Why are heavier receivers better?

[medstyle]

Hi, I was just wondering what makes receivers that are heavy better. I know top of the line models, like the pioneer vsx-59tx, have triple layer construction, large capacitors and a heavy power unit. But i don:t understand what that means.

Could someone break it down for me? I have a vsx-52tx, which sounds great to me, but I wonder what I am missing out on and whether i should upgrade.

Thanks guys.

 

[jaxvon]

Heavier indicates that many of the components are bigger or there are more of them. A big power supply means that your reciever can crank out more juice to your speakers. Also, a big power supply allows for more headroom when the music gets demanding. Sometimes a reciever that is underpowered may start to sound harsh when it starts running out of clean power.

Lots of/big capacitors are also important for supply peak power when you get short but powerful peaks in your musical program.

Not sure which triple-layer contruction you're talking about, but it might be the PCB (printed circuit board).

Heavy recievers will probably also feature larger heatsinks for cooling, meaning lower operating temperatures and longer lifespan.

 

[gene]

Could someone break it down for me? I have a vsx-52tx, which sounds great to me, but I wonder what I am missing out on and whether i should upgrade.

Do not throw money away on new equipment until you address the following:
1) Proper speaker placement and setup
2) Proper acoustical treatment of your room (not necessarily sound panels)
3) Adding an extra sub with proper integration to provide more uniform bass response in your room.

Check out our Acoustics and Set-Up tips pages for more guidance.