Z9 vs. SR-905/RX-v3800/94TXH...

[FatCat11cz]

Hi. I'm a long time lurker; first time poster. Last year, I had to sell my PJ and Receiver to pay some medical bills. Sad I know...and I had insurance...just not the right kind for my illness. I was like WTF?!?!

Anyway, I am back in the saddle again, and am loking for new gear. I currently own a pretty good Klipsch 7.1 set-up. I had a Pioneer 49TX that I bought as a demo from Ultimate Electronics for 900 bucks. It was going on 3yrs old when I got it. My first high end rcvr. I wanted a Z9, but it was 4k. It would have taken 1/2 my budget just for that. Even though it was outdated, I think it still killed anything new that was out when I got it. Maybe not feature-wise, but the sound was awsome.

Now I am in the same postion again. Lusting after the new Z11 or the new Pio 09, or the whatever else is out there. I cant afford it. I am can find a new Z9 for around 1600.00 dollars. That is the same price that I can get some really nice mid-level current rcvrs.

So I guess my question is...Being all in the same price bracket...(1500-2k) is the Z9 a good choice vs the new gear that is out there. Please understand that I do not even have a display yet...It will probably a 720p PJ. ( maybe PT-AX200U) I don't have a Hi-def player. So for right now, I can't see myself needing HDMI for a while. And I can still get the HD audio sound through the analog outs on the player right?


I know this is a long thread, but let me summarize. Is the Z9 still a good receiver vs the newest feature rich gear in the under 2k price range? Would you buy an outdated super receiver verses new feature rich mid-fi gear?

I love coming to Audioholics, and the AV Rant is awsome. GO Dina!!!

PS I don't mean to diss anybody's gear by referring to it as mid-fi. I know that even the mid-class stuff is expensive. But compared to the uber-gear, it is significantly cheaper.

Thanks in advance Christopher

 

[croseiv]

The main difference between the receivers is that the 3800 and 94 are cutting edge HDMI/Video receivers that will let you enjoy the HD sound processing and video processing abilty. I don't think the Z9 has any of the latest high def (video and sound) capabilites. But it by far has the best amplification of the three. If I were going to buy a receiver now I would get something that's going to be useful for a few years at least, especially if I was getting ready to spend a couple of grand, and stay away from the Z9. The technology is changing so fast that most stuff is going obsolete in about 1.5 years. Keep in mind those Klipschs are efficient speakers and won't take much power to play loud.

 

[Seth=L]

The Onkyo TX-NR905 has the best video features of the receivers listed. The Yamaha RX-Z9 has the most power, but lacks any HDMI connectivity what so ever. The Yamaha RX-V3800 is a very competitent receiver but doesn't compete with the Onkyo TX-NR905 in terms of power and overall flexibility, same goes for the Pioneer Elite VSX-94TX. If HDMI video processing isn't needed (if your sources are mostly in HD and you have a good upscaling player or the TV features good scaling) then the Onkyo TX-SR805 is a better bet. It has plenty of power (not as much as the TX-NR905) and audio processing features for HDMI such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. It doesn't have the networking capability of the other receivers either.

 

[croseiv]

Yeah (I missed the 905 in the title). 905 all the way if you can get one. Awesome receiver, the best of the set.

 

[Seth=L]

Yeah (I missed the 905 in the title). 905 all the way if you can get one. Awesome receiver, the best of the set.

Only bested in one category, power of the RX-Z9. Either receiver is very powerful though, pretty much top notch receivers in terms of build quality and power. This is really a two receiver comparison.