Would a newer receiver sound better?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

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.

The Marantz AV30 11.4 Ch AVP is now in stock. So don’t have to get AV10 or AV20.

I only use 9Ch, so a 9.4Ch AVP would be nice. But I don’t think anyone is going to make an AVP with less than 11Ch these days.

BTW, I just sold another set of AV20 + AMP20 (combo-promotion). Seems like these AV10/AV20/AV30 are selling like hotcakes.

 

[TLS Guy]

The Marantz AV30 11.4 Ch AVP is now in stock. So don’t have to get AV10 or AV20.

I only use 9Ch, but I don’t think anyone is going to make an AVP with less than 11Ch these days.

BTW, I just sold another set of AV20 + AMP20 (combo-promotion). Seems like these AV10/AV20/AV30 are selling like hotcakes.

That is interesting. Obviously there is a drive to quality. People are not wrong. The most expensive purchases you ever make, are junk. The problem is that it is not always easy to recognize it.

 

[lovinthehd]

Another vote for re-running setup/sharing your settings, modes you use, etc. Doubtful it would be worthwhile paying someone to run setup for you, but maybe you need some guidance/help on what to do particularly. The quality of sound is largely about your speakers and your room....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

We spend thousands of hours enjoying this hobby. So I think we should become comfortable with setting up our own systems at a minimum.

Applying Audyssey should be doable. Then increasing the Bass Speaker Channel Level after doing Audyssey should also be doable.

 

[gnorthern]

I didn't fill you in on the full story. Setting up receivers is not something I enjoy. I find pulling out my receiver to connect cables stressful. My youngest child passed away a month ago and my patience level has dropped dramatically. I am being especially irrational since I have already done it twice with my previous and current speakers. Let me be irrational right now.

I was just asking since my previous receivers lasted about 5 years each, and the second one was a normally very expensive receiver ($1800 on sale for $1000). On the second one besides the recommended 2" clearance, I drilled a 5" hole above it and attached a fan to exhaust heat. And I am not expecting to purchase an 8k tv anytime soon.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My previous receivers lasted about 5 years each

What brands were your previous AVR?

Maybe try the Yamaha RX-A2 7.2Ch AVR w/ 5 YR warranty and see if it lasts longer.

 

[flyboylr45]

I didn't fill you in on the full story. Setting up receivers is not something I enjoy. I find pulling out my receiver to connect cables stressful. My youngest child passed away a month ago and my patience level has dropped dramatically. I am being especially irrational since I have already done it twice with my previous and current speakers. Let me be irrational right now.

I was just asking since my previous receivers lasted about 5 years each, and the second one was a normally very expensive receiver ($1800 on sale for $1000). On the second one besides the recommended 2" clearance, I drilled a 5" hole above it and attached a fan to exhaust heat. And I am not expecting to purchase an 8k tv anytime soon.

Sucks your last couple of receivers only lasted 5 years but, damn, I am so sorry for the loss of your child…

 

[lovinthehd]

I didn't fill you in on the full story. Setting up receivers is not something I enjoy. I find pulling out my receiver to connect cables stressful. My youngest child passed away a month ago and my patience level has dropped dramatically. I am being especially irrational since I have already done it twice with my previous and current speakers. Let me be irrational right now.

I was just asking since my previous receivers lasted about 5 years each, and the second one was a normally very expensive receiver ($1800 on sale for $1000). On the second one besides the recommended 2" clearance, I drilled a 5" hole above it and attached a fan to exhaust heat. And I am not expecting to purchase an 8k tv anytime soon.

You could always hire someone in that case but whether you need a new receiver or not is still questionable; your current one could well be fine. If you do get another receiver most likely the difference will be perhaps in features/connectivity, but not likely the sound itself unless the current one is broken.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[TLS Guy]

I didn't fill you in on the full story. Setting up receivers is not something I enjoy. I find pulling out my receiver to connect cables stressful. My youngest child passed away a month ago and my patience level has dropped dramatically. I am being especially irrational since I have already done it twice with my previous and current speakers. Let me be irrational right now.

I was just asking since my previous receivers lasted about 5 years each, and the second one was a normally very expensive receiver ($1800 on sale for $1000). On the second one besides the recommended 2" clearance, I drilled a 5" hole above it and attached a fan to exhaust heat. And I am not expecting to purchase an 8k tv anytime soon.

Where are you located? May be we have a member who lives nearby that would be willing to assist you.

 

[Golfx]

I didn't fill you in on the full story. Setting up receivers is not something I enjoy. I find pulling out my receiver to connect cables stressful. My youngest child passed away a month ago and my patience level has dropped dramatically. I am being especially irrational since I have already done it twice with my previous and current speakers. Let me be irrational right now.

I was just asking since my previous receivers lasted about 5 years each, and the second one was a normally very expensive receiver ($1800 on sale for $1000). On the second one besides the recommended 2" clearance, I drilled a 5" hole above it and attached a fan to exhaust heat. And I am not expecting to purchase an 8k tv anytime soon.

Oh wow—I can not imagine the hollow feeling that must produce in a parent. So sorry.

