Nick250 said:
If you stop and think about it, there is many, many times the money going into the R&D of AV receivers than integrated amps. You tell me, in what way is the power supply deficient in my Denon 3806 for example? Run it in stereo pure direct mode clearing the signal path of processing, in what way is the $1000 (what I paid for the 3806) integrated amp superior? I am not knocking your position or your experience. Maybe if I did an a/b on them in my den I would see it differently. Hell, the sound is mostly about speakers and room acoustics anyway IMO, so I think we maybe we are just picking nits here anyway. Be well.
Regards, Nick
You're right Nick. There is indeed many times more money going into R&D on AV receivers... but the vast majority of it is going into surround modes, processing and decoding capabilities, on-screen and front of box displays, set-up procedures, and paying for royalties to be able to put those cute little Dolby Digital, DTS, and THX logos on the front panel... most anything except the QUALITY of the sound... especially in terms of STEREO sound.
On the other hand, manufacturers making integrated amps and separates are putting their R&D money into how to design the best power supply, how to design the best audio circuitry, how to minimize distortion, how to get the best SOUND for the dollar.
I do not say this to put you down or to make you unhappy with your Denon. AV receivers do have their place, and many people love them. However, for true stereo sound, they just don't cut the mustard.
Try this, take a look at the power supply in any mass market AV receiver. Note the size, number, type, and brad of the filter capacitors, note the size adn type of the primary transformer. While you're in there, take a look at the number of output transisters for the two primary channels (no fair counting the output transistors for all those other channels).
Now take a look at an integrated amp costing roughly 2/3rds of the price. I can almost guarantee that the filter caps will be more numerous and/or larger, that the transformer will be at least the same size (for just 2 channels, instead of 5, 6, or 7), and that the output transistors will be higher quality and more numerous. Those are the things that will impact the quality of the sound produced... and that's just the start.
There are any number of other items that would tend to give an integrated the advantage over your AV receiver: typically shorter and more simple signal paths, typically higher quality relays and volume controls, typically higher quality and closer tollerance resisters and capacitors, fewer (or no) IC chips (I.E., use of discrete parts), etc., etc. I can't say that all integrated amps have all of these advantages... but many do, and there are a goodly number that will have all of these advantages and more over the typical AV receiver.
If you really take the time to listed to a decent integrated, and compare it directly to an AV receiver operating in "pure direct" stereo mode... I have no doubt whatsoever that the integrated will trounce 90% of the AV receivers on the market.
