Need help with Receiver Selection

[raj_menon]

Hello Everyone:

This is my first post here. In another month or so, I will have a finished basement where I plan to put the following 7.1:
Ascend 340 L&R
Ascend 170s rear and side surrounds
SVS PB12 Plus2 sub (may go with two of these but depends on the wife )
A 60-70" 1080p TV - undecided between LCoS, HD-iLA and DLP

I had almost decided to go with the Denon 4806 but when Denon announced that manufacturer warranty will be good only if you buy it at authorized dealers (Read: at MSRP of $3500 ) I looked at the the Hk-7300. But despite the mighty amps and video upconversion, with no HDMI and issues with 7.1 audio flag and fan noise and heating issues, I had decided to wait for the HK 740. And then the Yamaha Rx-Z9 came up at a very good bargain and now I am totally confused . I have heard nothing but good things about the Rx-Z9 but is it worth compromising over HDMI inputs?

I have two sources with HDMI output - DVD player and Dish Receiver. Should I:
1. Buy an external HDMI switcher and bypass the receiver to the TV and go with the Rx_Z9 or maybe even the HK-7300?
2. Risk the Denon warranty and get a 4806 at a cheaper than MSRP via pricegrabber?
3. Wait another month and reconsider my optons? Will anything change in a month?

Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Rajiv

 

[jcPanny]

receiver for ascend

Your speakers are 8 ohms and pretty efficient, so you wont need a flagship receiver to drive them. If you don't need HDMI ( or wouldn't mind buying an external switch later ) than consider the Yamaha RX-V2500 and Denon 3805. If you must have HDMI switching, then go for the newer Yamaha RX-V2600 and Denon 3806 models.

Both speakers would work great as a pre-pro should you decide to upgrade your speakers in the future and require external amplification.

I would recommend buying from authorized dealers so that you have a valid warranty.

 

[DaveOCP]

First, as for the TV, I suggest DLP. HD-iLA is just JVC's brand name for their LCoS technology, its the same as Sony's "SXRD". I highly recommend DLP over LCoS. Not only do DLP sets generally look better, but there's a much bigger chance of getting a set that doesnt work right if you get an LCoS TV. The failure rate for LCoS TVs is significantly higher than LCD or DLP. Toshiba tried making a set a few years ago, and abandoned it when they couldnt get enough to actually work. Hitachi originally planned to introduce a full line of 1080p LCoS TVs this year, but those plans were scrapped when they too couldnt get their TVs to actually function correctly.

As for individual models, check out Toshiba's 60 and 70 inch sets. They are significantly less expensive ($1000 or more) than a comparable Samsung, and I think both their cabinets and the actual picture quality are better than Samsung.

I'm not a fan of either HK or Yamaha. From what I've read, the RX-Z9's high-res upconversion makes the picture look much worse than it otherwise would have at standard res.

Toshiba's DLP sets have two HDMI inputs (at least the HMX series does, not sure about the HM) so you can probably get by without HDMI switching on the receiver. If you're willing to go without, you can probably get a good deal on a Pioneer Elite 59TXi, which in my opinion blows the RX-Z9 out of the water.

If you've absolutely gotta have it, I suggest the Denon 3806 or 4306, or a Marantz SR-8500. Technically it has DVI switching, but HDMI > DVI cables are easy to come by.

 

[Nick250]

Please reconsider the allocation of your system budget. Speakers are the heart and soul of an audio system and therefore should be about 70% of your budget. Remember that $5000 speakers powered by a $500 receiver will sound fantastic, OTOH $500 speakers powered by a $5000 will sound pretty much the same as $500 speakers powered by a $500 receiver. See my point?

 

[AVRat]

Option #3. Nothing will change much, but with more research and questions you'll be making a more informed decision.

How big is your space & what is the max you'ld like to spend? Which of the latest & greatest features could you live without, or want?

One thing to take into consideration is that you'll probably be setting your X-over @ 80Hz so any power you have will be used more efficiently.

 

[raj_menon]

Thanks so much

Hi All:
Thanks much for the responses.

