The Perfect Receiver ... Marantz SR7005, Yamaha RX-A2020 ... or is Denon 4311ci the best??

[little wing]

Yea, i found that room is very important, BUT ... Bass management with Marantz felt like it was not even close to what Yamaha 2020 or Denon 4311 did. I am still looking to get back the musicality and sound detail that Yamaha gave me during movies. It was just so much more exciting. But ... one can argue that the detail that I heard was due to Yamaha being so high toned and so in a way it overemphasizes the high tones that should not even sound that way, who knows.

Like I said, I am hoping that Yamah RX-V3900 that I got for just $600 does better than Denon 4311 or at least close so that I won't feel the need to pay twice as much to keep Denon.,

Looking forward to your review of the 3900

 

[bizmord]

So .... I now hooked up my "new" RX-V3900 that I got for $600.
Sound .... bass management is very strong. Almost identical to how great RX-A2020 sounded. Better than what I heard from Denon 4311 but not by crazy much. Dialog in movies is the best I heard to date. Simply perfect. and that's without Adaptive DRC or dynamic volume thing. The RX-V3900 to me sounds much better for regular TV programming than what I got from RX-A2020. However, Denon 4311 and Marantz SR7005 was a bit better for regular TV.

Marantz SR7005 was awesome for listening to regular Audio via CD player, but lacked in everything else.

I have yet to mess around with making regular TV sound better in RX-V3900 and the 2.1ch stereo also needs a bit of work but overall .... for $600 it's the best buy for me. I just don't see a need to pay $1,300 for Denon 4311 even though it did sound a bit better for regular TV programming, however, with more tweaks, I can't see why Yamaha would not be great for TV too.

 

[little wing]

So .... I now hooked up my "new" RX-V3900 that I got for $600.
Sound .... bass management is very strong. Almost identical to how great RX-A2020 sounded. Better than what I heard from Denon 4311 but not by crazy much. Dialog in movies is the best I heard to date. Simply perfect. and that's without Adaptive DRC or dynamic volume thing. The RX-V3900 to me sounds much better for regular TV programming than what I got from RX-A2020. However, Denon 4311 and Marantz SR7005 was a bit better for regular TV.

Marantz SR7005 was awesome for listening to regular Audio via CD player, but lacked in everything else.

I have yet to mess around with making regular TV sound better in RX-V3900 and the 2.1ch stereo also needs a bit of work but overall .... for $600 it's the best buy for me. I just don't see a need to pay $1,300 for Denon 4311 even though it did sound a bit better for regular TV programming, however, with more tweaks, I can't see why Yamaha would not be great for TV too.

How does the 3900 sound for plain 2-channel stereo (using analog inputs) ? I am looking to upgrade from my 2500, but don't need a bunch of video processing, as my sources are hooked straight into my TV via HDMI. I have read reviews that state the 3900 is a bit warmer sounding than other yamaha receivers. Do you find this to be true? Thanks Bizmord.

 

[PENG]

How does the 3900 sound for plain 2-channel stereo (using analog inputs) ? I am looking to upgrade from my 2500, but don't need a bunch of video processing, as my sources are hooked straight into my TV via HDMI. I have read reviews that state the 3900 is a bit warmer sounding than other yamaha receivers. Do you find this to be true? Thanks Bizmord.

The 3900 may have a little more power but not a bit warmer sounding in pure direct analog. Those are myths and hearsay talks you may be getting. You want it warm, just boost certain mid bass frequencies to your liking. I regularly go to live classical concerts, and found them as bright (or as warm) as my home audio system. There is no absolute definition of warm and bright and we are all guessing what and how "warm" is to each person. If you need more features, the 3900 is of course much better but I hate to see you get disappointed if you are just hoping for that so called warmer sound that we don't know exactly what it is to you. All I know is, there is no reason to believe the 3900 will sound different than your 2500 in analog pure direct. Of course if you engage any sort of sound processing then all bets are off and they will all sound different, but I am sure you know that already.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The 3900 may have a little more power but not a bit warmer sounding in pure direct analog. Those are myths and hearsay talks you may be getting. You want it warm, just boost certain mid bass frequencies to your liking. I regularly go to live classical concerts, and found them as bright (or as warm) as my home audio system. There is no absolute definition of warm and bright and we are all guessing what and how "warm" is to each person. If you need more features, the 3900 is of course much better but I hate to see you get disappointed if you are just hoping for that so called warmer sound that we don't know exactly what it is to you. All I know is, there is no reason to believe the 3900 will sound different than your 2500 in analog pure direct. Of course if you engage any sort of sound processing then all bets are off and they will all sound different, but I am sure you know that already.

Of course, you know I agree.

The big difference among processors is the effectuation of the bass management (like 2.1 Stereo vs 2.1 PD) and digital processing (RC/DSP/EQ).

