Which HT Receiver Should I Keep?

[electricdick]

I have a Denon AVR-3805 and a Carver C-1000 HT receiver. Currently I have the Denon connected (5.1) so the Carver is boxed. Both have strong points as well as weaknesses. I will sell one (eventually....really) but I cannot decide which one I should keep.

My HT system consists of:

Hitachi 60V500A 60" LCD Projection TV
Yamaha CDR HD1500
Panasonic DVD-RP56
Mirage OM-7, OM-C3, OM-L/R2HB and the LF-150 (8") sub

D ick

 

[Seth=L]

You could keep the Carver and use it as an amplifier for the Denon using the preouts.

 

[electricdick]

Which One

Interesting but I do not understand what that will get me.

I prefer a simple set up and am very pleased with the Denon (or Carver) used alone. My family really has gotten a lot of miles out of the HT.

A bit of history; I had purchased the Carver in about 2001 for 1400 Canadian. It was a demo and I had problems right away. I shipped it to Washington for repairs then again due to a 60 hz hum. It was gone along time so I picked up the Denon (neighbor owns a AV shop).

The Denon came back and was used in a sitting room until I moved about a year and half ago. I also have a small Pioneer Elite (2.1) in the room so the Carver is still in the box.

The Carver is superior with it's simplicity, separation (sonic holigraphy?), remote control and raw grunt.

The Denon has an equalizer, is very reliable, upgrades my video to component.

The Carver "cons" not reliable (crap!).

The Denon "cons" I need my glasses to use the remote, have to replace the remotes batteries frequently, the separation is only "okay", and everyone has one.

Once I decide what to keep then I have to think of something to buy with the extra AV loot!

D ick

 

[Nuglets]

What Seth is saying is that you use the Denon for all the sound processing, connect it to the Carver via preouts and use the Carver to amplify the signal. It would work but in my opinion that is a bit...I'll say 'ghetto' for lack of a better term. What I would do is sell the Carver if the only thing you like about it is it's power capabilities and go pick up a separate amplifier to connect to your Denon preouts. If you have trouble selling it for what you would like, then I would consider saving it for another 2-channel setup in the future.

 

[Seth=L]

I didn't realize the Carver was so new. The Carver Corp went bankrupt a few years back and Bob Carver started Sunfire. Why that receiver is a Carver, I don't even know why. It looks almost exactly like the Sunfire Cinema Receivers.

I would keep the Carver, it is a powerhouse. If you don't plan on doing 7.1 for a while I would return the Denon. I wouldn't think the Carver would have any more problems, especially if you have had it serviced already.

 

[electricdick]

Carver

Hi Seth, Nuglets.

Thanks for your opinions. I wish I had the time to have posted a poll. They are fun and usually get many more responces.

Seth, I think the C-1000 came out about the same time as Mr Carver was moving to Sunfire so there are some similarities in appearance. Performance, well I'm not so sure about that.

I paid a full retail for the Denon and would eat a bunch of cash on it's re-sale. I have noticed there is some interest in Carver products and a healthy re-sale value too.

I would like a couple more opinions and if I get some time I'll connect the Carver to double check the separation.

Back into "lurking mode".

D ick

 

[highfihoney]

I didn't realize the Carver was so new. The Carver Corp went bankrupt a few years back and Bob Carver started Sunfire. Why that receiver is a Carver, I don't even know why.

Hi seth,the company that bob carver owned called carver was awarded to bob's wife in a divorce settlement & was still in operation when bob started sunfire,carver continued to produce home gear & pro gear at the same time as sunfire which was when carver gear started showing up in the main stream stores like circut city,customers of these stores did not respond well to the high priced carver gear & most audiophiles ran from the brand once it became mainstream,the rest is history.

 

[highfihoney]

I paid a full retail for the Denon and would eat a bunch of cash on it's re-sale. I have noticed there is some interest in Carver products and a healthy re-sale value too.

I would like a couple more opinions and if I get some time I'll connect the Carver to double check the separation.

Back into "lurking mode".

D ick

Hey ****,sorry i couldnt resist Anyhow if it were my choice i'd sell off the carver & use its "late model" status as a selling point,right now carver gear is commanding a pretty high resale,just be sure to take a bunch of good high res photo's & write a good description of the reciever & try to include a link or two of some reviews of the reciever,also be sure to write an accurate & easy to read full description of all the recievers specs.If you still have the factory packing use that to your advantage as well & be sure prospective buyers are aware that it has its packing & show a photo of it too,carver collectors will pay much more for gear with its factory packing,not many carver packing box'es survived & are more rare than the gear itself.

 

[Seth=L]

In the case of resale and such, keep the Denon, and sell the Carver.

My last testiment!

 

[electricdick]

Caver or Denon

Thanks again to all.

My name is officially Richard but friends/family call me D ick (without the space). We can start a new thread of "D ick" jokes just in case there is one out there I haven't heard.

I have the manuals, remotes and boxes for all my gear.

I am a member of a Carver forum and understand the current value of the C-1000. The older Carver gear is selling at a huge premium right now. People (technicians I suspect) are snapping up broken equipment for the spare parts, I think.

Again, it's the channel separation that makes the Carver really stand out. It has a switch for "Sonic Holigraphy". I do not fully understand how it works and I was sceptical until I sat with the Denon.

Now lurking...