THX receivers

[Cygnus]

I recall that there is one black HK, but I cant remember what model it was. Looked really sharp though!

 

[droeses58]

I'd say go HK. The 335 is a more "bare bones" receiver, but that allows you to keep it simple. The 335 will sound great with music and movies. Also Harmon and Infinity are the same company, so you'll be remainig brand loyal if that means anything to you. Harmans are not available in black however (not for some time now).

All the h/k's are a combo black/silver which means they'll go with anything!

I agree also that the h/k would be a better option than the yamy but I also like the pioneer, have had two pioneer's and both very reliable. I now have the h/k 635, which I guess means I like that one better now

 

[kiran_sham]

whats THX? (hides behind a couch)

kidding aside ... a yamaha rxv750/757 costs USD428 and an RXV 1500 costs USD785 (thats converted to USD)

is THX worth the extra clams? what difference is there?

Just FYI, you get RXV 1500 for as less as $525 online!

 

[mike c]

ive found both units (335 and 1500) for about the price of USD607
we dont have the benefit of online purchases here

HK 335 specs

yamaha 1500 specs

the pros and cons
HK -
con 55watts
con non-THX
pro brand name
pro nice front panel
pro compatibility

yamaha -
pro 120watts RMS
pro THX
pro ive used this before (rx-v 640)
con non-combatibility?
con so-so front panel
con non-US brand name

 

[jaxvon]

Mike, what's the issue of compatability with the Yamaha receiver? I can't think of many things aren't compatible with it.

 

[mike c]

jaxvon,

compatibility: wont the HK units match better with infinity units because they are from the same maker? (as mentioned above)

ALTHOUGH, ive used my yam with jbl speakers before (but im not really an authority on what sounds good or not)

 

[brian32672]

The Yamaha IMO is a much nicer unit. It also weighs more. Not by much, but that should say that power supply is beefier. The HK weighs 31lbs under the Yamaha at 34lbs.

IMO I also think the Yamaha is a cleaner look than the HK. With the door that hides a lot of buttons. But the HK is a very nice looking product compared to their older lines.

Once again THX is a certification, as 98% of the people here would agree. Honestly the 2% that say you need THX, well I would go as far as saying they do not know what they are talking about. There are 4,000.00+ units that are not THX certified, but would easily pass the certification process. Once again the savings of having it certified would be passed on to you in the form of more money for that logo.

BTW, I am a THX receiver owner...... But it should not be the main part of what your decission comes down to. The power specs on the HK are probably a very true power. And very clean for that matter. However as stated before, even with my 1015tx that has a higher THD. I by no means (and I'm not alone) hear any distortion at super loud levels that I would only go up to once in awhile (just for testing purposes).

If you want some easy opinions and not explanations, then mine is go for the Yamaha out of those 2 choices and be happy. (I'm positive you will be happy)

That is unless you can figure out how to get a 1015tx.........

 

[jaxvon]

Yeah, they ARE both made my Harman International, but the Yamaha is a very quality unit. Good, flat response, and lots of goodies. Much more than the Harman unit. The Harmans are sometimes thought of as "warm" (not sure myself), but since the Infinities are good speakers with nice response. I think you should go with the receiver that offers the most functionality and connectivity, and to me, that's the Yamaha. Plus, Yamaha is known for their very good preamp outputs, which means that if you ever want to add external amps later on, you can do so without worry.

 

[brian32672]

Thanks for the chicklet Mike. You may also want to change your signature since you are looking at other receivers. Just a thought....

EDIT:: jaxvon, what are your thoughts on post 27?
I BTW got a chicklet for mainly just giving him a absolute choice of the 2 he is looking at.
Which is kinda what he is looking for, more of a poll....

 

[rgriffin25]

The Yamaha IMO is a much nicer unit. It also weighs more. Not by much, but that should say that power supply is beefier. The HK weighs 31lbs under the Yamaha at 34lbs.

IMO I also think the Yamaha is a cleaner look than the HK. With the door that hides a lot of buttons. But the HK is a very nice looking product compared to their older lines.

Once again THX is a certification, as 98% of the people here would agree. Honestly the 2% that say you need THX, well I would go as far as saying they do not know what they are talking about. There are 4,000.00+ units that are not THX certified, but would easily pass the certification process. Once again the savings of having it certified would be passed on to you in the form of more money for that logo.

BTW, I am a THX receiver owner...... But it should not be the main part of what your decission comes down to. The power specs on the HK are probably a very true power. And very clean for that matter. However as stated before, even with my 1015tx that has a higher THD. I by no means (and I'm not alone) hear any distortion at super loud levels that I would only go up to once in awhile (just for testing purposes).

If you want some easy opinions and not explanations, then mine is go for the Yamaha out of those 2 choices and be happy. (I'm positive you will be happy)

That is unless you can figure out how to get a 1015tx.........

I guess I am one of the few that believe THX certification means something. Does it mean it is necessary? NO. Actually if I remember correctly to actually benefit from having a THX receiver each of the other components in your HT must be THX certified. This means receiver/ pre-amp, Amp, DVD player, Speakers, and subwoofer all need to be certified for a listener to truely hear a THX quality Home Theater. I also believe room treatment is a must to acheive the superior sound. SO my question would be not how many people think it is necessary, rather how many people actually have a full fledged THX set-up?

I think the reason most people like to dis-credit the THX logo is that in the begining only high end audio equipment wore the badge. Now days you can find cheap receivers such as a Kenwood that wear the THX badge.

