What receiver do you recommend?

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My current set up:

My Denon 4800 drives my 2 rear speakers and my ATI1506 Amp drives my front 3 channels. I have a HSU VTF-3 MK3 sub.

My front speakers are Dynaudio 1.3MKIIs and my center is the Dynaudio Contour. My rears are Dynaudio Audience 52s. All are 4 ohm except the center is 6 ohm.

I have a Pioneer Elite 50" plasma. Model is 1150 I believe. Last of the 720P models I think.

I currently have a Panasonic DVR (model DMR- EH55) that I use for playing CDs and for playing DVDs. I plan on keeping this just for recording and soon purchasing the Oppo 83 BluRay and use it as my DVD/CD/BluRay player.

Also have an Apple TV that I use to send my music and pics to my receiver or TV.

My room is 13 x 19. I sit about 11.5 feet from the screen and front speakers and the surrounds sit behind me about 7 feet away. Sub is in the front corner of the room. This room is our family room, so WAF is important.

I want to upgrade my receiver and desire the following items:

- want the receiver to drive the 2 rear surrounds and use my ATI amp to drive the front 3 channels.

- would like the flexibility of setting the crossover at different levels if I so desire for my front and center and rears.

- Audessey Multi EQ or something similar for room correction and auto setup

- Dolby Volume or something similar to equalize volume from various sources as well as from TV to commercials

- Audessey Dynamic Volume - to still get some dynamics at lower volumes for when the children are sleeping

- Latest and greatest sound processing for 5.1 set up.

I'm open to a receiver that will fit those needs or to a Pre-pro and adding an amp to drive 2 channels. I'm looking for the best value. I'm not going to spend more than $2000 for a new receiver and/or pre/pro plus amp. And I will consider used. I bought my amp used and all of my speakers used and they have served me very well.

What equipment do you suggest for my needs?

And one other question....currently I run all audio thru my receiver and all video directly to the inputs of my Pioneeer Elite plasma. Is this what I should do when I get a new receiver?

Thanks for your input!!

 

[Knucklehead90]

Since you already have a 3 channel amp why not get another 2 channel for the surrounds and buy a prepro? Emotiva makes a UPA-2 that is more than capable of powering most any surrounds - it has 125wpc.

The Emotiva UMC-1 prepro began shipping this week after many delays. At $699 it seems quite a bargain. You'd have to wait until well into Feb or March to get one if - as I surmise - you aren't on their 'list' - as they are currently filling the pre-order list made many moons ago.

Another prepro that may interest you is the Integra DHC 40.1. I just bought one - it'll be here next week. For about $300 more than the UMC-1 I think it has enough features to be more than worth the bucks over the UMC-1. With features like internet radio and updates to firmware over the internet directly from the prepro - and most importantly Audyssey MultEQ room correction software that I'm sure is better than the 'Emo-Q' that Emotiva is touting.

Video switching is something most makers have down pretty well by now - I'd channel video to the AVR/AVP if only to lessen lip sync issues that can and do crop up when video is routed directly to the display. Plus you won't get the latest audio formats if you do that - HDMI carries the newest lossless audio. Optical and coax can only do lossy audio.

 

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Thanks!

I just went and looked at the specs on the Integra pre/pro and it looks very appealing. I have heard of past heat related issues with Onkyo/Integra products. Did this concern you at all before you decided to go with the DHC- 40.1?

 

[Knucklehead90]

I'd be very surprised if a prepro has heat issues. Some of the Onkyo AVRs do have heat issues. Some people cram them into a credenza - shut the door and forget all about it until it throws off sparks and quits working - then they come to places such as here and start carping about 'that damned Onkyo' burning up. Sometimes when I suggest users concerned about heat that they get a fan to keep it cool I get flack for suggesting any fan should need to be added to any AVR. My take is that keeping it cool will extend the life of the product - makes sence to me. People do this all the time with cars motorcycles computers and all manner of equipment that generates heat.

I've owned 2 Onkyos prior - an SR506 AVR and an SC885 prepro - neither generated an overabundance of heat although both got warm. My AV rack is open on the back with a glass door on the front that allows air circulation.

I wouldn't worry about the heat - if it gets warm I put a fan on it. I owned an HK AVR 520 for 8 years that ran fairly hot and I kept a fan at the back to pull out hot air. My sister has it now and it still works just fine - well past the lifetime of many other AVRs.

 

[PENG]

The DHC-40.1's power consumption is about half that of the higher models so I wouldn't worry about heat. If you step up to the 80.1 or 9.9 then I would add a fan. Those two would generate heat comparable to say a 100W incandescent light bulb.

 

[highfigh]

I installed a system with Dynaudio Audience 52 (L/R), 42C and 42W using a Denon receiver and they have never had an issue with the receiver, sound or anything else and the system is used a lot.

 

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4 ohm Dyns

Yes, my current Denon 4800 drives the rear Dyn Audience 52s fine and has done so for years.