Sorry, I have been neglecting this post for a while, but things are hectic here in Minnesota. We have had a massive invasion by fascist Gestapo, and I'm not kidding. So, I am a little preoccupied.
Anyhow I had not idea of budget and even more importantly how many channels he required.
I have come to the conclusion that the addition of these Atmos channels has caused a significant decrease in quality to maintain price.
There really needs to be higher quality simpler units at a price more can afford. That means two or three channel units and may be 5.1 and not Audyssey or Dirac.
Most room are not suitable for more than 3.2 any way.
I agree separates is the way to go, but the cost for many will be too steep.
Those Marantz 7705 and 7706 I have come to the conclusion are in the Junk category. The 7705 failed at 5 years and would have damaged a lot of speaker systems. I have 8806 back, but it is really not a quality unit. The SNR is just not up to it. It is better in a 2.2 system, but I usually sit closer to the speakers, and you can hear background at the seated position. I can NOT recommend those units. The two older 7701 units I have a much better. The one in the Great room has hours upon hours of use and is a real workhorse. So with Atmos basic quality has gone down the tubes.
So that means the AV 20 or AV 10. When you add all the power amps required that puts the system out of the reach of the many.
If I could not design and build my speakers and have good vintage gear that I can service, there is no way I could afford the quality of the system I enjoy.