Nick250, I see your point about budget allocation. But I want in a sense to future-proof the receiver/amp section to a certain extent although in the AV world, nothing seems to last for more than a handful of months.

I have heard several good things about Ascend and when they are set up for a 7 ch. system, that does come close to $2K and that is probably the max I can afford now with the construction costs assuming more than anticipated proportions. I am however running conduits for both wall mount and floor stand sides/rear surrounds for if and when I feel the need for better speakers.

AVRat, I am also leaning towards Option #3. The HT space will be roughly 16 x 28 but is a part of a 28 x 24 area, not going to have the greatest of acoustics I guess. I have attached a file here to give you an idea.

As far as what I would like to have and what I can live without, I am unsure about HDMI with it getting rev'ed (1.1, 1.2??) but I have two sources and will need either a TV with two HDMI inputs or a switcher. Or like DaveOCP pointed out, consider DVI switching.

Some bass management program will be a big help. I really don't know how the YAPO, MCACC and the Audyssey all compare against one another and how complex it is to run these. In an odd-shaped setup like my room, I don't know what will sound the best.

My budget originally was ~$1500 -$2k for speakers (excluding sub), $1500 for a rx'er and about $4K for a good TV (hopefully something that accepts 1080p input over HDMI).

The system I am curently running is Energy Encore 5.1, Yamaha HTR 5280, Sony 36XBR450 in a 12x20 den and I am very happy with the sound and picture.

Thanks again,
Sincerely,

Rajiv

 

[gellor]

Some bass management program will be a big help. I really don't know how the YAPO, MCACC and the Audyssey all compare against one another and how complex it is to run these. In an odd-shaped setup like my room, I don't know what will sound the best.

Having just setup my RXV2500, I can tell you that YPAO is extremely easy to setup. The room I'm in is about the same size as yours (living room that opens into kitchen and dining room, roughly the same size...only tiled and lots of windows) and the yammy does a pretty good job.

One thing, I think it only manages bass down to like 60Hz. (you'll want to double-check that, but I didn't see any settings for below that)

 

[DaveOCP]

The auto setup programs that HK and Marantz have basically cant do much more than set speaker levels and distances. YPAO is good, but Pioneer's MCACC is significantly better. (Most reviews back this up). It offers significantly more adjustments over more frequencies, with more customizable options than YPAO has. I havent yet seen anything on the new system that Denon's 06 receivers use.

The difference between HDMI specs is support for SACD and DVD-A. HDMI 1.2 supports both, but I didnt think any receivers or DVD players had 1.2 ports yet. If you get a reciever with iLink ports such as the Denon 4306 or Pioneer Elite 74TXVi, you wont need to worry about that.

 

[raj_menon]

Thanks DaveOCP

I did read about the inconsistencies with the YAPO and its inability to manage anything below 60? Or was it 80Hz?

I will audition the Pio at BestBuy. Also, I need to educate myself about the iLink better. Thanks for your post.

Rajiv

 

[DaveOCP]

No problem. The 74TXVi seems to have more amplifer muscle than I originally thought. I've complained that the weight is down compared to the 56TXi, but it uses a different type of amplifer that allowed them to make it smaller and lighter. All of the Pioneer 50 series receivers use "ADE Mosfet" amps, while the new 70s use "Direct energy bipolar". While the 74TXVi doesnt do as well as my 56TXi in the all channels driven test, it does do VERY well for its price when driving one channel. It can push 170W before clipping, compared to 110W for the 56, and close to 300W @ 4ohms, compared to 220W for the 56.

 

[jcPanny]

Raj,
You don't need tons of power for the speakers you selected. If you decide down the road to upgrade to a pair of ineficient 4 ohm floorstanders, then you will need an outboard amp to drive them. A receiver like the Yamaha RX-V2500 works great as a pre-pro in this type of application as tested by audioholics.

Also, Axiom audio is comparable to the ascends you picked. You could get M60 floorstander fronts, VP150 center, and QS8 surrounds, and M2i rear surrounds for about $2K.