 

[brian32672]

I guess I am one of the few that believe THX certification means something. Does it mean it is necessary? NO. Actually if I remember correctly to actually benefit from having a THX receiver each of the other components in your HT must be THX certified. This means receiver/ pre-amp, Amp, DVD player, Speakers, and subwoofer all need to be certified for a listener to truely hear a THX quality Home Theater. I also believe room treatment is a must to acheive the superior sound. SO my question would be not how many people think it is necessary, rather how many people actually have a full fledged THX set-up?

I do not have a full fledged THX setup. But have heard one.
I also would say, the same with speakers/amps/etc.. the savings of having it THX certified would just be passed on to you. Does that mean that 98.9% of the equipment like RBH/Axiom/SVS speakers etc.. would not pass THX certification, or that it is not up or over par of what THX says is good. NO....
Without all the extra THX 'certified' equipment, do I hear a difference in the added sound modes. Well look at post #2.

 

[brian32672]

I do not have a full fledged THX setup. But have heard one.
I also would say, the same with speakers/amps/etc.. the savings of having it THX certified would just be passed on to you. Does that mean that 98.9% of the equipment like RBH/Axiom/SVS speakers etc.. would not pass THX certification, or that it is not up or over par of what THX says is good. NO....
Without all the extra THX 'certified' equipment, do I hear a difference in the added sound modes. Well look at post #2.

Just a note on this...
Take for example the 1015tx that is THX Select2 certified with a msrp of 650.00 And now the Denon 3805 which is not THX certified at a msrp of 1199.00 Now if Denon wanted to have this certified, surely it equals or surpasses the 1015. But then the msrp would probably jump to about 1499.00 just for that logo, and 2 added soundfields over the already numerous soundfields it already has. Honestly does the 2 added soundfields make a difference when listening to Dolby Digital, in Dolby Digtal mode over THX Dolby mode. I have to say, I think not...

I have tried all modes, and have to say there is such little difference that the THX logo is mainly what is paid for....

So once again, the decission should not rest completely on if it is THX 'certified' or not...

 

[rgriffin25]

The point of my post was that unless you are willing to go THX all the way it doesn't really matter.

 

[brian32672]

The point of my post was that unless you are willing to go THX all the way it doesn't really matter.

I agree 100%. But the point of my post was that you could actually have better equipment then something that was labeled THX certified. And that with a few components that are THX certified and a few that are not, you would actually have a system that is better then the THX HT standards....

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

More info on THX

IMHO, THX certified in a receiver means it has some ball$. We all know that digital media can require huge, clean power to belt out fantastic sound. Like Brian said, THX certification comes with a pricetag. If you purchase a unit that has been THX certified, you can be fairly confident you have a unit that meets higher amplification requirements. Pioneer, Kenwood, Yamaha, and Onkyo have found economical ways of doing this with "THX Select". Could it be mfg's found this certification doesn't sell units, by the results of Select II? Hmmm.

To throw a curveball into the mix, THX has broken down their ratings into subdivisions, like Select, Select II, Ultra, and Ultra II. IMO, this is to justify different products in different sized rooms. Take a look at these units that have been THX Select certified. Choose "select" and "receiver."

http://www.thx.com/mod/products/productFind.html

Brian hit the nail on the head when he said if Denon wanted to have the 3805 certified, they would have simply paid to do it. Same with HK.

There reaches a point in a flagship receiver, where cost isn't as important as perceived value, and every possible feature and rating is important to get your flagship unit on the charts to compete with the other mfg's flagships. People who go out and purchase a 5805, RX-V9, or 59TXi are generally upgrading from a similar lower end, same mfg. unit.

 

[brian32672]

Brian hit the nail on the head when he said if Denon wanted to have the 3805 certified, they would have simply paid to do it. Same with HK.

This is what I was getting at. Say for example, I have all THX certified equipment, except for a THX subwoofer. Actually I don't really like the M&K THX certified subs. But I had opted for a SVS B12-Ultra/2, but still kept the 80hz cut-off like THX calls for. Does this mean that the M&K would sound better, hit better at the 16hz feel it frequency. I think that it would not..
Could the B12 actually be able to stand for the THX logo? Uhm, 100% yes.
However for that simple little logo, you had bet your pants that it will cost 200.00 more dollars at least for that sub... This goes for all the THX certified equipment... Amps/PreAmps&Processors/Subs/Receivers/Speakers/etc..

But just because my HT was not 100% THX certified does not mean that my HT, would blow the socks off a THX HT.

 

[mike c]

ok, THX aside ... can you guys comment on the wattage;amperage;etc (power) of these 2 units?

Is HK conservative in stating their wattage, and is yam exaggerating its wattage?

 

[jaxvon]

Yes and yes, but in the end, i'd say Yammaha has a bigger amp section. I definitely would have to go Yamaha. Way more options, processing (auto calibrate!), connections, you name it. It will do all you want, and more, and have a good place in the future.

 

[Takeereasy]

The HK has an auto speaker setup as well Jaxvon . The fact that Harman makes both the Infinity and the HK does not make the two more compatible with each other. What I said was you could have some brand loyalty. All that means is you's be sticking with the same family of products, nothing more. Between the HK and the Yammie I'd take the HK in your situation. It is a much easier to get started with receiver, and while it may lack all the bells and whistles of the Yamaha it is a heck of a receiver. That Yamaha is a really good receiver, no doubt about it, but I think the HK will go better with what you described as your tastes. I don't think you can choose wrong with the options you've given yourself and you should be happy either way.

 

[mike c]

takeereasy. thanks, but can you elaborate on how the HK is better? (like "this is better because this gives more clean watts" ; "more power")
and can you help explain why a lot of people are saying the HK has more power when the specs say otherwise?

brian, ive demo-ed the 2 units but only like this ... yam amp with yam speakers ; HK amp with infinity speakers (different store, you see)