PENG]

Thank you all for the wonderful insight , Also thank you PENG for the spreadsheet. When I tried maranz in Bestbuy with a Concert, I felt it was a bit sharper for my ears .. Not Sure any one face that Issue.. May be not the best comparison since this also due to the speakers they have configured

No, I have never experienced any mid range AVR made by the reputable and popular brands that sound obviously worse than any higher end ones including integrated and separates. Any such bad experience would likely be due to the quality of the recordings. Once you get passed the entry level stuff, unless the unit is operating beyond it's output capability, it is the recordings, room acoustic conditions, room EQ applied and the speakers that determine the final sound quality you hear.

 

[Bill C]

Look like the studio 100 v5 require a decent amp, what are the choices on the amp for a 3 channel ( front three)and with that I should be able to use with any receiver with with pre outs what are popular choices for amp/receiver

 

[Bill C]

You're asking a guy whose only prematurely dead avr (just a bit over 2 years) was a Pionner avr that died on him a fairly short while back so they've been off my radar, especially after the acquisition by Onkyo, which is another brand I've got a unit of. However after the infamous Onkyo hdmi/network board issues, (which I had early this year; the repair was quick/smooth fwiw), as well as dropping Audyssey, they've also been off my radar. For req I liked my 919's MCACC but it lacked sub eq compared to Audyssey, altho I believe more recent editions of MCACC have addressed the lower frequencies better. Onkyo's current AccuEQ seems to be pretty poor by most reports.

Not familiar with your speakers, are they particularly difficult for an amp or, rather, most avr amps? What was your experience in 2010? Do you utilize Audyssey?

Thank you , I will Stay away from Pioneer for now .. What do you Suggest Marantz vs Denon vs Other ,, If need I will added a 3 channel AMP later .. I have faced Some Issues to Drive the Studio 100 v5 in the Past, That time finally NAD worked good for me till now . What models are best for a 7.1 and Possible addition for atmos ..

 

[lovinthehd]

Well, not sure what it is about the Paradigms that are so hard to drive (impedance? impedance/phase angle?). What were the particular issues the NAD resolved? You deciding against the NAD upgrade/repair?

Mostly around here for mainstream avrs you'll get the suggestions for Denon, Marantz & Yamaha, and usually for the more powerful amps in the avrs you will need to look at the higher end of each of their ranges. The Denon 4300 mentioned before is a very capable receiver, has 4k/HDCP 2.2/HDMI 2.0/Atmos/preouts/4ohm capable amp, and has been on sale for $800 as was previously mentioned....

Just because I may not want a Pioneer/Onkyo you might keep them in mind in any case, really depends on the features/connectivity you want aside from power issues.

 

[Bill C]

I remember the NAD Sounded better compared to all the Receivers I tried in my HT, with the speakers I had also not sure about the technical terms , overall sound reproduction felt natural and lively do listen to music and Concerts . Coming to repair I am looking $700 and if something else fail on that receiver I will be again in the same soup .. no warranty; Denon 4300 looking like a nice deal to try out ..

 

[lovinthehd]

I remember the NAD Sounded better compared to all the Receivers I tried in my HT, with the speakers I had also not sure about the technical terms , overall sound reproduction felt natural and lively do listen to music and Concerts . Coming to repair I am looking $700 and if something else fail on that receiver I will be again in the same soup .. no warranty; Denon 4300 looking like a nice deal to try out ..

An avr's sound quality has much to do with how you set it up and what dsp you employ.

 

[Bill C]

True .. those time I run extensive setup's to make sure we fine tune every detail. I will definitely try Denon and see If need amps ..

 

[Bill C]

Below is the Spec for Studio 100 v5

Design :5-driver, 3-way floorstanding
Crossover: 3rd-order electro-acoustic at 2.0 kHz; 3rd-order electro-acoustic at 300 Hz (bass drivers)
Frequency Response On-Axis : ±2dB from 45 Hz - 22 kHz
Frequency Response 30° Off-Axis : ±2dB from 45 Hz - 20 kHz
High Frequency Driver : 25-mm (1 in) G-PAL™ dome, ferro-fluid damped / cooled, die-cast heatsink chassis, IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™
Mid/Bass Frequency Driver : 178-mm (7 in) S-PAL™ cone, 38-mm (1-1/2 in) voice-coil, AVS™ die-cast heatsink chassis, IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™
Low Frequency Driver : Three 178-mm (7 in) mineral-filled polypropylene cones, 38-mm (1-1/2 in) voice-coils, AVS™ die-cast heatsink chassis, IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™
Low Frequency Extension : 25 Hz (DIN)
Sensitivity Room / Anechoic : 92 dB / 89 dB
Impedance : Compatible with 8 ohms
Suitable Amplifier Power Range :15 - 350 watts
Maximum Input Power : 230 watts
Weight : 78 lbs. (35.4 kg)
Dimensions HxWxD 44.125" × 9.5" × 17"