 

[little wing]

The 3900 may have a little more power but not a bit warmer sounding in pure direct analog. Those are myths and hearsay talks you may be getting. You want it warm, just boost certain mid bass frequencies to your liking. I regularly go to live classical concerts, and found them as bright (or as warm) as my home audio system. There is no absolute definition of warm and bright and we are all guessing what and how "warm" is to each person. If you need more features, the 3900 is of course much better but I hate to see you get disappointed if you are just hoping for that so called warmer sound that we don't know exactly what it is to you. All I know is, there is no reason to believe the 3900 will sound different than your 2500 in analog pure direct. Of course if you engage any sort of sound processing then all bets are off and they will all sound different, but I am sure you know that already.

Thanks Peng. I think what I'm looking for is a fuller sound. I may have to look at changing speakers. But anyway, I rarely listen in Pure Direct, as there is no sub output, and it just sounds way too lean on most content. If the source is bass heavy, sometimes pure direct will do the trick, but most times I leave it alone and use "Straight" or "2 channel stereo".

I am not sure how to boost mid bass frequencies. I am afraid that if I go into the EQ and start messing with the Q, and the gain, I'll just screw it up, because I really don't have a good understanding of all that stuff.

 

[3db]

How does the 3900 sound for plain 2-channel stereo (using analog inputs) ? I am looking to upgrade from my 2500, but don't need a bunch of video processing, as my sources are hooked straight into my TV via HDMI. I have read reviews that state the 3900 is a bit warmer sounding than other yamaha receivers. Do you find this to be true? Thanks Bizmord.

I concur fully with PENG. Ignoring bass management and setting the receivers in Pure Direct, there will no audible difference in sound between the RX-V3900, teh RX-A2020, or the Denon4311 provided all three are operating within their design limits of power delivery. The "warmer" sound that is perceived by the listener is a preconceived notion based little on hearing and more on sight bias. To more accurately assess the sounds between the receivers requires a blind listening test and almost instantaneou switching between the receivers as accurate audatory memory lasts a fleeting 2 couple of minutes at best.

 

[3db]

Thanks Peng. I think what I'm looking for is a fuller sound. I may have to look at changing speakers. But anyway, I rarely listen in Pure Direct, as there is no sub output, and it just sounds way too lean on most content. If the source is bass heavy, sometimes pure direct will do the trick, but most times I leave it alone and use "Straight" or "2 channel stereo".

I am not sure how to boost mid bass frequencies. I am afraid that if I go into the EQ and start messing with the Q, and the gain, I'll just screw it up, because I really don't have a good understanding of all that stuff.

Play with the settings. It will not hurt anything and its a great learning exercise for you. If things do go amuck, a reset can be applied to teh receiver as outlined in the manual which resets everything back to the way it was when it left the factory. I've had to it once on my receiver to clear out the memory settings which I played with. After the reset, you will have to run the room correction again.

 

[little wing]

Play with the settings. It will not hurt anything and its a great learning exercise for you. If things do go amuck, a reset can be applied to teh receiver as outlined in the manual which resets everything back to the way it was when it left the factory. I've had to it once on my receiver to clear out the memory settings which I played with. After the reset, you will have to run the room correction again.

Thanks. Do you know what or where I would look to change mid bass frequencies?

 

[bizmord]

How does the 3900 sound for plain 2-channel stereo (using analog inputs) ? I am looking to upgrade from my 2500, but don't need a bunch of video processing, as my sources are hooked straight into my TV via HDMI. I have read reviews that state the 3900 is a bit warmer sounding than other yamaha receivers. Do you find this to be true? Thanks Bizmord.

2.1ch for analog music is something i need to spend some time tweaking. Right out of the box ... sounds for me was not awesome. I felt like Marantz and Denon4311 probably sounded a bit better .. Yamaha 3900 needed some boost in bass which I did and it made music sound better.

I'll be spending time adjusting analog CD 2.1 sound this week,. I'll report later on it.

one problem is that it's easy to forget how things sound with time ... i wish there was a quick switch to really A/B different receivers

 

[3db]

http://www.figment.biz/ServiceManuals/RX_V2500.pdf

Look at pages 56/112 and 60/112.

 

[bizmord]

my friend and I, 2 days ago demoed the two movies that I always use to judge the sound on the new Yamaha RX-V3900.

My fiance to say lightly already hates these two movies. Anyway, after watching Dark Knight (first scene and then where Batmans car rolls into garage) .... followed by movie Flight of the Phoenix (crash scene) .... we both looked at each other and he said ... your speaker tweeters and your sub deserve a f.... monument.

sound was great.

