panasonic SA-XR59 receiver

[popm8]

Hi.

What do you think of Panasonic receivers?

I'm not very impressed by them , they sound bright , lack bass etc

Any opinions ?

What should I choose for stereo music and sometimes movies ? I have 2 options : Onkyo TX-SR 605 receiver or Cambridge Audio AZUR 540A V2 amp.

My speakers are B&W 685 and a Pioneer subwoofer S-W150S-K


Thanks.

 

[Adam]

Well, the Onkyo 605 will make connections to your sub easier. I saw your other thread about connecting the CA 540A to that sub, and I'm not sure of the proper answer. The Onkyo, however, has a dedicated subwoofer pre-out.

As for movies, the Onkyo will excel because it has surround sound processing. How many speakers do you have?

Adam

 

[stan56]

Hi.

What do you think of Panasonic receivers?

I'm not very impressed by them , they sound bright , lack bass etc

Any opinions ?

What should I choose for stereo music and sometimes movies ? I have 2 options : Onkyo TX-SR 605 receiver or Cambridge Audio AZUR 540A V2 amp.

My speakers are B&W 685 and a Pioneer subwoofer S-W150S-K


Thanks.

So what is wrong exactly with the Panasonic av amp ?

Sound quality you describe,
quote:"Sound bright, lack bass" is more to do with the speakers you have rather than the amplifier I would think.

Or incorrect wiring of speakers, perhaps?
Lack of bass may be attributed to incorrect wiring (cross polarity) - cancellation of lower frequencies due to 180* phase reversal.. perhaps?

Or maybe there is a need for some "tweaking" of the sound fields to accomodate your room dynamics.

I'm considering the SA-XR59 as it appears to be the only amp which simplifies remote operation using VIERA link.
But it concerns me if the amp is NOT capable of driving good speakers properly.

When listening to stereo music, have you set the amp up for simple stereo (two channel) operation rather than full surround sound?
I beleive the SA-XR59 can bridge 2 (or 3) amplifiers to power 2 speakers (front left and front right) for listening to CD music for instance.

This would provide more power for driving speakers which require more "grunt"

I'd be keen to hear from anyone who has the SA-XR59 installed at home.

 

[popm8]

Now I use 2 speakers ( B&W 685 ) and a Pioneer subwoofer.

The setup is OK; I've tested with several field controls,speaker size ,bi-amp,bi-wire and bass/treble settings but not satisfied with the Panny

I'm not saying that Panasonic is bad , but I do think there are better options...for music


I listen most of the time stereo

I wonder if the speaker cable is OK :

LC1154
Description:BANDRIDGE Loudspeaker Cable. Description 2:2 X 1.5mm2. 100m Transparant

Ø 6.0 mm

2 conductors

Strands: 2 x 30 x 0.25

2 x 1.5mm2 OFC Conductor

http://blue.bandridge.nl/products/LC1154

What do you think ?


Now I'm testing with a Cambridge Audio 540A V2 amp . It's a different sound, more clear, more dynamic ...the bass not as expected but still OK

I'm still testing... but my first impression is that the amp is clearly better than the receiver for stereo music...

PS: The subwoofer is connected with a single cable (Left amp preout ---> subw IN), and it works very well...

 

[stan56]

Well I bit the bullet and bought the panny yesterday, as it has the features I need for integration with the DVD/HDD and Full HDTV.

I have a 5.1 room speaker setup...

For CD (stereo) selecting the dedicated 2-ch mode provides a better quality audio amplification.... no colouration due to sound processing.
I'm happy with it.

Still playing around with the sound fields for surround sound modes... There is an auto setup with a room mic supplied. I'll do that when I get home tonight.

I also need to pick up a longer (3m) HDMI cable to fully integrate the Viera link functionality with the TV and DVD/HDD player.

My first impressions are good.
although screwing down the rear speaker terminals was awkward for my fat fingers . Also there is a low level sub output for driving a powered sub

Hope you find a satisfactory solution for your needs.

but as to the Panasonic SA-XR59... I think its good.

 

[popm8]

so you're using CD input for stereo music ; what kind of cable do you use (interconnect)?

and what speakers? ... I think is important

 

[rnatalli]

Generally I doubt people can tell any difference between similarly-priced receivers, but in this case I believe the Panny uses class D amplification so there could be a difference. In any case, I would go with the Yammie 663 (has preouts, but only 2 HDMI ins) or Onkyo 606 (no preouts and 4 HDMI ins).

 

[stan56]

so you're using CD input for stereo music ; what kind of cable do you use (interconnect)?

and what speakers? ... I think is important

I also purchased the Panasonic DMR-XW300 DVD/HDD recorder.
CD's can be played through it....
I have both HDMI cable link to receiver as well as TOSlink optical cable .

Front speakers are Wharfedales .... bought quite a while ago.... can't remember the model .... ???
Then there's a powered SW and a pair of art deco wall mounted surround speakers (wife's choice). Good enough for creating movie sound immersion.

But stereo music goes through front speakers with amp in stereo mode... and sub still gets signal for providing an overall exceptional sound....

Let's not forget my age and hearing response ! They sound perfect to me

stan