 

[Bill C]

Looks like the RX-A2070 is popular too

 

[lovinthehd]

Below is the Spec for Studio 100 v5

Design :5-driver, 3-way floorstanding
Crossover: 3rd-order electro-acoustic at 2.0 kHz; 3rd-order electro-acoustic at 300 Hz (bass drivers)
Frequency Response On-Axis : ±2dB from 45 Hz - 22 kHz
Frequency Response 30° Off-Axis : ±2dB from 45 Hz - 20 kHz
High Frequency Driver : 25-mm (1 in) G-PAL™ dome, ferro-fluid damped / cooled, die-cast heatsink chassis, IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™
Mid/Bass Frequency Driver : 178-mm (7 in) S-PAL™ cone, 38-mm (1-1/2 in) voice-coil, AVS™ die-cast heatsink chassis, IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™
Low Frequency Driver : Three 178-mm (7 in) mineral-filled polypropylene cones, 38-mm (1-1/2 in) voice-coils, AVS™ die-cast heatsink chassis, IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™
Low Frequency Extension : 25 Hz (DIN)
Sensitivity Room / Anechoic : 92 dB / 89 dB
Impedance : Compatible with 8 ohms
Suitable Amplifier Power Range :15 - 350 watts
Maximum Input Power : 230 watts
Weight : 78 lbs. (35.4 kg)
Dimensions HxWxD 44.125" × 9.5" × 17"

Have you found any reviews with third party measurements? That's where you'll find better info than the manufacturer's spec, especially for impedance swings thru the frequency range. They're relatively sensitive so shouldn't be too hard for an amp to drive in that respect.

 

[TLS Guy]

If it is reliability you are worried about, I would go separates with Pre/pro and external amps.

Receivers never a good idea are now monstrosities with power amps having no business inside such increasingly complex devices. They way things are headed I do thing receivers will go as more and more run into premature failures and a parts availability nightmare.

I would run as fast as I could away from any receiver offered. This inclination gets worse by the year.

 

[SeismicHT]

If it is reliability you are worried about, I would go separates with Pre/pro and external amps.

Receivers never a good idea are now monstrosities with power amps having no business inside such increasingly complex devices. They way things are headed I do thing receivers will go as more and more run into premature failures and a parts availability nightmare.

I would run as fast as I could away from any receiver offered. This inclination gets worse by the year.

The Denon X4300H is at a great price now for Black Friday. I’d consider running it as a prepro, you just lose balanced XLRs.


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[Bill C]

Thank you I got the Denon after setup in 7.1 it better than the Marantz 6011 I feel may the 6011 did not have enough power. Did biamp in both cases, front stage is still missing detail look like the calibration set the crossover to 80. Is 5.1.2 a better setup .

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you I got the Denon after setup in 7.1 it better than the Marantz 6011 I feel may the 6011 did not have enough power. Did biamp in both cases, front stage is still missing detail look like the calibration set the crossover to 80. Is 5.1.2 a better setup .

Passive bi-amping with an avr is mostly a waste of wire...your speakers were set to small with the 80hz xover? No opinion on the 5.1.2 setup, since I can't easily install speakers in/on the ceiling nor have an avr to do it with.

 

[Bill C]

LCR where set to large; biamp is waste I will change that and try again , I tested for an hour and the 4300 was really hot hope that do not create issues, what should be the crossover frequency.?

 

[lovinthehd]

LCR where set to large; biamp is waste I will change that and try again , I tested for an hour and the 4300 was really hot hope that do not create issues, what should be the crossover frequency.?

Set to large the LCR are not being crossed over, they'd need to be set to small for that; hopefully you're not using LFE+Main setting. Crossover at 80 is a good starting point. What sub(s)?

Do you have sufficient free air space around the avr? If confined you may want to think about adding cooling via fans...