Especially the dialog ... sounded just like in movies ... and I mean ... identical to how dialog sounds in movies. so clear.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks Peng. I think what I'm looking for is a fuller sound. I may have to look at changing speakers. But anyway, I rarely listen in Pure Direct, as there is no sub output, and it just sounds way too lean on most content. If the source is bass heavy, sometimes pure direct will do the trick, but most times I leave it alone and use "Straight" or "2 channel stereo".

I am not sure how to boost mid bass frequencies. I am afraid that if I go into the EQ and start messing with the Q, and the gain, I'll just screw it up, because I really don't have a good understanding of all that stuff.

That's why I love Denon/Marantz Pure Direct 2.1, which outputs bass in Pure Direct mode when other processors cannot.

Pure Direct 2.1 = Bypass all processing (RC, EQ, DSP) + LFE Subwoofer bass glory.

 

[3db]

That's why I love Denon/Marantz Pure Direct 2.1, which outputs bass in Pure Direct mode when other processors cannot.

Pure Direct 2.1 = Bypass all processing (RC, EQ, DSP) + LFE Subwoofer bass glory.

In the analog domain too

 

[fmw]

For me the perfect receiver is one that fills my room with sound competently, has the switching and connectivity I need to use my components and the most popular AV decoding schemes. It should be reliable and affordable. I don't want to pay for things I don't need or use just because they are cool. I'm not that fussy I guess. It seems unnecessary to spend more than $600 on a receiver in this day and age unless the buyer needs something really unusual that I don't need. I'd rather spend the money on the TV screen and speakers which matter infinitely more to me. I currently use a 6 year old receiver that has separate inputs for XM and Sirius radio. Never used them. XM is now obselete. My receiver doesn't connect to the internet. I don't care. It only has 4 HDMI inputs. That's enough for me. It has some entertaining features like phase control. Never wanted it. Never used it. never even understood it. It has a 100 page manual. Haven't read it. In other words, the perfect receiver for me is the whatever is currently running reliably in my system. If I had to replace one, I'm positive I wouldn't spend over $600. I might choose one of the brands in the OP, but certainly not those models.

 

[little wing]

my friend and I, 2 days ago demoed the two movies that I always use to judge the sound on the new Yamaha RX-V3900.

My fiance to say lightly already hates these two movies. Anyway, after watching Dark Knight (first scene and then where Batmans car rolls into garage) .... followed by movie Flight of the Phoenix (crash scene) .... we both looked at each other and he said ... your speaker tweeters and your sub deserve a f.... monument.

sound was great.

Especially the dialog ... sounded just like in movies ... and I mean ... identical to how dialog sounds in movies. so clear.

I guess you found your perfect receiver then I presume you will be sticking with the 3900

 

[little wing]

For me the perfect receiver is one that fills my room with sound competently, has the switching and connectivity I need to use my components and the most popular AV decoding schemes. It should be reliable and affordable. I don't want to pay for things I don't need or use just because they are cool. I'm not that fussy I guess. It seems unnecessary to spend more than $600 on a receiver in this day and age unless the buyer needs something really unusual that I don't need. I'd rather spend the money on the TV screen and speakers which matter infinitely more to me. I currently use a 6 year old receiver that has separate inputs for XM and Sirius radio. Never used them. XM is now obselete. My receiver doesn't connect to the internet. I don't care. It only has 4 HDMI inputs. That's enough for me. It has some entertaining features like phase control. Never wanted it. Never used it. never even understood it. It has a 100 page manual. Haven't read it. In other words, the perfect receiver for me is the whatever is currently running reliably in my system. If I had to replace one, I'm positive I wouldn't spend over $600. I might choose one of the brands in the OP, but certainly not those models.

I hear you. I don't need many of the features on these new receivers anyways. I don't have a need for six HDMI inputs. How many HDMI sources do people normally have? Besides, if your TV and disc player are half way decent, what is the benefit of sticking another source in between the signal and your screen. I am sure there are some people who have a use for such things though.

 

[fmw]

I think it is important to know what you need and want. For the fun of it, I went shopping at the Pioneer site. I'm a loyal Pioneer owner and user for many years. The receiver I would buy from their line up is this one. When I go beyond this model I see things like 7.1 channels of amplification. My system is 5.1. The bigger receivers have multi-zone capability. I don't need it. The bigger receivers have 1 or 2 db more amplifier power. Psssssht. Meaningless. It would be silly for me to buy more. I feelsilly having bought the one I use now. It looks big and shiny but it doesn't do any more for me than the smaller one would.

 

[Cos]

HDMI Inputs I use:
1. Cable
2. Blu Ray Player
3. Xbox 360
4. PS4
5. IPAD/IPOD
6. Roku
They start to add up

 

[fmw]

Then you need a bigger one than I need. I was just trying to support the concept of choosing what you need and what you will use. If you use it, buy it.