Because you do not like hassles I would buy new AND hire a reputable calibrator to set it up for you. Easier and has a better chance of longer term use.

 

[gnorthern]

What brands were your previous AVR?

Maybe try the Yamaha RX-A2 7.2Ch AVR w/ 5 YR warranty and see if it lasts longer.

Onkyo and Denon

 

[gnorthern]

Onkyo and Denon.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Onkyo and Denon

Yeah. I would try Yamaha Avanatge AVR w/ the 5YR warranty.

 

[PENG]

Sadly, HDMI 2.0 and limited to 4k@60Hz only is pretty much a wet blanket on the Tide 16. It's a non-starter because of it for me. It's a shame because, otherwise, it would of great interest to me. It makes no sense to me why, then I expect the build cost difference to just use current spec HDMI would likely be trivial (a few dollars?), they would handicap what is clearly meant to be a high-end solution.

Sorry. I know this is slightly off topic but this is the first mention of the Tide 16 I've seen mentioned here so far.

Not exactly off topic but you are right about "slightly"..

I agreed it would have been much better if they launch this thing with HDMI2.1 but I also understand there are many people who don't currently need 2.1 and have no plan to change that fact any time soon because to those people, there are no easy way to get 8K contents other than games, so if they have no need to play the latest games, they really won't miss 2.1 and they might appreciate at least miniDSP did manage to include some of the 2.1 features, below is from their FAQ:

There’s quite a bit to unpack:

• Yes, the spec list mixes HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 features. That’s because HDMI is a bundle of different capabilities, and we support some HDMI 2.1 functions (like eARC and VRR) but not bandwidth‑heavy ones such as 8K60 or 4K120. Those require a different class of chipset.
• The first major challenge was chipset availability. Accessing true HDMI 2.1 switching chipsets is far from straightforward—the supply chain hurdles are real. If we had waited for them, Tide16 wouldn’t exist today. Choosing a mature HDMI 2.0b platform (which still supports select HDMI 2.1 features) allowed us to build something stable and ship it. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
• The second challenge was certification and licensing. HDMI 2.1 is significantly more complex to validate, test, and certify. Rather than delay the entire product, we prioritized delivering a reliable, feature‑rich solution at a price point where nothing comparable exists.

And if you do have an 8K TV/Projector and want 120Hz, you’re still not out of options. You can integrate Tide16 into your system and add a single HDMI 2.1 input for as little as $249 using an HDFury Arcana at the front end. If you need four additional 8K HDMI 2.1 ports, pairing with an HDFury Vroom achieves that as well.
Hoping this explanation is a starter and we hope to grow the Tide16 with more features in the future.

If I go ahead and purchase the Tide, I would not bother adding a HDFury, not until I have the need to use one and by that time, the $249 might go down, or up a little, but still affordable, considering people who upgraded from HDMI2.0 to 2.1 typically paid $500 to $600 and most had to send the unit back to their dealer, or manufacturer (e.g. Marantz, Anthem etc.).

So, I think miniDSP might have been smart to resist launching with the HDMI2.1. Many of the early adopters would remember the issues associated with HDMI2.1, from even the likes of D+M/Masimo, and I believe even Yamaha and some of them might still be suffering from certain issues. HDMI2.0 is relatively matured enough to be virtually bug free, and for a small company like miniDSP, they might be smart to focus more heavily on the audio side where they have the expertise, and leave the upper hand on the video side to the likes of D+M, Yamaha, Onkyo etc., who have much more experience and resources who are much more capable in dealing with the potential issues with the highly complex video features of the latest AVP/AVRs.

This new AVP is still going to attract people who want to use their AVP for both HT and what they call "serious" music listening, and believe AVRs/AVPs are only suited for movies and are inferior to separates or integrated amps for music. If they believe in specs and measurements (some obviously don't..) they will eventually realize there won't be too many (always possible to find a handful, I assume) integrated amps, not even the relatively expensive Anthem STR series can compete with the Tide 16 in terms of distortions, SNR/DR, and other audio specs that actually contribute to theoretical sound quality (likely not audible to normal people).

 

[little wing]

I have to agree with ADTG, based on your recent posts, you really should go for separate. There really is no separate for HT as such, the AVP is simply and AVR - power amps (functionally speaking, obviously) so it has 90% of the complexity build in but has more room for the video section, the major heat source to breath. The often claimed better sound quality than AVR are mostly generated by the powerful Placebo and bias, one of the biggest myth/scam ever created lol..., but it is so powerful that I would say most users might/could/would hear better sound quality, though still ymmv.

If you can live with the minimalistic video features, vs the Marantz AV10 and AV20, or the AV30, miniDSP's Tide 16 should give you the best available audio performance, I would say even better than the much more expensive Storm audio, even Trinnov. It's also less than half the price (when you factor in the Dirac Live licenses included with the Tide 16 of the AV10, but in the US you probably have to pay more because the dealer won't likely eat the Tariff.

Dirac seems fairly complicated. But I guess it's just a steeper learning curve. As for the video features, if it passes through anything the roku ultra can output or a directv box, I'm good.