Receiver commentary requested

[Kai]

Hi all,
It is time to upgrade my receiver and I have finally whittled my choices down to the following.
Denon AVR-1906 and the Integra DRT-4.6.
Cost is a factor...that is keeping it within what my wife goes along with hehehe.
I can get the Denon for $525 at my local stereo shop and the Integra for possibly $550 or $575 (they are asking $600) depending on how much pressure I can give the salesman and how willing he is to deal. Both shops are owned by the same person so the money all goes to the same pocket but the shops compete.

I have not had enough time to compare/contrast and will be going to both shops in the next few days armed with my cd's/dvd's. The Integra shop is where I got my Paradigms so I can listen to the rcvr with my speakers. The other shop carries Jamo and I may use them or ask to bring my Titans.

Do any of you have suggestions, info regarding these receivers?

All input is appreciated.

 

[tbewick]

I don't know anything about these receivers but you should get good performance from both. I've got a Denon receiver and have no major complaints. It is a bit clumsy to use, though. You have to use the on-screen menu for lots of adjustments which is irritating. I'd play around with the controls and see how easy it is to make adjustments.

I'd be wary of relying on subjective comparisions of the units as these don't tend to match up with objective test conclusions. Rip Van Woofer's has a page of useful links linked to on his signature:

http://bruce.coppola.name/audio/wisdom.html

I've skimmed through this one:

http://bruce.coppola.name/audio/Amp_Sound.pdf

and the important conclusion is that there was no statistical significance reached when comparing the amps.

Both receivers should have similar performance, but you could check the weight of each. The heavier unit may have a more capable power supply. Also check the specs rigorously, particularly for the DAC or digital output. It should be 0.1 % THD or lower, 100 dB S/N or more, and +/- 1 dB 20 Hz - 20 kHz. If you see any reviews for these units, they might have more detailed spec measurements, which Chris described here:

'Harmonic distortion should be analyzed seperately, not as a total value, unless that total value is known to be a typical spectral distribution. It's important to point this out becuase the THD number can be very low, and distortion can be audible, if it's distributed into unusually high levels into very high harmonics. This will not normally be an issue; but if equipment is defective, or very badly designed(refer to some exotic high-end gear). Also, IMD should be tested at narrow widths, at many individual points at high frequency limitations of the digital system in order to examine technical performance related to the anti-alias filter and the resample system used. Jitter is also of relevance, but will almost always be well under known audibility thresholds. If one really want to nitpick, the clock frequency of a particulare device should be measured if one suspects slight pitch change; as the system could be defective(out of tolerance parts). This should almost never happen, but it's a possibility.'

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=156357&postcount=35

 

[Swerd]

Denon AVR-1906 and the Integra DRT-4.6.

I can get the Denon for $525 at my local stereo shop and the Integra for possibly $550 or $575 (they are asking $600) depending on how much pressure I can give the salesman and how willing he is to deal.

The Denon and Integra are both pretty similar receivers, and I think either should be an improvement over your Sony. I don't know whether you will notice any significant differences in the limited time you can spend playing them in a store.

How much will you be depending on the owners' manuals for your new reciever? Denon receivers are good, but their manuals are among the most poorly written I've ever seen. The one Integra manual I've looked at was much easier to understand. You already are familiar with HT receivers in general, so this may not be such a big issue for you.

The most important issue may come down to price. If you want to buy from a local dealer, it is still worthwhile to know what the internet dealer prices are. It gives you some ammunition to bargain with. This is a comparison of some online dealer prices for the Denon AVR-1906.

http://imaging-resource.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=11891229/sort_type=bottomline

You can enter your own zip code and get shipping costs for you. As you can see, $525 is only $25 lower than retail price. With this info, try and see how low your local dealer will go.

 

[Kai]

I use the users manual to understand what they are describing the receiver can do and then play with the hardware to really learn what I can do with it.

The Sony manual was also clumsy to read and difficult to understand. They all seem to be written by engineers or technical writers that think we are all as knowledgeable as they are...jeez...

The Integra is a cleaner design over the Denon...which is no slouch...and looks to be easier to actually use.

Yes I do use online sites as "negotiating" tools when making a purchase. Quite often you can get a price match. I just print out the ad from a reasonable online site...rather than a site that is offering it at such a low price that I am suspicous of quality, backup, etc.

Small local business' are also interested in "repeat" business and will usually provide better service when things go "boom"...loaner, replacement, etc.

Thanks for the input, it is much appreciated.

 

[avliner]

Why not a 3005 instead??

Before dropping that kind of coin on a Denon 1906, I'd seriously think about spending a bit more to have a 3805, which would be a huge upgrade, indeed.
Just think about that. My 0.2 cents

Cheers / Avliner.